Though opinions vary on when it started, the official Thanksgiving turkey pardoning ceremony at the White House is a tradition that dates back to at least 1989 when George H.W. Bush was president and more or less made it an official event with his use of the words “presidential pardon.”
“But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy. He’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now, and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here,” Bush declared.
This presidential turkey, on the other hand, was not so lucky:
Presenting the White House with a turkey has been a long standing tradition, and some birds were spared, but it wasn’t until 1989 that #POTUS George H. W. Bush used the term “pardon.” Here’s a #throwback to Eisenhower, who did later have turkey…
