With Thanksgiving rolling around the corner, it’s easy to forget that Thanksgiving has not always been the day of cranberry sauce and marshmallows on sweet potatoes; historically, it has been a day of drama, political upheaval, and natural disasters. Let’s explore this…while you enjoy your turkey…
The Original Thanksgiving (1621)
The first Thanksgiving was not entirely planned. It was more of a spontaneous celebration that lasted three days. Imagine celebrating for that long right now–you would probably be sick of the gravy (and the in-laws…).
The Disbandment of the Continental Army (1783)
George Washington formally dissolved the revolutionary forces on the day designated for Thanksgiving. Surely, the Americans were thankful as the war was over, but troops probably were not grateful for the prospect of unemployment.
The Arkansas and Louisiana Storms (1926)
A series of deadly tornadoes ripped its way through the South on this Thanksgiving day, with the most destructive being the F4 storm in Heber Springs that destroyed 145 homes and killed 23 people.
FDR’s Demands (1939)
This was the first year that Thanksgiving was mandated to be celebrated on the second-to-last Thursday in November. Why? Not because FDR wanted to eat sooner, but because he wished to lengthen the holiday shopping season to stimulate the economy. It is certainly never too early to think about Christmas…
Sorry, FDR (1941)
So much for FDR’s hopes…Congress made this the first year that the holiday was to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.
Duck Down, Snoopy! (1989)
1926 was not the only year that Mother Nature refused to take the day off. A major snowstorm ravaged through the Northeast in 1989, not only causing major traffic inconveniences, but also causing Macy’s parade balloons to fly lower during furious winds.
Hopefully, you will not make the headlines this year. No, I don’t mean that this Thanksgiving marks the start of your new political campaign, I mean that you should probably take that burning turkey out of the oven now!
