38. Abraham Lincoln Pardoned First Thanksgiving Turkey
Days before the 1863 Thanksgiving meal, a turkey came to the White House for Thanksgiving meal preparations. However, 10-year-old Tad Lincoln started to take care of the bird and named him Jack. Tad begged the executioner not to kill the bird and went to talk to his father, President Abraham Lincoln, in the middle of a cabinet meeting. Tad burst into the meeting, crying to his father to spare Jack because he was a good turkey. Lincoln took heart to his son’s cries and saved the turkey, establishing a tradition.