President Harry S. Truman fingers the wattle of a 35-pound tom turkey from Oregon within the White House Rose Garden on Nov. 18, 1952. (Photo: Henry Griffin/AP)
The presidential pardon of the Thanksgiving turkey has turn into an annual occasion, however the peace pact between the fowl and the White House is a comparatively new factor. And in truth, a number of presidents really ate their friends!
The first president to unofficially pardon a turkey was Abraham Lincoln, who instructed the White House to save lots of a hen given to the president. Lincoln’s son had grown keen on the hen (and the president was an enormous animal lover).
But Lincoln didn’t begin a convention, and neither did President Harry S. Truman, who is commonly credited as the daddy of the presidential turkey pardon. (National Constitution Center)
Here’s a glance again from Truman to Biden.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower appears extremely happy with the 43-pound Kentucky colonel turkey offered to him on the White House on Nov. 17, 1954. (Photo: Bettmann/Corbis/Getty Images)
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Eisenhower with the 40-pound, broad-breasted tom turkey offered to him on Nov. 19, 1956. (Photo: Bettmann/Corbis/Getty Images)
President John F. Kennedy admires a 55-pound turkey, which wears an indication studying “Good Eating, Mr. President!,” on Nov. 19, 1963. (Photo: Bettmann/Corbis/Getty Images)
President Lyndon B. Johnson was offered with this 40-pound broad-breasted white tom turkey on Nov. 16, 1967. (Photo: Bettmann/Corbis/Getty Images)
President Richard Nixon offers the annual pardon to a Thanksgiving turkey on Nov. 19, 1969. (Photo: Wally McNamee/Corbis/Getty Images)
President Gerald Ford is offered with a Thanksgiving turkey on Nov. 20, 1975. (Photo: U.S. National Archives)
First woman Rosalynn Carter and first daughter Amy Carter pardoning a turkey on Nov. 21, 1978. (Photo: Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum)
President Ronald Reagan and the annual pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey on Nov. 21, 1988. (Photo: NY Daily News by way of Getty Images)
President George H.W. Bush pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey on Nov. 24, 1992. (Photo: Ron Edmonds/AP)
President Bill Clinton seems on as turkey trade govt Robert Strickler holds a 50-pound turkey offered to the president on Nov. 23, 1994. (Photo: Wilfredo Lee/AP)
Clinton with a 35-pound turkey, carrying a White House customer’s move, which was offered to him on Nov. 27, 1996. (Photo: Doug Mills/AP)
Clinton, holding his nephew Tyler, 6, pardons a turkey on Nov. 22, 2000. (Photo: Kenneth Lambert/AP)
President George W. Bush pardoning a turkey on Nov. 19, 2001. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
President George W. Bush pardoning a turkey on Nov. 17, 2004. (Photo: Ron Edmonds/AP)
President George W. Bush within the Rose Garden of the White House on Nov. 22, 2006. (Photo: Chuck Kennedy/MCT by way of Getty Images)
President Barack Obama, with daughters Malia, far proper, and Sasha, pardons a turkey on Nov. 25, 2009. (Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)
Obama, with Sasha and Malia, pardons a turkey on Nov. 23, 2011. (Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)
Obama, with Sasha and Malia, pardoning a turkey on Nov. 21, 2012. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
Obama, together with his daughters, on the turkey pardoning ceremony on Nov. 26, 2014. (Photo: Larry Downing/Reuters)
Obama pardoning a turkey on Nov. 25, 2015. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)
Obama after pardoning a turkey, because the president’s nephews Aaron Robinson and Austin Robinson watch, Nov. 23, 2016. (Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)
President Donald Trump on the turkey pardoning ceremony, as son Barron Trump and first woman Melania Trump look on, Nov. 21, 2017. (Photo: Jim Bourg/Reuters)
U.S. President Donald Trump offers a presidential ‘pardon’ to the National Thanksgiving Turkey Butter in the course of the conventional occasion with first woman Melania Trump (R) within the Rose Garden of the White House Nov. 26, 2019 in Washington. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First woman Melania Trump (R) seems on as US President Donald Trump offers the National Thanksgiving Turkey “Corn” a presidential pardon in the course of the conventional occasion within the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 24, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP by way of Getty Images)
President Joe Biden pardons the turkey ‘Peanut Butter’ in the course of the White House Thanksgiving turkey pardon within the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC on November 19, 2021. (Olivier Doulliery/AFP by way of Getty Images)
