document_title: List of U.S. states and territories by area

question_text: largest state in the us by land mass

question_tokens: largest state in the us by land mass

text: Area by state/territory[edit]

text:
Total area[2]
Land area[2]
Water[2]

State/territory
Rank
sq mi
km²
Rank
sq mi
km²
% land
Rank
sq mi
km²
% water

 Alaska
7000100000000000000♠1
665,384.04
1,723,337
7000100000000000000♠1
570,640.95
1,477,953
7001857600000000000♠85.76%
7000100000000000000♠1
94,743.10
245,384
7001142400000000000♠14.24%

 Texas
7000200000000000000♠2
268,596.46
695,662
7000200000000000000♠2
261,231.71
676,587
7001972600000000000♠97.26%
7000800000000000000♠8
7,364.75
19,075
7000274000000000000♠2.74%

 California
7000300000000000000♠3
163,696.32
423,972
7000300000000000000♠3
155,779.22
403,466
7001951600000000000♠95.16%
7000600000000000000♠6
7,915.52
20,501
7000484000000000000♠4.84%

 Montana
7000400000000000000♠4
147,039.71
380,831
7000400000000000000♠4
145,545.80
376,962
7001989800000000000♠98.98%
7001260000000000000♠26
1,493.91
3,869
7000102000000000000♠1.02%

 New Mexico
7000500000000000000♠5
121,590.30
314,917
7000500000000000000♠5
121,298.15
314,161
7001997600000000000♠99.76%
7001490000000000000♠49
292.15
757
6999240000000000000♠0.24%

 Arizona
7000600000000000000♠6
113,990.30
295,234
7000600000000000000♠6
113,594.08
294,207
7001996500000000000♠99.65%
7001480000000000000♠48
396.22
1,026
6999350000000000000♠0.35%

 Nevada
7000700000000000000♠7
110,571.82
286,380
7000700000000000000♠7
109,781.18
284,332
7001992800000000000♠99.28%
7001360000000000000♠36
790.65
2,048
6999720000000000000♠0.72%

 Colorado
7000800000000000000♠8
104,093.67
269,601
7000800000000000000♠8
103,641.89
268,431
7001995700000099999♠99.57%
7001440000000000000♠44
451.78
1,170
6999430000000000000♠0.43%

 Oregon
7000900000000000000♠9
98,378.54
254,799
7001100000000000000♠10
95,988.01
248,608
7001975700000099999♠97.57%
7001200000000000000♠20
2,390.53
6,191
7000243000000000000♠2.43%

 Wyoming
7001100000000000000♠10
97,813.01
253,335
7000900000000000000♠9
97,093.14
251,470
7001992600000000000♠99.26%
7001370000000000000♠37
719.87
1,864
6999740000000000000♠0.74%

 Michigan
7001110000000000000♠11
96,713.51
250,487
7001220000000000000♠22
56,538.90
146,435
7001584600000000000♠58.46%
7000200000000000000♠2
40,174.61
104,052
7001415400000000000♠41.54%

 Minnesota
7001120000000000000♠12
86,935.83
225,163
7001140000000000000♠14
79,626.74
206,232
7001915900000000000♠91.59%
7000900000000000000♠9
7,309.09
18,930
7000841000000000000♠8.41%

 Utah
7001130000000000000♠13
84,896.88
219,882
7001120000000000000♠12
82,169.62
212,818
7001967900000000000♠96.79%
7001170000000000000♠17
2,727.26
7,064
7000321000000000000♠3.21%

 Idaho
7001140000000000000♠14
83,568.95
216,443
7001110000000000000♠11
82,643.12
214,045
7001988900000000000♠98.89%
7001330000000000000♠33
925.83
2,398
7000111000000000000♠1.11%

 Kansas
7001150000000000000♠15
82,278.36
213,100
7001130000000000000♠13
81,758.72
211,754
7001993700000000000♠99.37%
7001420000000000000♠42
519.64
1,346
6999630000000000000♠0.63%

 Nebraska
7001160000000000000♠16
77,347.81
200,330
7001150000000000000♠15
76,824.17
198,974
7001993200000099999♠99.32%
7001410000000000000♠41
523.64
1,356
6999680000000000000♠0.68%

 South Dakota
7001170000000000000♠17
77,115.68
199,729
7001160000000000000♠16
75,811.00
196,350
7001983100000000000♠98.31%
7001290000000000000♠29
1,304.68
3,379
7000169000000000000♠1.69%

 Washington
7001180000000000000♠18
71,297.95
184,661
7001200000000000000♠20
66,455.52
172,119
7001932100000099999♠93.21%
7001110000000000000♠11
4,842.43
12,542
7000679000000000000♠6.79%

  North Dakota
7001190000000000000♠19
70,698.32
183,108
7001170000000000000♠17
69,000.80
178,711
7001976000000000000♠97.60%
7001240000000000000♠24
1,697.52
4,397
7000240000000000000♠2.40%

 Oklahoma
7001200000000000000♠20
69,898.87
181,037
7001190000000000000♠19
68,594.92
177,660
7001981300000000000♠98.13%
7001300000000000000♠30
1,303.95
3,377
7000187000000000000♠1.87%

 Missouri
7001210000000000000♠21
69,706.99
180,540
7001180000000000000♠18
68,741.52
178,040
7001986100000000000♠98.61%
7001320000000000000♠32
965.47
2,501
7000138990000099999♠1.39%

 Florida
7001220000000000000♠22
65,757.70
170,312
7001260000000000000♠26
53,624.76
138,887
7001815500000000000♠81.55%
7000300000000000000♠3
12,132.94
31,424
7001184500000000000♠18.45%

 Wisconsin
7001230000000000000♠23
65,496.38
169,635
7001250000000000000♠25
54,157.80
140,268
7001826900000000000♠82.69%
7000400000000000000♠4
11,338.57
29,367
7001173109999900000♠17.31%

 Georgia
7001240000000000000♠24
59,425.15
153,910
7001210000000000000♠21
57,513.49
148,959
7001967800000000000♠96.78%
7001220000000000000♠22
1,911.66
4,951
7000322000000000000♠3.22%

 Illinois
7001250000000000000♠25
57,913.55
149,995
7001240000000000000♠24
55,518.93
143,793
7001958700000000000♠95.87%
7001190000000000000♠19
2,394.62
6,202
7000413000000000000♠4.13%

 Iowa
7001260000000000000♠26
56,272.81
145,746
7001230000000000000♠23
55,857.13
144,669
7001992600000000000♠99.26%
7001450000000000000♠45
415.68
1,077
6999740000000000000♠0.74%

 New York
7001270000000000000♠27
54,554.98
141,297
7001300000000000000♠30
47,126.40
122,057
7001863800000000000♠86.38%
7000700000000000000♠7
7,428.58
19,240
7001136200000099999♠13.62%

 North Carolina
7001280000000000000♠28
53,819.16
139,391
7001290000000000000♠29
48,617.91
125,920
7001903400000000000♠90.34%
7001100000000000000♠10
5,201.25
13,471
7000966000000000000♠9.66%

 Arkansas
7001290000000000000♠29
53,178.55
137,732
7001270000000000000♠27
52,035.48
134,771
7001978500000000000♠97.85%
7001310000000000000♠31
1,143.07
2,961
7000215000000000000♠2.15%

 Alabama
7001300000000000000♠30
52,420.07
135,767
7001280000000000000♠28
50,645.33
131,171
7001966100000000000♠96.61%
7001230000000000000♠23
1,774.74
4,597
7000339000000000000♠3.39%

 Louisiana
7001310000000000000♠31
52,378.13
135,659
7001330000000000000♠33
43,203.90
111,898
7001824800000000000♠82.48%
7000500000000000000♠5
9,174.23
23,761
7001175200000000000♠17.52%

 Mississippi
7001320000000000000♠32
48,431.78
125,438
7001310000000000000♠31
46,923.27
121,531
7001968900000000000♠96.89%
7001250000000000000♠25
1,508.51
3,907
7000311000000000000♠3.11%

 Pennsylvania
7001330000000000000♠33
46,054.35
119,280
7001320000000000000♠32
44,742.70
115,883
7001971500000000000♠97.15%
7001280000000000000♠28
1,311.64
3,397
7000285000000000000♠2.85%

 Ohio
7001340000000000000♠34
44,825.58
116,098
7001350000000000000♠35
40,860.69
105,829
7001911500000000000♠91.15%
7001140000000000000♠14
3,964.89
10,269
7000885000000000000♠8.85%

 Virginia
7001350000000000000♠35
42,774.93
110,787
7001360000000000000♠36
39,490.09
102,279
7001923200000099999♠92.32%
7001150000000000000♠15
3,284.84
8,508
7000768000000000000♠7.68%

 Tennessee
7001360000000000000♠36
42,144.25
109,153
7001340000000000000♠34
41,234.90
106,798
7001978400000000000♠97.84%
7001350000000000000♠35
909.36
2,355
7000216000000000000♠2.16%

 Kentucky
7001370000000000000♠37
40,407.80
104,656
7001370000000000000♠37
39,486.34
102,269
7001977200000000000♠97.72%
7001340000000000000♠34
921.46
2,387
7000227990000099999♠2.28%

 Indiana
7001380000000000000♠38
36,419.55
94,326
7001380000000000000♠38
35,826.11
92,789
7001983700000000000♠98.37%
7001390000000000000♠39
593.44
1,537
7000162990000000000♠1.63%

 Maine
7001390000000000000♠39
35,379.74
91,633
7001390000000000000♠39
30,842.92
79,883
7001871800000000000♠87.18%
7001120000000000000♠12
4,536.82
11,750
7001128200000000000♠12.82%

 South Carolina
7001400000000000000♠40
32,020.49
82,933
7001400000000000000♠40
30,060.70
77,857
7001938800000000000♠93.88%
7001210000000000000♠21
1,959.79
5,076
7000612000000000000♠6.12%

 West Virginia
7001410000000000000♠41
24,230.04
62,756
7001410000000000000♠41
24,038.21
62,259
7001992100000099999♠99.21%
7001500000000000000♠50
191.83
497
6999790000000000000♠0.79%

 Maryland
7001420000000000000♠42
12,405.93
32,131
7001420000000000000♠42
9,707.24
25,142
7001782500000000000♠78.25%
7001180000000000000♠18
2,698.69
6,990
7001217500000000000♠21.75%

 Hawaii
7001430000000000000♠43
10,931.72
28,313
7001470000000000000♠47
6,422.63
16,635
7001587500000000000♠58.75%
7001130000000000000♠13
4,509.09
11,678
7001412500000000000♠41.25%

 Massachusetts
7001440000000000000♠44
10,554.39
27,336
7001450000000000000♠45
7,800.06
20,202
7001739000000000000♠73.90%
7001160000000000000♠16
2,754.33
7,134
7001261000000000000♠26.10%

 Vermont
7001450000000000000♠45
9,616.36
24,906
7001430000000000000♠43
9,216.66
23,871
7001958400000000000♠95.84%
7001460000000000000♠46
399.71
1,035
7000416000000000000♠4.16%

 New Hampshire
7001460000000000000♠46
9,349.16
24,214
7001440000000000000♠44
8,952.65
23,187
7001957600000000000♠95.76%
7001470000000000000♠47
396.51
1,027
7000424000000000000♠4.24%

 New Jersey
7001470000000000000♠47
8,722.58
22,591
7001460000000000000♠46
7,354.22
19,047
7001843100000000000♠84.31%
7001270000000000000♠27
1,368.36
3,544
7001156900000000000♠15.69%

 Connecticut
7001480000000000000♠48
5,543.41
14,357
7001480000000000000♠48
4,842.36
12,542
7001873500000000000♠87.35%
7001380000000000000♠38
701.06
1,816
7001126500000000000♠12.65%

 Delaware
7001490000000000000♠49
2,488.72
6,446
7001490000000000000♠49
1,948.54
5,047
7001782900000000000♠78.29%
7001400000000000000♠40
540.18
1,399
7001217100000000000♠21.71%

 Rhode Island
7001500000000000000♠50
1,544.89
4,001
7001500000000000000♠50
1,033.81
2,678
7001669200000000000♠66.92%
7001430000000000000♠43
511.07
1,324
7001330800000000000♠33.08%

 District of Columbia
7002100000000000000♠
68.34
177
7002100000000000000♠
61.05
158
7001893300000000000♠89.33%
7002100000000000000♠
7.29
19
7001106700000000000♠10.67%

 Puerto Rico
7002100000000000000♠
5,324.84
13,791
7002100000000000000♠
3,423.78
8,868
7001643000000000000♠64.30%
7002100000000000000♠
1,901.07
4,924
7001357000000000000♠35.70%

 Northern Mariana Islands
7002100000000000000♠
1,975.57
5,117
7002100000000000000♠
182.33
472
7000923000000000000♠9.23%
7002100000000000000♠
1,793.24
4,644
7001907700000000000♠90.77%

 United States Virgin Islands
7002100000000000000♠
732.93
1,898
7002100000000000000♠
134.32
348
7001183309999999999♠18.33%
7002100000000000000♠
598.61
1,550
7001816700000000000♠81.67%

 American Samoa
7002100000000000000♠
581.05
1,505
7002100000000000000♠
76.46
198
7001131600000000000♠13.16%
7002100000000000000♠
504.60
1,307
7001868400000000000♠86.84%

 Guam
7002100000000000000♠
570.62
1,478
7002100000000000000♠
209.80
543
7001367700000000000♠36.77%
7002100000000000000♠
360.82
935
7001632300000000000♠63.23%

 Minor Outlying Islands[3][a]
7002100000000000000♠
16.00
41
7002100000000000000♠
16.00
41
—
7002100000000000000♠
—
—
—

 Contiguous United States
Total
3,120,426.47
8,081,867
7002100000000000000♠
2,954,841.42
7,653,004
7001946900000000000♠94.69%
7002100000000000000♠
165,584.6
428,862
7000530990000099999♠5.31%

 50 states and D.C.
Total
3,796,742.23
9,833,517
7002100000000000000♠
3,531,905.43
9,147,593
7001930200000000000♠93.02%
7002100000000000000♠
264,836.79
685,924
7000698000000000000♠6.98%

 All U.S. territory
Total
3,805,943.26
9,857,348
7002100000000000000♠
3,535,948.12
9,158,064
7001929100000000000♠92.91%
7002100000000000000♠
269,995.13
699,284
7000709000000000000♠7.09%

text: Area by division[edit]

text: All divisions presented below are as configured by the United States Census Bureau.

text:
Total area[2]
Land area[2]
Water[2]

Division
Rank
sq mi
km²
Rank
sq mi
km²
% land
Rank
sq mi
km²
% water

East North Central
7000500000000000000♠5
301,368.57
780,541
7000600000000000000♠6
242,902.44
629,114

7000200000000000000♠2
58,466.13
151,427

East South Central
7000700000000000000♠7
183,403.89
475,014
7000700000000000000♠7
178,289.83
461,769

7000900000000000000♠9
5,114.60
13,247

Middle Atlantic
7000800000000000000♠8
109,331.89
283,168
7000800000000000000♠8
99,223.32
256,987

7000600000000000000♠6
10,108.57
26,181

Mountain
7000200000000000000♠2
863,564.63
2,236,622
7000200000000000000♠2
855,766.98
2,216,426

7000800000000000000♠8
7,797.65
20,196

New England
7000900000000000000♠9
71,987.96
186,448
7000900000000000000♠9
62,668.46
162,311

7000700000000000000♠7
9,299.50
24,086

Pacific
7000100000000000000♠1
1,009,687.00
2,615,077
7000100000000000000♠1
895,286.33
2,318,781

7000100000000000000♠1
114,400.67
296,296

South Atlantic
7000600000000000000♠6
292,990.46
758,842
7000500000000000000♠5
265,061.97
686,507

7000300000000000000♠3
27,928.49
72,334

West North Central
7000300000000000000♠3
520,355.80
1,347,715
7000300000000000000♠3
507,620.08
1,314,730

7000500000000000000♠5
12,735.72
32,985

West South Central
7000400000000000000♠4
444,052.01
1,150,089
7000400000000000000♠4
425,066.01
1,100,916

7000400000000000000♠4
18,986.00
49,174

text: Area by region[edit]

text: All regions presented below are as configured by the United States Census Bureau.

text:
Total area[2]
Land area[2]
Water[2]

Region
Rank
sq mi
km²
Rank
sq mi
km²
% land
Rank
sq mi
km²
% water

Midwest
7000300000000000000♠3
821,724.38
2,128,256
7000300000000000000♠3
750,522.52
1,943,844

7000200000000000000♠2
71,201.86
184,412

Northeast
7000400000000000000♠4
181,319.85
469,616
7000400000000000000♠4
161,911.78
419,350

7000400000000000000♠4
19,408.07
50,267

South
7000200000000000000♠2
920,446.37
2,383,945
7000200000000000000♠2
868,417.82
2,249,192

7000300000000000000♠3
52,028.55
134,753

West
7000100000000000000♠1
1,873,251.63
4,851,699
7000100000000000000♠1
1,751,053.31
4,535,207

7000100000000000000♠1
122,198.32
316,492

text:
U.S. states by total area

U.S. states by land area

U.S. states by water area

U.S. states by water percentage

Alaska is the largest state by total area, land area, and water area. It is the 7th largest country subdivision in the world.[citation needed]

The area of Alaska is 7001180000000000000♠18% of the area of the United States and 7001210000000000000♠21% of the area of the contiguous United States

The second largest state, Texas, is only 7001400000000000000♠40% of the total area of the largest state, Alaska

Rhode Island is the smallest state by total area and land area

San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous U.S. and is larger than each of the nine smallest states; it is larger than the four smallest states combined.

Michigan is second (after Alaska) in water area, and first in water percentage

Florida is mostly a peninsula, and has the third largest water area and seventh largest water area percentage


document_title: Events leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor

question_text: when did the us stop trading with japan

question_tokens: when did the us stop trading with japan

root

text: Background to conflict[edit]

text: Tensions between Japan and the prominent Western countries (the United States, France, Britain and the Netherlands) increased significantly during the increasingly militaristic early rule of Emperor Hirohito. Japanese nationalists and military leaders increasingly influenced government policy, promoting a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere as part of Japan's alleged "divine right" to unify Asia under Hirohito's rule.[1]

tag: p

text: During the 1930s, Japan's increasingly expansionist policies brought it into renewed conflict with its neighbors, Russia and China (Japan had fought the First Sino-Japanese War with China in 1894–95 and the Russo-Japanese War with Russia in 1904–05; Japan's imperialist ambitions had a hand in precipitating both conflicts). In March 1933, Japan withdrew from the League of Nations in response to international condemnation of its conquest of Manchuria and subsequent establishment of the Manchukuo puppet government.[2] On January 15, 1936, Japan withdrew from the Second London Naval Disarmament Conference because the United States and Great Britain refused to grant the Japanese Navy parity with theirs.[3] A second war between Japan and China began with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in July 1937.

text: Japan's 1937 attack on China was condemned by the U.S. and several members of the League of Nations including Britain, France, Australia and the Netherlands. Japanese atrocities during the conflict, such as the notorious Nanking Massacre that December, served to further complicate relations with the rest of the world. The U.S., Britain, France and the Netherlands each possessed colonies in East and Southeast Asia. Japan's new military power and willingness to use it threatened these Western economic and territorial interests in Asia.

text: Beginning in 1938, the U.S. adopted a succession of increasingly restrictive trade restrictions with Japan. This included terminating its 1911 commercial treaty with Japan in 1939, further tightened by the Export Control Act of 1940. These efforts failed to deter Japan from continuing its war in China, or from signing the Tripartite Pact in 1940 with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, officially forming the Axis Powers.

text: Japan would take advantage of Hitler's war in Europe to advance its own ambitions in the Far East. The Tripartite Pact guaranteed assistance if a signatory was attacked by any country not already involved in conflict with the signatory; this implicitly meant the U.S. By joining the pact, Japan gained geopolitical power and sent the unmistakable message that any U.S. military intervention risked war on both of her shores[citation needed]—with Germany and Italy on the Atlantic, and with Japan on the Pacific. The Roosevelt administration would not be dissuaded; believing the American way of life would be endangered if Europe and the Far East fell under military dictatorship,[citation needed] it committed to help the British and Chinese through loans of money and materiel, and pledged sufficient continuing aid to ensure their survival. Thus, the United States slowly moved from being a neutral power to one preparing for war.[4]

text: On October 8, 1940, Admiral James O. Richardson, Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, provoked a confrontation with Roosevelt by repeating his earlier arguments to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold R. Stark and Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox that Pearl Harbor was the wrong place for his ships. Roosevelt believed relocating the fleet to Hawaii would exert a "restraining influence" on Japan.[citation needed]

text: Richardson asked the President if the United States was going to war. Roosevelt's view was:

text: At least as early as October 8, 1940, ...affairs had reached such a state that the United States would become involved in a war with Japan. ... 'that if the Japanese attacked Thailand, or the Kra Peninsula, or the Dutch East Indies we would not enter the war, that if they even attacked the Philippines he doubted whether we would enter the war, but that they (the Japanese) could not always avoid making mistakes and that as the war continued and that area of operations expanded sooner or later they would make a mistake and we would enter the war.' ... .[5][6]

text: Japan's 1940 move into Vichy-controlled Indochina further raised tensions. When combined with its war with China, withdrawal from the League of Nations, alliance with Germany and Italy and increasing militarization, the move provoked an attempt to restrain Japan economically. The United States embargoed scrap metal shipments to Japan and closed the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping.[7] This particularly hit Japan's economy hard because 74.1% of Japan's scrap iron came from the United States in 1938. Also, 93% of Japan's copper in 1939 came from the United States.[8] In early 1941, Japan moved into southern Indochina,[9] thereby threatening British Malaya, North Borneo and Brunei.

