Nov. 26, 1789. President Washington Proclaimed Thanksgiving Day. This was passed by both the Houses of Congress. However, the first Thanksgiving proclamation was given not in fall but summer... on June 20, 1676.

Turkey is the traditional dish for the Thanksgiving feast. In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations. There is no official reason or declaration for the use of turkey. They just happened to be the most plentiful meat available at the time of the first Thanksgiving in 1621, starting the tradition.

A few facts:

Fifty percent of Americans say they put stuffing inside the bird, while 50 percent cook it on the side.

Twenty percent of all cranberries that are eaten are eaten at Thanksgiving.

More than 40 million green bean casseroles will be served at Thanksgiving.

Source: Scripps Howard News Service