The history of presidential pardoned turkeys.

This is a man that bombed Hiroshima. So, you know.

Officially, it's called the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation. Unofficially, it's known as the easiest day on a president's calendar.

It's that time of year when the media gathers outside the White House to watch a president 'pardon' a turkey that otherwise would be doomed for someone's dining room table tomorrow.

The tradition started in 1947 with President Harry Truman, greeting representatives from various turkey, poultry, and egg associations, who was presented with a photogenic turkey to pet and have the media coo over. Truman never 'pardoned' any turkey though. According to researcher Tammy Kelly at the Truman Presidential Library and Museum, "the Trumans were not animal people." Kelly believes the Trumans ate the turkey in their photo-ops, although no one knows for certain.

Eisenhower is ecstatic over a recipe for giblets.

President Dwight Eisenhower didn't 'pardon' any turkey either.

In fact, he took it one step further--he ate the poor feathered friend in all of his photo-ops--and it's on the record.

Sly move, Tom. Sly move.

President Kennedy was more diplomatic. Just days before his assassination, Kennedy apparently took a shine to the bird. The turkey was adorned with a sign that said, "Good Eatin', Mr. President." Turkey masochism isn't as charming as you imagine, since Kennedy replied "Let's just keep him."

Officially, Kennedy never 'pardoned' the bird--tell it to the Hague!--more guilty conscience than anything. But it's as close as we get to a first-ever presidential decree.







The Tom-and-pony show continued through the years. Lyndon Johnson had turkeys visit the White House. Richard Nixon had turkeys visit the White House. Gerald Ford had turkeys visit the White House. (And we're not just talking members of Congress! ZING!) None 'pardoned' a bird, nor had a Kennedy-esque guilt complex. According to The Washington Post, each of those respective presidents' libraries admits--almost ashamedly--their respective president never thought to pardon a turkey.

Jimmy Carter presidential turkey pardon photo not available.

When Jimmy Carter came into office, well, uhh, Jimmy was busy. The turkey photo-op took a break for four years.

His library claims that Carter's wife, Rosalyn, did all the trimmings.

And by trimmings they mean no pardonings.








Ronald Reagan was an actor before he was a president, so he knew good press when he saw it. The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation was back on. For the first six years Regan didn't care about pardoning any birds though--although there's also no history of him roasting the poor bastard up for the family either.

Reagen throws caution to the wind.

By 1987, with the Iran-Contra scandal heating up and the president looking to avoid questions about pardoning Oliver North for his role in the affair, Reagan--ever cute with a quip--joked that he was also going to pardon the turkey he was posing with. Ollie North? A turkey? What's the dif? Again, not official though.

The turkey did end up at a petting zoo, so there's that.






Which brings us to President George H.W. Bush, who finally issued a presidential 'pardon' in 1989, declaring the bird would live out his days far from any dinner plate.

"He will not end up on anyone's dinner table," Bush said. "Not this guy. He's granted a presidential pardon as of right now."

Bush isn't even sure what he just did.

No one knows the root of Bush's generosity though. Twenty years later, his own presidential library wasn't aware he was the first to officially sanction a reprieve from turkey death row--nor does Bush's old press secretary, speechwriters, or damn near anyone else have a clue where the pardon came about. It just did. Possibly Bush was just feeling extra kindly that day. Yet he started a tradition.






Every year since, presidents have continued the tradition of 'pardoning' a turkey. The newest quirk is that two birds have been pardoned from death row. So why two?

Pardoned turkeys these days are bred from birth for their photo-op with the leader of the free world. They're trained from a young age to handle loud noises, camera flashes, and crowds. No one wants to see the president attacked or upstaged by a turkey--so there are fail safes, lest one turkey deemed from birth turn out to be a bad egg. The fail safe? A second turkey, brought up the same way alongside the original, just in case we have a nature over nurture moment in our turkey futures.

This meant one turkey was 'pardoned' officially (pardoned even at birth, little known to him or the world) while a second bird sat behind the scenes wondering his fate.

But once the tiniest bit of knowledge came out to the public about the second, behind-the-scenes stunt turkey, the White House 'pardoned' both.

Gobbler is thrilled Obama isn't Eisenhower.

And that leads us to today. The White House--on Facebook, no less--now holds a poll to see which turkey should be pardoned. In the case of the 2012 Thanksgiving Presidential Turkey (seen here on the right), it's a battle between birds named Gobbler and Cobbler.

No worries, though. Now we know both birds will be safe. One simply receives the title of officially 'pardoned,' while the secondary stunt turkey coasts on the first bird's coattails.

And both end up on a farm to live out their days.