What happened on November 26 - Interesting US History

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A Website Devoted to Interesting Events in U.S. History

ON THIS DAY IN UNITED STATES HISTORY

November 26, 1789

The First Thanksgiving Designated by
the U.S. Government is Celebrated

On this day in 1789, the first Thanksgiving designated by the U.S. Government was celebrated as proclaimed by George Washington on October 3rd of that year. Up until that time, Thanksgiving had been observed on various different dates during various times of the year. On October 3, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Lincoln proclaimed that Thanksgiving would be held on the final Thursday in November.

This tradition continued with succeeding U.S. Presidents until 1939, a year in which November contained five Thursdays. That year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that Thanksgiving would be observed on the fourth Thursday, and then the following year changed it to the Thursday before the last Thursday to allow more time before Christmas. Although many adopted this change, others did not and continued to celebrate on the last Thursday while others celebrated both.

Finally in 1941 the U.S. Congress passed a bill requiring that Thanksgiving be observed anually on the fourth Thursday in November regardless of how many Thursdays where in the month.

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Interesting History Facts

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The Star Spangled Banner

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The Mayflower Beer Run

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Women in the Civil War

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The Gettysburg Address

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The First Submarine

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New York Dixie

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Interesting Civil War Facts

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Our Founding Fathers

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The War of 1812

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Sherrod Bryant

Interesting History Myths

◦	Myth: George Washington was the First President of the United States
◦	Myth: Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone
◦	Myth: Daniel Boone wore a coonskin cap
◦	Myth: Betsy Ross designed the first American flag
◦	Myth: Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin
◦	Myth: Christopher Columbus discovered the earth is round
◦	Myth: Abraham Lincoln's childhood log cabin is on display in Hodgenville, Kentucky
◦	Myth: The Civil War was all about slavery
◦	Myth: In April of 1775, Paul Revere rode through the streets from Boston to Lexington yelling "The British Are Coming"
◦	Myth: The Pilgrims lived in log cabins
◦	Myth: During the Civil War, Lincoln once said about Grant's drinking: "If I knew what brand he used, I'd send every general a barrel"
◦	Myth: Charles Lindbergh was the first man to fly nonstop across the Atlantic
◦	Myth: George Washington fathered several children by his slaves
◦	Myth: The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on Bunker Hill
◦	Myth: When Confederate president, Jefferson Davis was arrested after the Civil War, he was wearing his wife's clothes
◦	Myth: The Liberty Bell rang on July 4, 1776 in celebration of American independence
◦	Myth: The reason Germany got off to such a fast start in World War II was because of its pre-war preparations

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◦	The True Story of Bass Reeves
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◦	Julia and Hiram
◦	The Boston Massacre Lawyer
◦	Women in the American Civil War
◦	Beyond the Medal
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November 26, 1789

The First Thanksgiving Designated by the U.S. Government is Celebrated

The First Thanksgiving Designated by
the U.S. Government is Celebrated