Which president is believed to be the first to pardon a turkey and start this annual tradition?

Answer 1

President Harry Truman in 1947

Answer 2

The answer is not as simple as one might expect.

George H. W, Bush was the first to grant an actual presidential pardon to the

turkey presented to him at Thanksgiving by the national turkey foundation in 1989.

Harry Truman may have been given a turkey in 1947 but there is no record that he pardoned it -- he quite likely gave it to someone to kill and eat.

John F Kennedy spared a Thanksgiving turkey that he was given, but he did not refer to the act as granting a pardon.

Legend says that Abraham Lincoln pardoned a Christmas Turkey at the request of his son Tad. It may or may not have actually happened.

Answer 3

I do not think that this ever happened in the US. The turkey growers gave the president a prize turkey to eat at Thanksgiving and at first the president did just that or else gave the turkey to someone who would eat it. The idea of pardoning a turkey came much later and after the first turkey was pardoned, no president decided to kill one of the gift turkeys.

Answer 4

The first U.S. President to pardon a turkey on Thanksgiving was President Truman. He pardoned the first bird in 1947.

Answer 5

George H W Bush was the first president to officially pardon a turkey at Thanksgiving in 1989.

Answer 6

George H. W Bush and all the presidents since have pardoned the turkeys they given for Thanksgiving. I think most of them ate some other turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

Answer 7

President John Kennedy.

Answer 8

Harry S. Truman