Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Fact or Fiction?



Fact or Fiction: One of America's Founding Fathers thought the turkey should be the national bird of the United States.
Fact. In a letter to his daughter sent in 1784, Benjamin Franklin suggested that the wild turkey would be a more appropriate national symbol for the newly independent United States than the bald eagle (which had earlier been chosen by the Continental Congress). He argued that the turkey was "a much more respectable Bird," "a true original Native of America," and "though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage."
Fact or Fiction: In 1863, Abraham Lincoln became the first American president to proclaim a national day of thanksgiving.
Fiction. George Washington, John Adams and James Madison all issued proclamations urging Americans to observe days of thanksgiving, both for general good fortune and for particularly momentous events (the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, in Washington's case; the end of the War of 1812, in Madison's).
Fact or Fiction: Turkeys are slow-moving birds that lack the ability to fly.
Fiction (kind of). Domesticated turkeys (the type eaten on Thanksgiving) cannot fly, and their pace is limited to a slow walk. Female domestic turkeys, which are typically smaller and lighter than males, can move somewhat faster. Wild turkeys, on the other hand, are much smaller and more agile. They can reach speeds of up to 20-25 miles per hour on the ground and fly for short distances at speeds approaching 55 miles per hour. They also have better eyesight and hearing than their domestic counterparts.
Fact or Fiction: Who is the author of thanks – Jesus Christ.
Fact: “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him shall not parish, but shall have eternal life.”   John 3:16

1 comment: