President Trump pardoned Gobble and Waddle, two North Carolina turkeys with spotless records on Tuesday, continuing a White House tradition of cementing the poultry in American history.

Why it matters: The now infamous Thanksgiving custom has a tangled background peppered with protests, pranks and a Turkey lobby more effective than the mob.

Here's what to know about presidential turkey pardons:

Can't disappoint the children

Abraham Lincoln is frequently credited with pardoning the first turkey after a supporter sent it to him in 1863, according to the White House Historical Association. • Lincoln's son Tad later begged his father to grant the bird mercy, and the president declared the last Thursday in November to be regularly commemorated as Thanksgiving that same year.

An alternate

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