🧠 The Daily Fact #23

Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday in the United States until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it during the Civil War. He hoped it would help unify the country by encouraging gratitude and reflection despite the turmoil. Prior to this, Thanksgiving celebrations were sporadic and regionally based, with no fixed date. The idea for a national holiday was heavily influenced by Sarah Josepha Hale, an author and magazine editor who spent decades campaigning for it. She’s also famous for writing the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb."