Fascinating Thanksgiving Facts

The turkeys pardoned by the President go on to do some pretty cool things.

President George H.W. Bush pardoned the first turkey in 1989, and it's a tradition that persists today. But what happens to the lucky bird that doesn't get served with a side of mashed potatoes? In 2005 and 2009, the turkeys were sent to Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks to serve as grand marshal in their annual Thanksgiving parades. And from 2010 to 2013, they vacationed at Washington's Mount Vernon state. Not bad!

Only male turkeys actually gobble.

You may have been taught in pre-school that a turkey goes "gobble, gobble" — but that's not entirely true. Only male turkeys, fittingly called gobblers, actually make the sound. Female turkeys cackle instead.