Thanksgiving History
How long did the first Thanksgiving feast last?
Three days
In what year was the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
1924
Born today, November 23, in 1992, this pop singer made her claim to fame as child star on the hit Disney TV show Hannah Montana.
Miley Cyrus
What is the term for the seasonal movement of animals from one region to another?
Migration
Which company created green bean casserole in 1955?
Campbell Soup Company.
Which U.S. president proclaimed a national Thanksgiving observance in 1863?
Abraham Lincoln
Which character has appeared as a parade balloon more times than any other?
Snoopy.
On November 9, 1989, which famous barrier in Germany began opening its border crossings?
The Berlin Wall.
What is the name of the pigment that trees break down so they can absorb nutrients and sugars back into their trunks in preparation for winter, which then causes the colors of the leaves to change?
Chlorophyll
Which U.S. state grows the most cranberries?
Wisconsin
Wisconsin produces 60% of the nation’s cranberry crop and more than half of the global cranberry supply.
Which Indigenous people shared a harvest feast with Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1621?
The Wampanoag
Why is the 2026 parade the 100th, not the 103rd?
The parade was canceled from 1942 to 1944 during World War II.
Which rock band recorded the song “November Rain”?
Guns N’ Roses
In 1995, this popular Thanksgiving vegetable was the first to be grown in space.
The Potato
What is the horn-shaped basket overflowing with fruit and vegetables that symbolizes the Thanksgiving harvest?
A cornucopia, or "horn of plenty."
What professional football team has hosted almost every Thanksgiving since 1934?
The Detroit Lions
About how long is today's parade route?
About 2.5 miles, from the Upper West Side to Macy's Herald Square. It starts at 8:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning.
Parker Brothers first began selling this property-focused board game on November 5, 1935, and it quickly became a best-selling classic.
Monopoly
What is the traditional name for November's full moon?
The Beaver Moon
This is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges, having laid up sufficient food stores for the long winter ahead. During the fur trade in North America, it was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts.
The culinary technique of tying up a turkey into a uniform shape using kitchen twine is known as what?
Trussing
What hurricane made landfall on Thanksgiving Day 2016?
Hurricane Otto
According to Macy's, roughly how many people attend the attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York each year?
3.5 Million
Which naturalist published On the Origin of Species on November 24, 1859?
Charles Darwin
What's the name for the science of growing apples?
Pomology
What is the name of the amino acid in turkey that makes you sleepy?
Tryptophan
Turkeys contain an amino acid, tryptophan, which is a natural sedative.