text: Japan and the U.S. engaged in negotiations during the course of 1941 in an effort to improve relations. During these negotiations, Japan considered withdrawal from most of China and Indochina after drawing up peace terms with the Chinese. Japan would also adopt an independent interpretation of the Tripartite Pact, and would not discriminate in trade, provided all other countries reciprocated. However, these compromises in China were rejected by General Tojo, then War Minister.[10] Responding to Japanese occupation of key airfields in Indochina (July 24) following an agreement between Japan and Vichy France, the U.S. froze Japanese assets on July 26, 1941, and on August 1 established an embargo on oil and gasoline exports to Japan.[11][12] The oil embargo was an especially strong response because oil was Japan's most crucial import, and more than 80% of Japan's oil at the time came from the United States.[13]

text: Japanese war planners had long looked south, especially to Brunei for oil and Malaya for rubber and tin. In the autumn of 1940, Japan requested 3.15 million barrels of oil from the Dutch East Indies, but received a counteroffer of only 1.35 million.[14] The Navy was (mistakenly) certain any attempt to seize this region would bring the U.S. into the war,[15][page needed] but the complete U.S. oil embargo removed any hesitancy. Moreover, any southern operation would be vulnerable to attack from the Philippines, then a U.S. commonwealth, so war with the U.S. seemed necessary in any case.[16]

text: After the embargoes and the asset freezes, the Japanese ambassador to Washington, Kichisaburō Nomura, and U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull held multiple meetings in order to resolve Japanese-American relations. No solution could be agreed upon for three key reasons:

text:
Japan honored its alliance to Germany and Italy through the Tripartite Pact.
Japan wanted economic control and responsibility for southeast Asia.
Japan refused to leave mainland China (without Manchoukuo[clarification needed]).[17]

tag: ol

text: The U.S. embargoes gave Japan a sense of urgency. It would either have to agree to Washington's demands or use force to gain access to the resources it needed.

text: In their final proposal on November 20, Japan offered to withdraw its forces from southern Indochina and not to launch any attacks in southeast Asia provided the U.S., Britain, and the Netherlands ceased aiding China and lifted their sanctions against Japan.[10] The American counterproposal of November 26 (the Hull note) required Japan to evacuate all of China, without conditions, and to conclude non-aggression pacts with Pacific powers.

text: Breaking off negotiations[edit]

text: Part of the Japanese plan for the attack included breaking off negotiations with the United States 30 minutes before the attack began. Diplomats from the Japanese embassy in Washington, including the Japanese ambassador, Admiral Kichisaburō Nomura and special representative Saburō Kurusu, had been conducting extended talks with the State Department regarding the U.S. reactions to the Japanese move into French Indochina in the summer.

text: In the days before the attack, a long 14-part message was sent to the embassy from the Foreign Office in Tokyo (encrypted with the Type 97 cypher machine, in a cipher named PURPLE by U.S. cryptanalysts), with instructions to deliver it to Secretary of State Cordell Hull at 1:00 p.m. Washington time. The last part arrived late Saturday night (Washington time), but because of decryption and typing delays, as well as Tokyo's failure to stress the crucial necessity of the timing, embassy personnel did not deliver the message to Secretary Hull until several hours after the attack.

text: The United States had decrypted the 14th part well before the Japanese managed to, and long before embassy staff composed a clean typed copy. The final part, with its instruction for the time of delivery, had been decoded Saturday night but was not acted upon until the next morning (according to Henry Clausen[citation needed]).

text: Ambassador Nomura asked for an appointment to see Hull at 1:00 p.m., but later asked it be postponed to 1:45 as the ambassador was not quite ready. Nomura and Kurusu arrived at 2:05 p.m. and were received by Hull at 2:20. Nomura apologized for the delay in presenting the message. After Hull had read several pages, he asked Nomura whether the document was presented under instructions of the Japanese government; the Ambassador replied it was. After reading the full document, Hull turned to the ambassador and said:

text: I must say that in all my conversations with you...during the last nine months I have never uttered one word of untruth. This is borne out absolutely by the record. In all my fifty years of public service I have never seen a document that was more crowded with infamous falsehoods and distortions--infamous falsehoods and distortions on a scale so huge that I never imagined until today that any Government on this planet was capable of uttering them.[18]

text: Japanese records, admitted into evidence during congressional hearings on the attack after the war, established that Japan had not even written a declaration of war until hearing news of the successful attack. The two-line declaration was finally delivered to U.S. ambassador Grew in Tokyo about ten hours after the completion of the attack. Grew was allowed to transmit it to the United States, where it was received late Monday afternoon (Washington time).

text: War[edit]

text: In July 1941, IJN headquarters informed Emperor Hirohito its reserve bunker oil would be exhausted within two years if a new source was not found. In August 1941, Japanese prime minister Fumimaro Konoe proposed a summit with President Roosevelt to discuss differences. Roosevelt replied Japan must leave China before a summit meeting could be held.[citation needed] On September 6, 1941, at the second Imperial Conference concerning attacks on the Western colonies in Asia and Hawaii, Japanese leaders met to consider the attack plans prepared by Imperial General Headquarters. The summit occurred one day after the emperor had reprimanded General Hajime Sugiyama, chief of the IJA General Staff, about the lack of success in China and the speculated low chances of victory against the United States, the British Empire and their allies.[19]

text: Prime Minister Konoe argued for more negotiations and possible concessions to avert war. However, military leaders such as Sugiyama, Minister of War General Hideki Tōjō, and chief of the IJN General Staff Fleet Admiral Osami Nagano asserted time had run out and that additional negotiations would be pointless. They urged swift military actions against all American and European colonies in Southeast Asia and Hawaii. Tōjō argued that yielding to the American demand to withdraw troops would wipe out all the gains of the Second Sino-Japanese War, depress Army morale, endanger Manchukuo and jeopardize control of Korea; hence, doing nothing was the same as defeat and a loss of face.

text: On October 16, 1941, Konoe resigned and proposed Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, who was also the choice of the army and navy, as his successor. Hirohito chose Hideki Tōjō instead, worried (as he told Konoe) about having the Imperial House being held responsible for a war against Western powers.[20]

text: On November 3, 1941, Nagano presented a complete plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor to Hirohito.[21] At the Imperial Conference on November 5, Hirohito approved the plan for a war against the United States, Great Britain and the Netherlands, scheduled to start at the beginning of December if an acceptable diplomatic settlement were not achieved before then.[22] Over the following weeks, Tōjō's military regime offered a final deal to the United States. They offered to leave only Indochina, but in return for large American economic aid.[citation needed] On November 26, the so-called Hull Memorandum (or Hull Note) rejected the offer and demanded that, in addition to leaving Indochina, the Japanese must leave China (without Manchoukuo) and agree to an Open Door Policy in the Far East.[23]

text: On November 30, 1941, Prince Takamatsu warned his brother, Hirohito, the navy felt the Empire could not fight more than two years against the United States and wished to avoid war. After consulting with Kōichi Kido (who advised him to take his time until he was convinced) and Tōjō, the Emperor called Shigetarō Shimada and Nagano, who reassured him that war would be successful.[24] On December 1, Hirohito finally approved a "war against United States, Great Britain and Holland" during another Imperial Conference, to commence with a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at its main forward base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.[25]

text: Intelligence gathering[edit]

text: On February 3, 1940, Yamamoto briefed Captain Kanji Ogawa of Naval Intelligence on the potential attack plan, asking him to start intelligence gathering on Pearl Harbor. Ogawa already had spies in Hawaii, including Japanese Consular officials with an intelligence remit, and he arranged for help from a German already living in Hawaii who was an Abwehr agent. None had been providing much militarily useful information. He planned to add 29-year-old Ensign Takeo Yoshikawa. By the spring of 1941, Yamamoto officially requested additional Hawaiian intelligence, and Yoshikawa boarded the liner Nitta-maru at Yokohama. He had grown his hair longer than military length, and assumed the cover name Tadashi Morimura.[26]

text: Yoshikawa began gathering intelligence in earnest by taking auto trips around the main islands, and toured Oahu in a small plane, posing as a tourist. He visited Pearl Harbor frequently, sketching the harbor and location of ships from the crest of a hill. Once, he gained access to Hickam Field in a taxi, memorizing the number of visible planes, pilots, hangars, barracks and soldiers. He was also able to discover that Sunday was the day of the week on which the largest number of ships were likely to be in harbor, that PBY patrol planes went out every morning and evening, and that there was an antisubmarine net in the mouth of the harbor.[27] Information was returned to Japan in coded form in Consular communications, and by direct delivery to intelligence officers aboard Japanese ships calling at Hawaii by consulate staff.

text: In June 1941, German and Italian consulates were closed, and there were suggestions Japan's should be closed, as well. They were not, because they continued to provide valuable information (via MAGIC) and neither President Roosevelt nor Secretary Hull wanted trouble in the Pacific.[28] Had they been closed, however, it is possible Naval General Staff, which had opposed the attack from the outset, would have called it off, since up-to-date information on the location of the Pacific Fleet, on which Yamamoto's plan depended, would no longer have been available.[29]

text: Planning[edit]

text: Expecting war, and seeing an opportunity in the forward basing of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii, the Japanese began planning in early 1941 for an attack on Pearl Harbor. For the next several months, planning and organizing a simultaneous attack on Pearl Harbor and invasion of British and Dutch colonies to the south occupied much of the Japanese Navy's time and attention. The plans for the Pearl Harbor attack arose out of the Japanese expectation the U.S. would be inevitably drawn into war after a Japanese attack against Malaya and Singapore.[30]

text: The intent of a preventive strike on Pearl Harbor was to neutralize American naval power in the Pacific, thus removing it from influencing operations against American, British, and Dutch colonies. Successful attacks on colonies were judged to depend on successfully dealing with the Pacific Fleet. Planning[31] had long anticipated a battle in Japanese home waters after the U.S. fleet traveled across the Pacific, under attack by submarines and other forces all the way. The U.S. fleet would be defeated in a "decisive battle", as Russia's Baltic Fleet had been in 1905. A surprise attack posed a twofold difficulty compared to longstanding expectations. First, the Pacific Fleet was a formidable force, and would not be easy to defeat or to surprise. Second, Pearl Harbor's shallow waters made using conventional aerial torpedoes ineffective. On the other hand, Hawaii's distance meant a successful surprise attack could not be blocked or quickly countered by forces from the continental U.S.

text: Several Japanese naval officers had been impressed by the British Operation Judgment, in which 21 obsolete Fairey Swordfish disabled half the Regia Marina (Italian Navy). Admiral Yamamoto even dispatched a delegation to Italy, which concluded a larger and better-supported version of Cunningham's strike could force the U.S. Pacific Fleet to retreat to bases in California, thus giving Japan the time necessary to establish a "barrier" defense to protect Japanese control of the Dutch East Indies. The delegation returned to Japan with information about the shallow-running torpedoes Cunningham's engineers had devised.[citation needed]

text: Japanese strategists were undoubtedly influenced by Admiral Togo's surprise attack on the Russian Pacific Fleet at Port Arthur in 1904. Yamamoto's emphasis on destroying the American battleships was in keeping with the Mahanian doctrine shared by all major navies during this period, including the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy.[32]

text: In a letter dated January 7, 1941, Yamamoto finally delivered a rough outline of his plan to Koshiro Oikawa, then Navy Minister, from whom he also requested to be made Commander in Chief of the air fleet to attack Pearl Harbor. A few weeks later, in yet another letter, Yamamoto requested Admiral Takijiro Onishi, chief of staff of the Eleventh Air Fleet, study the technical feasibility of an attack against the American base. Onishi gathered as many facts as possible about Pearl Harbor.

text: After first consulting with Kosei Maeda, an expert on aerial torpedo warfare, and being told the harbor's shallow waters rendered such an attack almost impossible, Onishi summoned Commander Minoru Genda. After studying the original proposal put forth by Yamamoto, Genda agreed: "[T]he plan is difficult but not impossible".[33] Yamamoto gave the bulk of the planning to Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka, who was very worried about the area's air defenses. Yamamoto encouraged Kusaka by telling him, "Pearl Harbor is my idea and I need your support."[34] Genda emphasized the attack should be carried out early in the morning and in total secrecy, employing an aircraft carrier force and several types of bombing.[33]

text: Although attacking the U.S. Pacific Fleet anchor would achieve surprise, it also carried two distinct disadvantages. The targeted ships would be sunk or damaged in very shallow water, meaning it would be quite likely that they could be salvaged and possibly returned to duty (as six of the eight battleships eventually were). Also, most of the crews would survive the attack, since many would be on shore leave or would be rescued from the harbor afterward. Despite these concerns, Yamamoto and Genda pressed ahead.

text: By April 1941, the Pearl Harbor plan became known as Operation Z, after the famous Z signal given by Admiral Tōgō at Tsushima.[citation needed] Over the summer, pilots trained in earnest near Kagoshima City on Kyūshū. Genda chose it because its geography and infrastructure presented most of the same problems bombers would face at Pearl Harbor. In training, each crew flew over the 5,000 ft (1,500 m) mountain behind Kagoshima and dove into the city, dodging buildings and smokestacks before dropping to 25 ft (7.6 m) at the piers. Bombardiers released torpedoes at a breakwater some 300 yd (270 m) away.[35]

text: However, even this low-altitude approach would not overcome the problem of torpedoes bottoming in the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor. Japanese weapons engineers created and tested modifications allowing successful shallow water drops. The effort resulted in a heavily modified version of the Type 91 torpedo, which inflicted most of the ship damage during the eventual attack.[citation needed] Japanese weapons technicians also produced special armor-piercing bombs by fitting fins and release shackles to 14- and 16-inch (356- and 406-mm) naval shells. These were able to penetrate the lightly armored decks of the old battleships.

text: Concept of a Japanese invasion of Hawaii[edit]

text: At several stages during 1941, Japan's military leaders discussed the possibility of launching an invasion to seize the Hawaiian Islands; this would provide Japan with a strategic base to shield its new empire, deny the United States any bases beyond the West coast and further isolate Australia and New Zealand.

text: Genda, who saw Hawaii as vital for American operations against Japan after war began, believed Japan must follow any attack on Pearl Harbor with an invasion of Hawaii or risk losing the war. He viewed Hawaii as a base to threaten the west coast of North America, and perhaps as a negotiating tool for ending the war. He believed, following a successful air attack, 10,000-15,000 men could capture Hawaii, and saw the operation as a precursor or alternative to a Japanese invasion of the Philippines. In September 1941, Commander Yasuji Watanabe of the Combined Fleet staff estimated two divisions (30,000 men) and 80 ships, in addition to the carrier strike force, could capture the islands. He identified two possible landing sites, near Haleiwa and Kaneohe Bay, and proposed both be used in an operation that would require up to four weeks with Japanese air superiority.[36]

text: Although this idea gained some support, it was soon dismissed for several reasons:

text:
Japan's ground forces, logistics, and resources were already fully committed, not only to the Second Sino-Japanese War but also for offensives in Southeast Asia that were planned to occur almost simultaneously with the Pearl Harbor attack.
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) insisted it needed to focus on operations in China and Southeast Asia, and refused to provide substantial support elsewhere. Because of a lack of cooperation between the services, the IJN never discussed the Hawaiian invasion proposal with the IJA.[36][37]
Most of the senior officers of the Combined Fleet, in particular Admiral Nagano, believed an invasion of Hawaii was too risky.[38][36]

tag: ul

text: With an invasion ruled out, it was agreed a massive carrier-based three wave airstrike against Pearl Harbor to destroy the Pacific Fleet would be sufficient. Japanese planners knew that Hawaii, with its strategic location in the Central Pacific, would serve as a critical base from which the United States could extend its military power against Japan. However, the confidence of Japan's leaders that the conflict would be over quickly and that the United States would choose to negotiate a compromise, rather than fight a long, bloody war, overrode this concern.[39][40][41][42]

text: Watanabe's superior, Captain Kameto Kuroshima, who believed the invasion plan unrealistic, after the war called his rejection of it the "biggest mistake" of his life.[36]

text: Strike force[edit]

text: On November 26, 1941, the day the Hull note (which the Japanese leaders saw as an unproductive and old proposal) was received, the carrier force under the command of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo (already assembled in Hitokappu Wan) sortied for Hawaii under strict radio silence.

text: In 1941, Japan was one of the few countries capable of carrier aviation.[43] The Kido Butai, the Combined Fleet's main carrier force of six aircraft carriers (at the time, the most powerful carrier force with the greatest concentration of air power in the history of naval warfare),[44] embarked 359 airplanes,[45] organized as the First Air Fleet. The carriers Akagi (flag), Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, and the newest, Shōkaku and Zuikaku, had 135 Mitsubishi A6M Type 0 fighters (Allied codename "Zeke", commonly called "Zero"), 171 Nakajima B5N Type 97 torpedo bombers (Allied codename "Kate"), and 108 Aichi D3A Type 99 dive bombers (Allied codename "Val") aboard. Two fast battleships, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, nine destroyers, and three fleet submarines provided escort and screening. In addition, the Advanced Expeditionary Force included 20 fleet and five two-man Ko-hyoteki-class midget submarines, which were to gather intelligence and sink U.S. vessels attempting to flee Pearl Harbor during or soon after the attack. It also had eight oilers for underway fueling.[46]

text: Execute order[edit]

text: On December 1, 1941, after the striking force was en route, Chief of Staff Nagano gave a verbal directive to the commander of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, informing him:

text: Japan has decided to open hostilities against the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands early in December...Should it appear certain that Japanese-American negotiations will reach an amicable settlement prior to the commencement of hostilities, it is understood that all elements of the Combined Fleet are to be assembled and returned to their bases in accordance with separate orders.[47] [The Kido Butai will] proceed to the Hawaiian Area with utmost secrecy and, at the outbreak of the war, will launch a resolute surprise attack on and deal a fatal blow to the enemy fleet in the Hawaiian Area. The initial air attack is scheduled at 0330 hours, X Day.[47]

text: Upon completion, the force was to return to Japan, re-equip, and re-deploy for "Second Phase Operations".

text: Finally, Order number 9, issued on 1 December 1941 by Nagano, instructed Yamamoto to crush hostile naval and air forces in Asia, the Pacific and Hawaii, promptly seize the main U.S., British, and Dutch bases in East Asia and "capture and secure the key areas of the southern regions".[47]

text: On the home leg, the force was ordered to be alert for tracking and counterattacks by the Americans, and to return to the friendly base in the Marshall Islands, rather than the Home Islands.[48]

text: Lack of preparation[edit]

text: U.S. civil and military intelligence had, amongst them, good information suggesting additional Japanese aggression throughout the summer and fall before the attack. At the time, no reports specifically indicated an attack against Pearl Harbor. Public press reports during summer and fall, including Hawaiian newspapers, contained extensive reports on the growing tension in the Pacific. Late in November, all Pacific commands, including both the Navy and Army in Hawaii, were separately and explicitly warned[49] war with Japan was expected in the very near future, and it was preferred Japan make the first hostile act.[50] It was felt war would most probably start with attacks in the Far East: the Philippines,[51] Indochina, Thailand, or the Russian Far East; Pearl Harbor was never mentioned as a potential target. The warnings were not specific to any area, noting only that war with Japan was expected in the near future and all commands should act accordingly. Had any of these warnings produced an active alert status in Hawaii, the attack might have been resisted more effectively, and perhaps resulted in less death and damage. On the other hand, recall of men on shore leave to the ships in harbor might have led to still more being casualties from bombs and torpedoes, or trapped in capsized ships by shut watertight doors (as the attack alert status would have required),[52] or killed (in their obsolete aircraft) by more experienced Japanese aviators. When the attack actually arrived, Pearl Harbor was effectively unprepared: anti-aircraft weapons not manned, most ammunition locked down, anti-submarine measures not implemented (e.g., no torpedo nets in the harbor), combat air patrol not flying, available scouting aircraft not in the air at first light, Air Corps aircraft parked wingtip to wingtip to reduce sabotage risks (not ready to fly at a moment's warning), and so on.

text: By 1941, U.S. signals intelligence, through the Army's Signal Intelligence Service and the Office of Naval Intelligence's OP-20-G, had intercepted and decrypted considerable Japanese diplomatic and naval cipher traffic, though nothing actually carrying significant information about Japanese military plans in 1940-41. Decryption and distribution of this intelligence, including such decrypts as were available, was capricious and sporadic, some of which can be accounted for by lack of resources and manpower.[53][page needed] At best, the information available to decision makers in Washington was fragmentary, contradictory, or poorly distributed, and was almost entirely raw, without supporting analysis. It was thus, incompletely understood. Nothing in it pointed directly to an attack at Pearl Harbor,[54] and a lack of awareness of Imperial Navy capabilities led to a widespread underlying belief Pearl Harbor was not a possible attack target. Only one message from the Hawaiian Japanese consulate (sent on 6 December), in a low level consular cipher, included mention of an attack at Pearl; it was not decrypted until 8 December.[55] While the Japanese Diplomatic codes (Purple code) could be read, the current version (JN-25C) of the Japanese Naval code (JN-25) which had replaced JN-25B on 4 December 1941 could not be read until May 1942.

text: In 1924, General William L. Mitchell produced a 324-page report warning that future wars (including with Japan) would include a new role for aircraft against existing ships and facilities. He even discussed the possibility of an air attack on Pearl Harbor, but his warnings were ignored. Navy Secretary Knox had also appreciated the possibility of an attack at Pearl Harbor in a written analysis shortly after taking office. American commanders had been warned that tests had demonstrated shallow-water aerial torpedo attacks were possible, but no one in charge in Hawaii fully appreciated this. And in a 1932 fleet problem, a surprise airstrike led by Admiral Harry E. Yarnell had been judged a success and to have caused considerable damage, a finding corroborated in a 1938 exercise by Admiral Ernest King.[56]

text: Nevertheless, because it was believed Pearl Harbor had natural defenses against torpedo attack (e.g., the shallow water), the Navy did not deploy torpedo nets or baffles, which were judged to inconvenience ordinary operations. As a result of limited numbers of long-range aircraft (including Army Air Corps bombers), reconnaissance patrols were not being made as often or as far out as required for adequate coverage against possible surprise attack (they improved considerably, with far fewer remaining planes,[citation needed] after the attack). The Navy had 33 PBYs in the islands, but only three on patrol at the time of the attack.[57] Hawaii was low on the priority list for the B-17s finally becoming available for the Pacific, largely because General MacArthur in the Philippines was successfully demanding as many as could be made available to the Pacific (where they were intended as a deterrent). The British, who had contracted for them, even agreed to accept fewer to facilitate this buildup. At the time of the attack, Army and Navy were both on training status rather than operational alert.[citation needed]

text: There was also confusion about the Army's readiness status as General Short had changed local alert level designations without clearly informing Washington. Most of the Army's mobile anti-aircraft guns were secured, with ammunition locked down in armories. To avoid upsetting property owners, and in keeping with Washington's admonition not to alarm civil populations (e.g., in the late November war warning messages from the Navy and War Departments), guns were not dispersed around Pearl Harbor (i.e., on private property)[citation needed]. Additionally, aircraft were parked on airfields to lessen the risk of sabotage, not in anticipation of air attack, in keeping with Short's interpretation of the war warnings.

text: Chester Nimitz said later, "It was God's mercy that our fleet was in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.". Nimitz believed if Kimmel had discovered the Japanese approach, he would have sortied to meet them. With the American carriers absent and Kimmel's battleships at a severe disadvantage to the Japanese carriers, the likely result would have been the sinking of the American battleships at sea in deep water, where they would have been lost forever with tremendous casualties (as many as twenty thousand dead), instead of in Pearl Harbor, where the crews could easily be rescued, and six battleships ultimately raised.[58]


document_title: Ministry of Local Government and Urban Development (Zimbabwe)

question_text: who is the minister of local government in zimbabwe

text: The Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development is a government ministry, responsible for local government in Zimbabwe. The incumbent minister is Hon July Moyo[1][2] and the deputy minister is Sesel Zvidzai.[3] It oversees:

text:
Municipalities of Zimbabwe
Districts of Zimbabwe
Provinces of Zimbabwe


document_title: NFL on Thanksgiving Day

question_text: who are the dallas cowboys playing on thanksgiving

text: NFL on Thanksgiving Day

text: History[edit]

text: The concept of American football games being played on Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1876, shortly after the game had been invented, as it was a day that most people had off from work. In that year, the college football teams at Yale and Princeton began an annual tradition of playing each other on Thanksgiving Day.[1] The University of Michigan also made it a tradition to play annual Thanksgiving games, holding 19 such games from 1885 to 1905.[2][3][4][5][6] The Thanksgiving Day games between Michigan and the Chicago Maroons in the 1890s have been cited as "The Beginning of Thanksgiving Day Football."[7] In some areas, high-school teams play on Thanksgiving, usually to wrap-up the regular-season.

text: By the time football had become a professional event, playing on Thanksgiving had already become an institution. Records of pro football being played on Thanksgiving date back to as early as the 1890s, with the first pro–am team, the Allegheny Athletic Association of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1902, the "National" Football League, a Major League Baseball-backed organization based entirely in Pennsylvania and unrelated to the current NFL, attempted to settle its championship over Thanksgiving weekend; after the game ended in a tie, eventually all three teams in the league claimed to have won the title. Members of the Ohio League, during its early years, usually placed their marquee matchups on Thanksgiving Day. For instance, in 1905 and 1906 the Latrobe Athletic Association and Canton Bulldogs, considered at the time to be two of the best teams in professional football (along with the Massillon Tigers), played on Thanksgiving. A rigging scandal with the Tigers leading up to the 1906 game led to severe drops in attendance for the Bulldogs and ultimately led to their suspension of operations. During the 1910s, the Ohio League stopped holding Thanksgiving games because many of its players coached high school teams and were unavailable. This was not the case in other regional circuits: in 1919, the New York Pro Football League featured a Thanksgiving matchup between the Buffalo Prospects and the Rochester Jeffersons. The game ended in a scoreless tie, leading to a rematch the next Sunday for the league championship.

text: Several other NFL teams played regularly on Thanksgiving in the first eighteen years of the league, including the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals (1922–33; the Bears played the Lions from 1934 to 1938 while the Cardinals switched to the Green Bay Packers for 1934 and 1935), Frankford Yellow Jackets, Pottsville Maroons, Buffalo All-Americans, Canton Bulldogs (even after the team moved to Cleveland they played the 1924 Thanksgiving game in Canton), and the New York Giants (1929–38, who always played a crosstown rival). The first owner of the Lions, George A. Richards, started the tradition of the Thanksgiving Day game as a gimmick to get people to go to Lions football games, and to continue a tradition begun by the city's previous NFL teams.[8] What differentiated the Lions' efforts from other teams that played on the holiday was that Richards owned radio station WJR, a major affiliate of the NBC Blue Network; he was able to negotiate an agreement with NBC to carry his Thanksgiving games live across the network.[9]

text: During the Franksgiving controversy in 1939 and 1940, the only two teams to play the game were the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, as both teams were in the same state (Pennsylvania). (At the time, then-president Franklin Roosevelt wanted to move the holiday for economic reasons and many states were resistant to the move; half the states recognized the move and the other half did not. This complicated scheduling for Thanksgiving games. Incidentally, the two teams were also exploring the possibility of a merger at the time.[10]) Because of the looming World War II and the resulting shorter seasons, the NFL did not schedule any Thanksgiving games in 1941, nor did it schedule any in the subsequent years until the war ended in 1945. When the Thanksgiving games resumed in 1945, only the Lions' annual home game would remain on the Thanksgiving holiday. In 1951, the Packers began a thirteen-season run as the perpetual opponent to the Lions each year through 1963.

text: The All-America Football Conference and American Football League, both of which would later be absorbed into the NFL, also held Thanksgiving contests, although neither of those leagues had permanent hosts. Likewise, the AFL of 1926 also played two Thanksgiving games in its lone season of existence, while the AFL of 1936 hosted one in its first season, which featured the Cleveland Rams, a future NFL team, and the 1940–41 incarnation of the American Football League played two games in 1940 on the earlier "Franksgiving" date.

text: In 1966, the Dallas Cowboys, who had been founded six years earlier, adopted the practice of hosting Thanksgiving games. It is widely rumored that the Cowboys sought a guarantee that they would regularly host Thanksgiving games as a condition of their very first one (since games on days other than Sunday were uncommon at the time and thus high attendance was not a certainty).[11] This is only partly true; Dallas had in fact decided to host games on Thanksgiving by their own decision because there was nothing else to do or watch on that day. In 1975 and 1977, at the behest of then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle, the St. Louis Cardinals replaced Dallas as a host team (Dallas then hosted St. Louis in 1976). Although the Cardinals, at the time known as the "Cardiac Cards" due to their propensity for winning very close games, were a modest success at the time, they were nowhere near as popular nationwide as the Cowboys, who were regular Super Bowl contenders during this era. This, combined with St. Louis's consistently weak attendance, a series of ugly Cardinals losses in the three-game stretch, and opposition from the Kirkwood–Webster Groves Turkey Day Game (a local high school football contest) led to Dallas resuming regular hosting duties in 1978; it was then, after Rozelle asked Dallas to resume hosting Thanksgiving games, that the Cowboys requested (and received) an agreement guaranteeing the Cowboys a spot on Thanksgiving Day forever.[12]

text: Notwithstanding the aforementioned St. Louis-hosted games in 1975 and 1977, the two "traditional" Thanksgiving Day pro football games since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger have then been in Detroit and Dallas. Because of TV network commitments in place through the 2013 season, to make sure that both the AFC-carrying network (NBC from the 1970 merger to 1997, and CBS since 1998) and the NFC-carrying network (CBS from the 1970 merger to 1993, and Fox since 1994) got at least one game each, one of these games was between NFC opponents, and one featured AFC-NFC opponents. Thus, the AFC could showcase only one team on Thanksgiving, and the AFC team was always the visiting team.

text: Since 2006, a third NFL game on Thanksgiving has been played at night. It originally aired on the NFL Network as part of its Thursday Night Football package until 2011; NBC began carrying the night game in 2012. The Thanksgiving night game has no fixed opponents or conferences, enabling the league to freely choose whatever marquee match-up to feature on that night. The 2012 changes also allowed both Dallas and Detroit in the future to offer NFC games (one would be played at night), and CBS can offer a game with two AFC teams. In 2014, the NFL added the cross-flex rule, allowing CBS to televise NFC away games, and Fox to broadcast AFC away games, under select circumstances on Sunday afternoons;[13][14] however, this did not cover the Thanksgiving contests.[15] CBS also signed a separate contract to carry Thursday Night Football from the 2014 season onward, which allowed that network to carry games from either conference on Thursdays;[16] from that year through 2016, CBS carried all-NFC contests every year on Thanksgiving, and in 2014 and 2015, no AFC teams played in any of the Thanksgiving games.

text: The NFL's flexible scheduling rule currently does not apply for Thanksgiving games; however, the NFL in theory could in the future apply the rule to change start times and networks for the three games.

text: Throwback uniforms[edit]

text: Since 2001 teams playing on Thanksgiving have worn throwback uniforms on numerous occasions. In some years (namely 2002), it extended to nearly all games of the weekend, and in some cases also involved classic field logos at the respective stadiums.

text: In 2001–2004, and again in 2008, 2010, and 2017 the Detroit Lions have worn throwback uniforms based on their very early years.

text: From 2001 to 2003, Dallas chose to represent the 1990s Cowboys dynasty by wearing the navy "Double-Star" jersey not seen since 1995. In 2004, the team wore uniforms not seen since 1963. In 2009, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the AFL, both Dallas and Oakland played in a "AFL Legacy Game." In 2013, the Cowboys intended to wear their 1960s throwbacks, but chose not to do so after the NFL adopted a new policy requiring players and teams to utilize only one helmet a season to address the league's new concussion protocol; rather than sport an incomplete throwback look, the Cowboys instead wore their standard blue jerseys at home for the first time since 1963.[17] In 2015, the Cowboys resurrected their 1994 white "Double-Star" jerseys only this time wore them with white pants as part of the league's "Color Rush", a trial run of specially-designed, monochromatic jerseys to be worn during Thursday games.[18]

text: Memorable games[edit]

text:
1920: An urban legend states that the Chicago Tigers and Decatur Staleys challenged each other to a Thanksgiving duel, in Chicago, in the league's inaugural season, with the loser being relegated out of the league at the end of the season, purportedly explaining why the Tigers were the only NFL team to fold after the 1920 season (no other team would fold until 1921). The claims of it being a duel are unsubstantiated and no evidence exists that the Tigers were ever officially league members; nevertheless, the Tigers, after a 27–0 win over the non-league Thorn Tornadoes the next week, never played football again. The Staleys would move to Chicago during the next season, later renaming themselves the Bears.
1921: In a matchup of two of the league's best teams, the Staleys lose to the Buffalo All-Americans at home. The Staleys demand a rematch, with Buffalo agreeing to a December match only on the terms of it being considered an off-the-record exhibition game. That later match, which Chicago won, ended up counting despite the All-Americans' insistence, controversially handing Chicago the championship.
1952: The Dallas Texans are forced to move their lone remaining home game to the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio as the undercard to a high school football contest. Their opponent for that game, the Chicago Bears, underestimated the then-winless Texans and sent their second string team to the game; the Texans scored a 27–23 upset over the Bears for their only win of their existence.
1962: The Lions handed the 10–0 Green Bay Packers their lone defeat of the season.
1964–65: The 1964 and 1965 AFL contests featured the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers, the two teams that would eventually meet in those years' American Football League Championship Games.
1974: Unknown Cowboys backup quarterback Clint Longley took over for an injured Roger Staubach with the team down 16–3 and rallied them to an improbable victory over Washington on two deep passes.
1976: The Bills offense put forth one of the best and the worst performances in Thanksgiving history. O. J. Simpson set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game, with 273. However, Bills backup quarterback Gary Marangi completed only 4 of 21 pass attempts, for 29 yards passing, and a rating of 19.7. The Lions defeated the Bills 27-14.[19]
1980: With the Lions and Bears tied 17-17 at the end of regulation, the game went to overtime, the first Thanksgiving game to do so (overtime was not added to the NFL regular season until 1974), and the first overtime game at the Silverdome. Bears running back Dave Williams returned the fifth-quarter opening kickoff 95 yards for a game-winning touchdown, ending the shortest overtime period in NFL history at the time.
1986: The Lions and the Packers had the highest scoring game in Thanksgiving history. It was the best day of receiver Walter Stanley's career; Stanley netted 207 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, including an 83-yard punt return to win the game for Green Bay, 44–40. Stanley had an otherwise undistinguished career in the NFL.
1989: Known as the "Bounty Bowl", the Eagles crushed the Cowboys by a score of 27–0. Allegations surfaced that the Eagles had placed a bounty on the Cowboys kicker, thus becoming the first of a string of three bitterly contested games between the two teams, the other two being Bounty Bowl II and the Porkchop Bowl a year later.
1993: In one of the more famous Thanksgiving Day games in recent history, the Cowboys led the Dolphins 14–13 with just seconds remaining in a rare, snow-filled Texas Stadium. Miami's Pete Stoyanovich attempted a game winning 40-yard field goal that was blocked by the Cowboys' Jimmie Jones. Dick Enberg of NBC proclaimed "The Cowboys will win."[20] Indeed, since the kick landed beyond the line of scrimmage, once the ball stopped moving the play would be declared dead and Dallas would gain possession. However, the ball landed and began spinning on its tip, leading Cowboys lineman Leon Lett to try to gain possession. Lett slipped, fell, and knocked the ball forward. By rule, the ball was live and the Dolphins fell on it at the two yard line. With the recovery, Stoyanovich got a second chance to win the game and hit the much shorter field goal. The Dolphins won 16–14.[21]
1994: Troy Aikman was injured and third-string quarterback Jason Garrett was forced to start for Dallas against the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys won a 42–31 shoot-out against Brett Favre.
1998: In another controversial Thanksgiving Day game, the Steelers and Lions went to overtime tied 16–16. Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis called the coin toss in the air, but head referee Phil Luckett awarded Detroit the ball after Bettis tried to call both heads and tails at the same time. The Lions went on to kick a field goal on the first possession, winning 19–16. As a result of the fiasco, team captains are now required to call the coin toss before the coin is tossed, and a later rule change now prevents teams from automatically winning a game by scoring a field goal on the first possession. The day also saw a memorable performance by the Minnesota Vikings in a 46–36 win over the Dallas Cowboys as Vikings rookie Randy Moss caught three touchdowns, all of over 50 yards.
2008: The 10–1 Titans routed the 0–11 Lions by a score of 47–10, one of the most lopsided results in history on Thanksgiving. The Lions would go on to finish the season 0–16.
2011: The trio of games[22] was lauded as one of the better Thanksgiving Day slates of games in NFL history.[23] The night game between Baltimore and San Francisco pitted head coaches and brothers John and Jim Harbaugh against each other – a preview of Super Bowl XLVII.
2012: The prime time contest became infamous for the "Butt fumble", an incident in which Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez ran headfirst into the buttocks of his own offensive lineman. He subsequently fumbled the ball; it was recovered by New England, who returned it for a touchdown. In the earlier game, one of the NFL's most infamous rule changes came when former Lions coach Jim Schwartz challenged a play in which Texans running back Justin Forsett's knee clearly touched the ground before sprinting for an 81-yard touchdown. Referee Walt Coleman stated that, by rule, scoring plays are automatically reviewed and the play was not challengeable by a coach. Because of the improper attempted challenge, the review was cancelled and Coleman assessed a 15-yard kickoff penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. The NFL then passed a new rule that stated that if a coach attempted to challenge a play that is automatically reviewed, the review would continue. It was called the 'Jim Schwartz rule'.

text: Home team controversy[edit]

text: It has remained a tradition for Dallas and Detroit to host the afternoon games dating back several decades. However, in recent years, other teams have expressed interest in hosting Thanksgiving games. Lamar Hunt, the former owner of the Chiefs (who had hosted Thanksgiving games from 1967–69 as an AFL team prior to the merger), lobbied heavily in favor of his team hosting a game on the holiday. When the NFL adopted a third, prime time game, the Chiefs were selected as the first team to host such a contest, but the team was not made a permanent host, and Hunt's death shortly after the 2006 contest ended the lobbying on behalf of that team.

text: The host issue came to a head in 2008, focusing particularly on the winless Lions. Going into the game, Detroit had lost their last four Thanksgiving games, and opinions amongst the media had suggested removing Detroit and replacing them with a more attractive matchup.[24][25] The team also required an extension to prevent a local television blackout.[26] The Lions were routed by Tennessee 47–10, en route to the team's 0–16 season.[27] NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the Lions would stay on Thanksgiving for the 2009 season, but kept the issue open to revisit in the future.[28][29]

text: Conversely, the Dallas Cowboys, who typically represent a larger television draw,[30] have had much fewer public calls to be replaced on Thanksgiving. One issue that has been debated is a perceived unfair advantage of playing at home on Thanksgiving.[31] The advantage is given in the form of an extra day of practice for the home team while the road team has to travel to the game site. This is true for most Thursday games, but with the night games, the visitor can travel to the game site after practice and hold the final walk-thru the following morning.

text: With the introduction of the prime time game, which effectively allows all teams in the league an opportunity to play on Thanksgiving, along with the introduction of year-long Thursday Night Football ensuring all teams have one Thursday game during the regular season (thus negating any on-field advantages or disadvantages to being selected for Thanksgiving), the calls for Detroit and Dallas to be removed have curtailed.

text: Game results[edit]

text: (Winning teams are denoted by boldface type; tie games are italicized.)

text:
All three of the generally recognized iterations of the American Football League that played during this era (AFL I in 1926, AFL II in 1936 and AFL III in 1940) played Thanksgiving games, which are also listed as indicated.
Non-NFL team games between league teams and non league teams counted in the 1920 standings. The All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks later joined the league as the Tonawanda Kardex, albeit only for one game.
Thanksgiving fell on the final Thursday in November until 1938 and was held on two conflicting days from 1939 to 1941.

text:
Season
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score

Nov. 25, 1920
Canton Bulldogs
0
Akron Pros
7

Decatur Staleys
6
Chicago Tigers
0

Detroit Heralds
0
Dayton Triangles
28

Columbus Panhandles
0
Elyria Athletics*
0

Hammond Pros
0
Chicago Boosters*
27

All-Tonawanda *
14
Rochester Jeffersons
3

Nov. 24, 1921
Canton Bulldogs
14
Akron Pros
0

Buffalo All-Americans
7
Chicago Staleys
6

Nov. 30, 1922
Buffalo All-Americans
21
Rochester Jeffersons
0

Chicago Bears
0
Chicago Cardinals
6

Milwaukee Badgers
0
Racine Legion
3

Oorang Indians
18
Columbus Panhandles
6

Akron Pros
0
Canton Bulldogs
14

Nov. 29, 1923
Toledo Maroons
0
Canton Bulldogs
28

Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
3

Hammond Pros
0
Green Bay Packers
19

Milwaukee Badgers
16
Racine Legion
0

Nov. 27, 1924
Buffalo Bisons
0
Akron Pros
22

Chicago Bears
21
Chicago Cardinals
0

Dayton Triangles
7
Frankford Yellowjackets
32

Milwaukee Badgers
10
Cleveland Bulldogs
(at Canton)
53

Green Bay Packers
17
Kansas City Blues
6

Nov. 26, 1925
Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
0

Kansas City Cowboys
17
Cleveland Bulldogs
(at Hartford)
0

Rock Island Independents
6
Detroit Panthers
3

Green Bay Packers
0
Pottsville Maroons
31

Nov. 25, 1926
New York Giants
17
Brooklyn Lions
0

Los Angeles Buccaneers
9
Detroit Panthers
6

Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
0

Green Bay Packers
14
Frankford Yellowjackets
20

Providence Steam Roller
0
Pottsville Maroons
8

Akron Pros
0
Canton Bulldogs
0

(AFL I) Los Angeles Wildcats
0
Chicago Bulls
0

(AFL I) Philadelphia Quakers
13
New York Yankees
10

Nov. 24, 1927
Chicago Cardinals
3
Chicago Bears
0

Providence Steam Roller
0
Pottsville Maroons
6

Green Bay Packers
17
Frankford Yellowjackets
9

Cleveland Bulldogs
30
New York Yankees
19

Season
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score

Nov. 29, 1928
Providence Steam Roller
7
Pottsville Maroons
0

Dayton Triangles
0
Detroit Wolverines
33

Green Bay Packers
0
Frankford Yellow Jackets
2

Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
34

Nov. 28, 1929
New York Giants
21
Staten Island Stapletons
7

Green Bay Packers
0
Frankford Yellow Jackets
0

Chicago Cardinals
40
Chicago Bears
6

Nov. 27, 1930
New York Giants
6
Staten Island Stapletons
7

Providence Steam Roller
12
Brooklyn Dodgers
33

Green Bay Packers
25
Frankford Yellowjackets
7

Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
6

Nov. 26, 1931
Green Bay Packers
38
Providence Steam Roller
7

New York Giants
6
Staten Island Stapletons
9

Chicago Cardinals
7
Chicago Bears
18

Nov. 24, 1932
Green Bay Packers
7
Brooklyn Dodgers
0

New York Giants
13
Staten Island Stapletons
13

Chicago Cardinals
0
Chicago Bears
24

Nov. 30, 1933
New York Giants
10
Brooklyn Dodgers
0

Chicago Bears
22
Chicago Cardinals
6

Nov. 29, 1934
Green Bay Packers
0
Chicago Cardinals
6

New York Giants
27
Brooklyn Dodgers
0

Chicago Bears
19
Detroit Lions
16

Nov. 28, 1935
Green Bay Packers
7
Chicago Cardinals
9

New York Giants
21
Brooklyn Dodgers
0

Chicago Bears
2
Detroit Lions
14

Nov. 26, 1936
Chicago Bears
7
Detroit Lions
13

New York Giants
14
Brooklyn Dodgers
0

(AFL II) Cleveland Rams
7
Rochester Tigers
6

Nov. 25, 1937
Chicago Bears
13
Detroit Lions
0

New York Giants
13
Brooklyn Dodgers
13

Nov. 24, 1938
Chicago Bears
7
Detroit Lions
14

New York Giants
7
Brooklyn Dodgers
7

Nov. 23, 1939
Pittsburgh Pirates
14
Philadelphia Eagles
17

Nov. 21, 1940
(AFL III) New York Yankees
16
Columbus Bullies
17

(AFL III) Buffalo Tigers
13
Milwaukee Chiefs
30

Nov. 28, 1940
Pittsburgh Steelers
0
Philadelphia Eagles
7

tag: table

text:
No Thanksgiving games were held from 1941 to 1944 due to World War II.
Thanksgiving games were played on the fourth Thursday in November from 1945 onward.
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) also played Thanksgiving games from 1946 to 1949.

text:
Season
League
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score

Nov. 22, 1945
NFL
Cleveland Rams
28
Detroit Lions
21

Nov. 28, 1946
NFL
Boston Yanks
34
Detroit Lions
10

AAFC
New York Yankees
21
Brooklyn Dodgers
7

Nov. 27, 1947
NFL
Chicago Bears
34
Detroit Lions
14

AAFC
Cleveland Browns
27
Los Angeles Dons
17

AAFC
San Francisco 49ers
21
Brooklyn Dodgers
7

Nov. 25, 1948
NFL
Chicago Cardinals
28
Detroit Lions
14

AAFC
Cleveland Browns
31
Los Angeles Dons
14

AAFC
Buffalo Bills
39
Chicago Rockets
35

Nov. 24, 1949
NFL
Chicago Bears
28
Detroit Lions
7

AAFC
New York Yankees
17
Los Angeles Dons
16

AAFC
Cleveland Browns
14
Chicago Hornets
6

Nov. 23, 1950
NFL
New York Yanks
14
Detroit Lions
49

Pittsburgh Steelers
28
Chicago Cardinals
17

Nov. 22, 1951
NFL
Green Bay Packers
35
Detroit Lions
52

Nov. 27, 1952
NFL
Green Bay Packers
24
Detroit Lions
48

Chicago Bears
23
Dallas Texans (at Akron, Ohio)
27

Nov. 26, 1953
NFL
Green Bay Packers
15
Detroit Lions
34

Nov. 25, 1954
NFL
Green Bay Packers
24
Detroit Lions
28

Nov. 24, 1955
NFL
Green Bay Packers
10
Detroit Lions
24

Nov. 22, 1956
NFL
Green Bay Packers
24
Detroit Lions
20

Nov. 28, 1957
NFL
Green Bay Packers
6
Detroit Lions
18

Nov. 27, 1958
NFL
Green Bay Packers
14
Detroit Lions
24

Nov. 26, 1959
NFL
Green Bay Packers
24
Detroit Lions
17

text:
The American Football League (AFL) also played Thanksgiving Day games during this decade.
The Dallas Cowboys started playing their traditional series in 1966.

text:
Season
League
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score

Nov. 24, 1960
NFL
Green Bay Packers
10
Detroit Lions
23

AFL
Dallas Texans
35
New York Titans
41

Nov. 23, 1961
NFL
Green Bay Packers
17
Detroit Lions
9

AFL
Buffalo Bills
14
New York Titans
21

Nov. 22, 1962
NFL
Green Bay Packers
14
Detroit Lions
26

AFL
New York Titans
46
Denver Broncos
45

Nov. 28, 1963
NFL
Green Bay Packers
13
Detroit Lions
13

AFL
Oakland Raiders
26
Denver Broncos
10

Nov. 26, 1964
NFL
Chicago Bears
27
Detroit Lions
24

AFL
Buffalo Bills
27
San Diego Chargers
24

Nov. 25, 1965
NFL
Baltimore Colts
24
Detroit Lions
24

AFL
Buffalo Bills
20
San Diego Chargers
20

Nov. 24, 1966
NFL
San Francisco 49ers
41
Detroit Lions
14

Cleveland Browns
14
Dallas Cowboys
26

AFL
Buffalo Bills
31
Oakland Raiders
10

Nov. 23, 1967
NFL
Los Angeles Rams
31
Detroit Lions
7

St. Louis Cardinals
21
Dallas Cowboys
46

AFL
Oakland Raiders
44
Kansas City Chiefs
22

Denver Broncos
20
San Diego Chargers
24

Nov. 28, 1968
NFL
Philadelphia Eagles
12
Detroit Lions
0

Washington Redskins
20
Dallas Cowboys
29

AFL
Buffalo Bills
10
Oakland Raiders
13

Houston Oilers
10
Kansas City Chiefs
24

Nov. 27, 1969
NFL
Minnesota Vikings
27
Detroit Lions
0

San Francisco 49ers
24
Dallas Cowboys
24

AFL
Denver Broncos
17
Kansas City Chiefs
31

San Diego Chargers
21
Houston Oilers
17

text:
From 1970 to 2005, three NFC teams and one AFC team played each Thanksgiving.
The two afternoon games were held at Detroit (12:30 p.m. EST) and Dallas (4:15 p.m. EST), respectively. Detroit always hosts the "early" game because a 12:30 p.m. EST kick-off at Dallas would be 11:30 a.m. local time (CST), and the NFL avoids starting games before noon locally. The two games rotate annually as intra-conference (NFC vs. NFC) and inter-conference (AFC vs. NFC) games. This is to satisfy the television contract balance between CBS (which broadcasts games in which the visiting team is from the AFC) and Fox (which broadcasts games in which the visiting team is from the NFC).
The "early" game kicks off at a special time of 12:30 p.m. EST as opposed to the typical afternoon start time of 1 p.m. This provides an additional 30 minutes to prevent overlapping of the "late" game, and also gave the network time for a pregame show and some additional time for an expanded halftime show (selected years). When Fox carries the "early" game, they typically start their pregame coverage (Fox NFL Sunday) at 11:30 a.m. (with the addition of Fox NFL Kickoff to the Fox lineup, its pregame will begin at 10:30 a.m. for 2015). When CBS carries the "early" game, they start their pregame coverage (The NFL Today) at 12:00 p.m., due to the fact that their morning parade coverage runs until noon. The network with the 4:15 "late" game begins pregame coverage at 3:30 p.m. EST.
Dallas was replaced by the St. Louis Cardinals as a host team in 1975 and 1977; Dallas and St. Louis faced each other at Texas Stadium in 1976. Because of the Missouri Turkey Day Game, the long-established Kirkwood–Webster Groves high school football game that takes place on Thanksgiving in St. Louis, weak fan support in St. Louis, and general national preference of the Cowboys over the historically weaker Cardinals, the Cardinals' hosting of the Thanksgiving game was not popular. Dallas returned to hosting the game in 1978 and has hosted since. Likewise, the Rams never played on Thanksgiving while in St. Louis, in part because of the Turkey Day Game and also because the Missouri State High School Activities Association has held its state football championship games on Thanksgiving weekend at The Dome at America's Center since 1996.
Since the time NFL began its current alignment in 2002, no team from the AFC North can play a Thanksgiving Day game against the traditional hosts. This is because under the current rotation, the Cowboys and the Lions each play AFC North teams in years that FOX is scheduled to broadcast its Thanksgiving Day game, requiring an NFC opponent. To date, the last game to feature a team currently in the AFC North was the Lions matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1998. AFC North teams can play in the prime time game, as the Cincinnati Bengals did in 2010.

