ronald reagan was the first president to pardon the turkey.
ronald reagan was the first president to pardon the turkey.
who was the first president to pardon the turkey?
ronald reagan
the first president on record issuing a "pardon" to his turkey was ronald reagan. reagan had been sending the turkeys presented to him to farms and zoos since at least 1982, and 1987's turkey, charlie, was likewise headed to a petting zoo. at the time, reagan was facing questions over the iran-contra affair, on whether or not he would consider pardoning oliver north (who had yet to be tried for his involvement in the affair); reagan conjured the notion of the turkey pardon as a joke to deflect those questions. reagan did not make any pardon references in the 1988 presentation, but his successor, george h. w. bush, instituted the turkey pardon as a permanent part of the presentation beginning his first year in office, 1989. the phrase "presidential pardon" in that ceremony was apparently inserted by a speechwriter; bush initially was indifferent to the terminology, saying reprieve', 'keep him going', or 'pardon': it's all the same for the turkey, as long as he doesn't end up on the president's holiday table." since then, at least one of the turkeys presented to the president has been taken to a farm where it will live out the rest of its natural life.
national thanksgiving turkey presentation
bullet::::- first president to have had a secretary of defense.









































bullet::::- first president to have had a white house chief of staff.









































bullet::::- first president who was a democrat to ascend to the office upon the death of his predecessor.









































bullet::::- first president to pardon a turkey (this presidential pardon of the thanksgiving turkey is a tradition subsequent presidents have practiced every year).









































bullet::::- first president to address the nation on television.









































bullet::::- first president to deliver an oval office address.









































bullet::::- first president who did not go to college who was neither a general nor a lawyer.
list of united states presidential firsts