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The
first meal eaten on the moon by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
was a roast turkey dinner (from foil packets)!
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Benjamin
Franklin, the great American statesman, thought the turkey was so American
it should have been chosen as our national symbol rather than the eagle.
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Until
1863, Thanksgiving Day had not been celebrated annually since the first
feast in 1621. This changed in 1863 when Sarah Josepha Hale encouraged
Abraham Lincoln to set aside the last Thursday in November "as a day
for national thanksgiving and prayer."
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Abraham
Lincoln was the first President to pardon a turkey when his son, Tad, had
one as a pet.
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Turkeys
originated in North and Central America, and evidence indicates that they
have been around for over 10 million years.
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Wild
turkeys can fly for short distances at up to 55 miles per hour. Wild turkeys
are also fast on the ground, running at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.
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Only
male turkeys (toms) gobble. Females (hens) make a clicking noise. The gobble
is a seasonal call during the spring and fall. Hens are attracted for mating
when a tom gobbles.
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The
heaviest turkey ever raised weighed in at 86 pounds -- about the size of a
large German Shepherd -- and was grown in England, according to Dr. Sarah
Birkhold, poultry specialist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service.
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Ninety
percent of American homes eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
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The
fleshy growth from the base of the beak, which is very long on male turkeys
and hangs down over the beak, is called the snood.
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June
is National Turkey Lovers' Month!
