HomeShowsThis Day In History
Stream HISTORY
HomeShowsThis Day In HistoryStream HISTORY
  1. Home
  2. Topics
  3. Thanksgiving
  4. Stories

Thanksgiving ‑ Stories

Thanksgiving, which occurs on the fourth Thursday in November, is based on the colonial Pilgrims' 1621 harvest meal. The holiday continues to be a day for Americans to gather for a day of feasting, football and family.

A clerk removes cans of cranberry from the shelves in a supermarket in Jackson Heights, Queens, Nov. 10, 1959.

How the Great Cranberry Scare of 1959 Set Off a Thanksgiving Panic

On November 9, 1959—just two‑and‑a‑half weeks before Thanksgiving—the U.S. secretary of Health, Education and Welfare made a startling announcement: some cranberries grown in the Pacific Northwest may have been contaminated by a weed killer that could lead to cancer in rats. This meant that cranberry sauce, a popular staple of Thanksgiving dinners, might not be […]

Read more
A Thanksgiving turkey on a table with pie.

Why We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving

Most Americans who celebrate Thanksgiving—about 9 in 10, according to a 2021 poll—eat turkey with their holiday meal, perhaps alongside other favorite dishes such as mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. But if you’ve ever wondered why so many of us eat turkey on Thanksgiving, the answer is a bit more complicated than […]

Read more
Detail of illustration depicting Native American Squanto (a.k.a. Tisquantum), of the Patuxet tribe, serving as guide and interpreter for the Pilgrims at the Plymouth Colony, circa 1621.

Who Was Squanto, and What Was His Role in the First Thanksgiving?

Without Squanto, a.k.a. Tisquantum, to interpret and guide them to food sources, the Plymouth Colony Pilgrims may have never have survived.

Read more
Wood engraving from Harper's Weekly magazine depicts onfield action during a football match between Yale and Princeton on Thanksgiving Day, November 1879. The match was a draw

How the First Thanksgiving College Football Game Kicked Off a Holiday Tradition

In 1876, Yale beat Princeton before a sparse crowd. By the mid‑1880s, their annual contest was a major social event that attracted thousands of fans in New York.

Read more
Ousamequin, chief of the Wampanoag signs a peace treaty with Governor John Carver (1576 - 1621).

Why the Wampanoag Signed a Peace Treaty with the Mayflower Pilgrims

The treaty that made the first Thanksgiving possible has a dark backstory.

Read more
The Miserable Journey Aboard the Mayflower

The Pilgrims’ Miserable Journey Aboard the Mayflower

During their two‑month voyage to America, the Mayflower’s passengers faced cramped quarters, rough seas, limited food and numbing cold.

Read more

Thanksgiving: A Timeline of the Holiday

From the earliest fall feasts to the first Thanksgiving football game to the Macy’s Day parade, here’s the full background on how the U.S. holiday evolved to the tradition it is today.

Read more

Turkeys Were Once Worshipped Like Gods

The star of the Thanksgiving table was revered by the Maya.

Read more

Black Friday in Photos: From Financial Crash to Shopping Mania

Black Friday has not always been about crowds shopping for sales at obscenely early hours the day after Thanksgiving.

Read more
The First Thanksgiving

Colonists at the First Thanksgiving Were Mostly Men Because Women Had Perished

The three‑day feast was about giving thanks, but it wasn’t much like today’s holiday.

Read more
A group of friends or family members hold hands around a Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving History Facts and Trivia

What did they eat at the first Thanksgiving? Which president made Thanksgiving a federal holiday? Get Thanksgiving trivia to share around the table.

Read more
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Quirky Vintage Photos of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Snapshots of the iconic parade over the last eight decades.

Read more
A+E Global Media Logo
  • HISTORY Education
  • HISTORY Vault®
  • HISTORY Apps
  • HISTORY2™
  • HISTORY en Español®
  • Military HISTORY®
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Share Your Opinions
  • FAQ / Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Employment Opportunities
  • A+E Factual Studios™
  • Accessibility Support
  • A+E Studios®
  • TV Parental Guidelines
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright Policy
  • Cookie Notice
  • Ad Choices
© 2025, A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.