These Vintage Thanksgiving Photos Remind Us What It’s All About

Say happy Thanksgiving with these nostalgic snapshots.

These Vintage Thanksgiving Photos Remind Us What It’s All About

Children saying grace before Thanksgiving dinner in 1940

Times have changed, but we still have so much to be grateful for: turkey, pumpkin pie, family and more.

Let's not forget vintage Thanksgiving photos, either. These old snapshots remind us what the season's all about.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Started in 1924 and Was Originally Known as the Macy's Christmas Parade

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in 1930

President Franklin D. Roosevelt Loved Carving the Annual Turkey for First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Guests in 1933

President Franklin D. Roosevelt carving Thanksgiving turkey

Servicemen Were Served Free to Wish Them a Happy Thanksgiving in 1941

Servicemen served Thanksgiving dinner in 1941

A Thanksgiving Party in London in 1942 Didn’t Look Much Different Than It Would Today

Thanksgiving day party in London

This Man Showed the Turkey Who’s Boss in New York City in 1945

Man holding food

Heavyweight Boxing Champ Joe Louis Helped His Daughter Dig in to Some Turkey in 1946

Heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis with family on Thanksgiving

Joe DiMaggio Had to Eat Thanksgiving Dinner Left-Handed After an Operation

Joe Dimaggio eating a turkey leg

President Harry Truman Got a Piece of Plymouth Rock on Thanksgiving Day in 1949

President Harry Truman in the Oval Office in 1949

U.S. Soldiers Still Enjoyed Thanksgiving Dinner During Wartime in North Korea in 1950

U.S, soldiers enjoying Thanksgiving dinner in North Korea

President Truman Met the Turkey That Would Be Served at His Last Thanksgiving White House Dinner in 1952

Harry Truman with a turkey

First Lady Mamie Eisenhower Laughed at the Gobbling of This 40-Pound Bird Presented for Thanksgiving in 1957

First lady Mamie Eisenhower amused by 40-pound Tom turkey

What Would Be a Thanksgiving Parade Without Radio City Music Hall Rockettes?

The Rockettes on Thanksgiving in 1958

Sandra Dee, Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida Cut the Turkey in Rome, Italy, While Filming 'Come September' in 1960

Sandra Dee, Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida cut the turkey in 1960

Big Thanksgiving Snacks and Football Go Way Back

New York Titans owner Harry Wismer eats turkey leg while watching football in 1962

Comedian Jimmy Durante Rode Jumbo the Elephant Around the Big Apple in 1962

Jimmy Durante riding elephant in 1962 Macy's Parade

Caroline Kennedy’s Pet Terrier, Charlie, Was Quite Curious About the Arrival of the White House’s Thanksgiving Bird

Charlie, a Welsh terrier, inspects a turkey

President Lyndon Johnson Sat at the Head of the Table With His Family on Thanksgiving in 1965

Lyndon B. Johnson with his family at Thanksgiving

Comedian Phyllis Diller Found the Funny Bone of Her Turkey Friend

Comedian Phyllis Diller and her turkey friend, Tom

Susan Ford, President Ford’s Daughter, Took Their Dog Liberty on a Thanksgiving Walk in 1974

Susan Ford and the president's dog

Donny Osmond Gave the People What They Want at the Macy's Parade in 1981

Donny Osmond on a turkey float at the 1981 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

In 1984, the Presidential Turkey Wasn’t Intimidated by President Ronald Reagan in the Slightest

National Turkey Federation president John Hendricks holding on to a live turkey

Even Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse Celebrate Thanksgiving

Donald Duck carves the turkey while Mickey Mouse watches

A Group of Native Americans in 1986 Hosted a Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving in Remembrance of Their Ancestors

Group of Native Americans beat a drum

The Annual Macy’s Parade Doesn’t Always Go Smoothly. In 1986, Betty Boop Collapsed

Betty Boop collapses on Broadway near 49th Street at the 1986 Macy's Parade

A Live Radio Broadcast Was Made From New York City's Golden's Restaurant on Thanksgiving Day in 1988 With Comedian Jackie Mason and TV Personality Morton Downey Jr.

Comedian Jackie Mason, right, and TV personality Morton Downey Jr. during a live radio broadcast from Golden's Restaurant in New York in 1988

Volunteers Gathered at the U.S. Capitol Grounds to Serve Thanksgiving Dinner to Homeless Families

Volunteers from the community in Washington, D.C., in 1988

This White House Turkey in 1989 Weighed a Whopping 50 Pounds, and President George Bush Looks Delighted

George H.W. Bush with a Thanksgiving turkey

Ronald McDonald Was Loving the 1989 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Ronald McDonald in 1989 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

President-Elect Bill Clinton Served Turkey at a Shelter for Battered Women and Their Kids Back in 1992

President-elect Bill Clinton slices Thanksgiving turkey at Dorcas House, a shelter for battered and abused women and their children

Just Two Months After 9/11, Firefighters at the Broadway Firehouse in New York Gathered for a Bittersweet Meal

Firefighters eat dinner at New York's Broadway firehouse in 2001

First Responders Joined the Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2001 With Two Large Flag Banners to Represent the World Trade Center

Police and emergency workers hold two 54-foot flag banners in 2001 Thanksgiving Parade in New York

Frying Turkeys at a Tailgate Party Before a Dallas Cowboys Game? Some Things Never Change

Dallas Cowboys fans at a Thanksgiving tailgate in 2002

President George W. Bush Helped Wish Troops a Happy Thanksgiving in Baghdad

U.S. President George W. Bush carries a turkey platter while visiting U.S. troops for 2003 Thanksgiving in Baghdad

The First National Day of Mourning in Honor of Native Americans Was Held in 1970, and They’ve Become an Honored Tradition

Native American supporters in 2004

An NBA Suspension Didn’t Stop Stephen Jackson From Serving Thanksgiving Dinner for the Homeless in 2004

Indiana Pacers player Stephen Jackson serves turkey

Following Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana Residents Needed These Handmade Turduckens to Lift Their Spirits

Louisiana residents create turduckens, a famous Louisiana specialty that is a turkey stuffed with a chicken and a duck

In 2005, the National Thanksgiving Turkey Was Spared and Sent to Be the Grand Marshal of Disneyland’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. His Name Was Marshmallow

President Bush pets the national Thanksgiving turkey Marshmallow

Clowns at the Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2006 Were a Little on the Creepy Side

Lead balloon in 2006 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

U.S. Soldiers Bowed Their Heads in Prayer During a Thanksgiving Day Celebration in Afghanistan

United States soldiers pray during a Thanksgiving Day celebration

This poignant photo was symbolic, but it also bears an important reminder. Psychologists have studied brain chemistry and confirmed that gratitude helps people press on during challenging times.

Even if times are tough, look for things to be grateful for. A slice of pie and a hand to hold are more special than they look.

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