President Franklin D. Roosevelt made a bold decision in 1939, sparking a spirited debate across America. To extend the holiday shopping season, Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving Day to the third Thursday in November from the fourth, according to the National Archives. The change to the day originally set by Abraham Lincoln ignited a controversy, with 22 states celebrating on the new day and 23 the old, and three states celebrating both days, according to the New York Times of the day. Later, other states decided to celebrate the earlier day, but Congress finally intervened to end the confusion and set the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November.
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