Thanksgiving dinner has a way of going quiet right after the first bite. If your table needs a conversation starter between the stuffing and the pie, here's a batch of true turkey trivia, plus one kitchen myth worth busting before you carve.
1. Franklin Never Really Nominated the Turkey
You've probably heard that Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey as the national bird instead of the bald eagle. It's only half true. In a 1784 letter, Franklin called the eagle "a bird of bad moral character" and praised the turkey as "a much more respectable bird." But historians note the letter was mostly satire aimed at the Society of the Cincinnati, a club of former Revolutionary War officers, and he never formally proposed the turkey for anything. Live Science has the full story.
2. There Was Once a Year with Two Thanksgivings
In 1939, the last Thursday of November fell on the 30th. Worried that a short holiday shopping season would hurt the economy, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week. Critics nicknamed it "Franksgiving." According to the National Archives, 32 states went along with the change and 16 refused, so for two years the country celebrated on two different Thursdays. Congress finally settled it in 1941 by fixing the holiday on the fourth Thursday of November.
3. Lincoln Made It an Annual Tradition
George Washington proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving in 1789, but later presidents picked their own dates, and some skipped it. The National Archives notes that it wasn't until Abraham Lincoln's 1863 proclamation that Thanksgiving was regularly observed every year on the last Thursday of November.
4. The First Feast Probably Wasn't All Turkey
The 1621 harvest celebration in Plymouth likely featured wild fowl such as ducks and geese, along with venison, rather than the golden turkey we picture today, as HowStuffWorks notes. Turkey became the star of the table much later.
5. A Turkey Hotline Has Been Taking Calls Since 1981
The Butterball Turkey Talk Line opened in 1981 with six home economists, who answered about 11,000 calls in its first season, according to its former parent company. By the early 2000s, the line was fielding more than 100,000 questions each November and December.
6. The Hotline Has Heard Everything
The most common question is still how and when to thaw the bird. Some callers get creative. Operators have described people thawing turkeys in a Jacuzzi, under an electric blanket, and even in the bath alongside their toddlers. (Please don't. Cold water or the fridge are the safe ways.)
7. The Pop Up Timer Was Inspired by Fire Sprinklers
Here's a great one for the table. The pop up timer was dreamed up by members of California's turkey industry who wanted to stop home cooks from overcooking their birds. Turkey farmer George "Goldie" Kliewer got the idea while looking at ceiling fire sprinklers, which use a plug of metal that melts to release water. A timer could work the same way, with a small plug that melts and releases a spring. Inside Science tells the story, and the CADE Museum notes a patent for the device was granted in 1966.
8. Pop Up Timers Are Reusable
Dip the tip of a used timer in boiling water and the metal inside melts again. Push the stick back down, let it cool, and it's reset. A Moment of Science explains how. It's a fun party trick, but there's a catch.
The Myth Worth Busting: Why Your Pop Up Timer Is Lying
That little red stick is a thermometer, not a timer, and it isn't a very good one for your dinner.
It's often set too high. The melting point of the plug varies by design. Sources put it anywhere from about 165°F to around 175°F or higher. By the time the breast meat climbs that high, much of its moisture is gone.
It only measures one spot. The timer sits in a single place in the breast. The thighs, the thickest part of the breast, and the area near the bone can all be at different temperatures.
It isn't always reliable. Consumer Reports has warned that some timers can pop before the turkey reaches a safe 165°F, which is the worst of both worlds.
It ignores carryover cooking. A turkey keeps cooking after it leaves the oven as heat moves from the outside toward the center. If you wait for a high pop before pulling the bird, it keeps rising past that point while it rests.
What to Trust Instead
A good meat thermometer. Check the thickest part of the breast and the thigh without touching bone, and pull the turkey at 165°F. Then rest it 15 to 30 minutes before carving. We go deeper on timing and resting in our time, temp, and rest guide.
How you cook the bird matters too. With the PoulTree, the turkey hangs horizontally, breast side down, over a skillet. Juices from the darker meat run toward the lean breast while hot air browns the skin all around. That gives you a wider margin before the breast dries out. Read more in how to roast a juicier turkey in less time.
One Last Bit of Trivia for the Road
Thanksgiving Day was officially fixed by law when President Roosevelt signed the resolution on December 26, 1941, a month after Thanksgiving had already passed that year, according to the National Archives.
Make This Year's Bird the Best Story at the Table
Ditch the pop up and bring a thermometer and the Turkey Talon with the XL/XXL Rod. It fits the skillet you already own. Order by November 20 for Thanksgiving delivery. For carving day, keep our carving guide handy.
