Presidential turkey pardons: A look back
- 1/23
President Harry S. Truman with a 35-pound Oregon Tom turkey
- 2/23
President Eisenhower with the 43-pound Kentucky colonel turkey
- 3/23
President Eisenhower with a 40-pound Tom turkey
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- 4/23
President Kennedy admires a 55-pound turkey
- 5/23
President Lyndon B. Johnson eyes a 40-pound Tom turkey
- 6/23
President Richard Nixon pardons a turkey
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- 7/23
President Gerald R. Ford is presented with a turkey
- 8/23
Rosalynn Carter and Amy Carter pardon a turkey
- 9/23
President Ronald Reagan pardons a turkey
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- 10/23
President George H.W. Bush gestures as he pardons a turkey
- 11/23
President Bill Clinton receives a 50-pound turkey to pardon
- 12/23
President Bill Clinton pardons “Carl”
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- 13/23
President Bill Clinton, holding his nephew Tyler, pardons “Jerry”
- 14/23
President George W. Bush reacts to “Liberty”
- 15/23
President George W. Bush holds “Biscuits” by the neck
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- 16/23
President George W. Bush pets “Flyer”
- 17/23
President Barack Obama pardons “Courage”
- 18/23
President Barack Obama pardons 45-pound “Liberty”
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- 19/23
President Barack Obama pardons “Cobbler”
- 20/23
President Barack Obama pardons “Cheese”
- 21/23
President Barack Obama pardons “Abe”
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- 22/23
President Barack Obama after pardoning “Tot”
- 23/23
President Trump pardons “Drumstick”
Yahoo News Photo Staff
The presidential pardon of the Thanksgiving turkey has become an annual event, but the peace pact between the fowl and the White House is a relatively new thing. And in fact, a few presidents actually ate their guests!
The first president to unofficially pardon a turkey was Abraham Lincoln, who instructed the White House to save a bird given to the president. Lincoln’s son had grown fond of the bird (and the president was a big animal lover).
But Lincoln didn’t start a tradition, and neither did President Harry S. Truman, who is often credited as the father of the presidential turkey pardon. (National Constitution Center)
Here’s a look back from Truman to Trump.
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