text:
Season
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score
OT

Nov. 26, 1970
Oakland Raiders
14
Detroit Lions
28

Green Bay Packers
3
Dallas Cowboys
16

Nov. 25, 1971
Kansas City Chiefs
21
Detroit Lions
32

Los Angeles Rams
21
Dallas Cowboys
28

Nov. 23, 1972
New York Jets
20
Detroit Lions
37

San Francisco 49ers
31
Dallas Cowboys
10

Nov. 22, 1973
Washington Redskins
20
Detroit Lions
0

Miami Dolphins
14
Dallas Cowboys
7

Nov. 28, 1974
Denver Broncos
31
Detroit Lions
27

Washington Redskins
23
Dallas Cowboys
24

Nov. 27, 1975
Los Angeles Rams
20
Detroit Lions
0

Buffalo Bills
32
St. Louis Cardinals
14

Nov. 25, 1976
Buffalo Bills
14
Detroit Lions
27

St. Louis Cardinals
14
Dallas Cowboys
19

Nov. 24, 1977
Chicago Bears
31
Detroit Lions
14

Miami Dolphins
55
St. Louis Cardinals
14

Nov. 23, 1978
Denver Broncos
14
Detroit Lions
17

Washington Redskins
10
Dallas Cowboys
37

Nov. 22, 1979
Chicago Bears
0
Detroit Lions
20

Houston Oilers
30
Dallas Cowboys
24

Nov. 27, 1980
Chicago Bears
23
Detroit Lions
17
(OT)

Seattle Seahawks
7
Dallas Cowboys
51

Nov. 26, 1981
Kansas City Chiefs
10
Detroit Lions
27

Chicago Bears
9
Dallas Cowboys
10

Nov. 25, 1982
New York Giants
13
Detroit Lions
6

Cleveland Browns
14
Dallas Cowboys
31

Nov. 24, 1983
Pittsburgh Steelers
3
Detroit Lions
45

St. Louis Cardinals
17
Dallas Cowboys
35

Nov. 22, 1984
Green Bay Packers
28
Detroit Lions
31

New England Patriots
17
Dallas Cowboys
20

Nov. 28, 1985
New York Jets
20
Detroit Lions
31

St. Louis Cardinals
17
Dallas Cowboys
35

Nov. 27, 1986
Green Bay Packers
44
Detroit Lions
40

Seattle Seahawks
31
Dallas Cowboys
14

Nov. 26, 1987
Kansas City Chiefs
27
Detroit Lions
20

Minnesota Vikings
44
Dallas Cowboys
38
(OT)

Nov. 24, 1988
Minnesota Vikings
23
Detroit Lions
0

Houston Oilers
25
Dallas Cowboys
17

Nov. 23, 1989
Cleveland Browns
10
Detroit Lions
13

Philadelphia Eagles
27
Dallas Cowboys
0

Nov. 22, 1990
Denver Broncos
27
Detroit Lions
40

Washington Redskins
17
Dallas Cowboys
27

Nov. 28, 1991
Chicago Bears
6
Detroit Lions
16

Pittsburgh Steelers
10
Dallas Cowboys
20

Nov. 26, 1992
Houston Oilers
24
Detroit Lions
21

New York Giants
3
Dallas Cowboys
30

Nov. 25, 1993
Chicago Bears
10
Detroit Lions
6

Miami Dolphins
16
Dallas Cowboys
14

Nov. 24, 1994
Buffalo Bills
21
Detroit Lions
35

Green Bay Packers
31
Dallas Cowboys
42

Nov. 23, 1995
Minnesota Vikings
38
Detroit Lions
44

Kansas City Chiefs
12
Dallas Cowboys
24

Nov. 28, 1996
Kansas City Chiefs
28
Detroit Lions
24

Washington Redskins
10
Dallas Cowboys
21

Nov. 27, 1997
Chicago Bears
20
Detroit Lions
55

Tennessee Oilers
27
Dallas Cowboys
14

Nov. 26, 1998
Pittsburgh Steelers
16
Detroit Lions
19
(OT)

Minnesota Vikings
46
Dallas Cowboys
36

Nov. 25, 1999
Chicago Bears
17
Detroit Lions
21

Miami Dolphins
0
Dallas Cowboys
20

Nov. 23, 2000
New England Patriots
9
Detroit Lions
34

Minnesota Vikings
27
Dallas Cowboys
15

Nov. 22, 2001
Green Bay Packers
29
Detroit Lions
27

Denver Broncos
26
Dallas Cowboys
24

Nov. 28, 2002
New England Patriots
20
Detroit Lions
12

Washington Redskins
20
Dallas Cowboys
27

Nov. 27, 2003
Green Bay Packers
14
Detroit Lions
22

Miami Dolphins
40
Dallas Cowboys
21

Nov. 25, 2004
Indianapolis Colts
41
Detroit Lions
9

Chicago Bears
7
Dallas Cowboys
21

Nov. 24, 2005
Atlanta Falcons
27
Detroit Lions
7

Denver Broncos
24
Dallas Cowboys
21
(OT)

text:
Since 2006, three contests have been played on Thanksgiving. In addition to the traditional Detroit and Dallas home afternoon games, a third game is now played in primetime and televised by NFL Network (2006–2011) or NBC (since 2012). Current plans call for the various NFL teams (other than the Lions and Cowboys) to take turns hosting the night game on a rotation basis.
In 2006, Kansas City hosted the first prime time Thanksgiving game. The game marked a new "Thanksgiving Tripleheader" tradition. The Denver/Kansas City game marked the first time more than two games were played on Thanksgiving (as well as the first all-AFC holiday matchup) since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.
Rule changes in the 2012–2022 television contracts permit "cross flexing", whereby selected games can be switched between CBS and FOX, effectively allowing CBS to schedule an NFC vs. NFC matchup on Thanksgiving Day rather than an AFC at NFC game. The 2014 season was the first in which all three games feature NFC vs. NFC opponents under these rules; the league again scheduled an all-NFC Thanksgiving for 2015.[32]

text:
Season
Visiting Team
Score
Home Team
Score
OT

Nov. 23, 2006
Miami Dolphins
27
Detroit Lions
10

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10
Dallas Cowboys
38

Denver Broncos
10
Kansas City Chiefs
19

Nov. 22, 2007
Green Bay Packers
37
Detroit Lions
26

New York Jets
3
Dallas Cowboys
34

Indianapolis Colts
31
Atlanta Falcons
13

Nov. 27, 2008
Tennessee Titans
47
Detroit Lions
10

Seattle Seahawks
9
Dallas Cowboys
34

Arizona Cardinals
20
Philadelphia Eagles
48

Nov. 26, 2009
Green Bay Packers
34
Detroit Lions
12

Oakland Raiders
7
Dallas Cowboys
24

New York Giants
6
Denver Broncos
26

Nov. 25, 2010
New England Patriots
45
Detroit Lions
24

New Orleans Saints
30
Dallas Cowboys
27

Cincinnati Bengals
10
New York Jets
26

Nov. 24, 2011
Green Bay Packers
27
Detroit Lions
15

Miami Dolphins
19
Dallas Cowboys
20

San Francisco 49ers
6
Baltimore Ravens
16

Nov. 22, 2012
Houston Texans
34
Detroit Lions
31
(OT)

Washington Redskins
38
Dallas Cowboys
31

New England Patriots
49
New York Jets
19

Nov. 28, 2013
Green Bay Packers
10
Detroit Lions
40

Oakland Raiders
24
Dallas Cowboys
31

Pittsburgh Steelers
20
Baltimore Ravens
22

Nov. 27, 2014
Chicago Bears
17
Detroit Lions
34

Philadelphia Eagles
33
Dallas Cowboys
10

Seattle Seahawks
19
San Francisco 49ers
3

Nov. 26, 2015
Philadelphia Eagles
14
Detroit Lions
45

Carolina Panthers
33
Dallas Cowboys
14

Chicago Bears
17
Green Bay Packers
13

Nov. 24, 2016
Minnesota Vikings
13
Detroit Lions
16

Washington Redskins
26
Dallas Cowboys
31

Pittsburgh Steelers
28
Indianapolis Colts
7

Nov. 23, 2017
Minnesota Vikings
30
Detroit Lions
23

Los Angeles Chargers
28
Dallas Cowboys
6

New York Giants
10
Washington Redskins
20

text: Thanksgiving Day standings[edit]

text: Of current NFL franchises. This includes American Football League (AFL) games; however, it does not include All-America Football Conference (AAFC) games.

text:
Team
Last Game
Wins
Losses
Ties
Win %
Other names appeared under

Baltimore Ravens
2013
2
0

1.000

Carolina Panthers
2015
1
0

1.000

Houston Texans
2012
1
0

1.000

New Orleans Saints
2010
1
0

1.000

Philadelphia Eagles
2015
7
1

.875

Minnesota Vikings
2017
6
2

.750

Los Angeles Rams
1975
3
1

.750
Cleveland Rams (1937–1945), does not include 1936 AFL's Cleveland Rams

Miami Dolphins
2011
5
2

.714

Tennessee Titans
2008
5
2

.714
Houston Oilers (1960–1996)
Tennessee Oilers (1997–1998)

Indianapolis Colts
2016
2
1
1
.625
Baltimore Colts (1953–1983)

Los Angeles Chargers
2017
3
1
1
.625
San Diego Chargers (1961–2016)

Dallas Cowboys
2017
30
19
1
.622

New York Giants
2017
7
6
3
.607

New England Patriots
2012
3
2

.600

Chicago Bears
2015
17
15
2
.529
Decatur Staleys (1920)
Chicago Staleys (1921)

Kansas City Chiefs
2006
5
5

.500
Dallas Texans (1960–1962), does not include 1–0 record of unrelated NFL Dallas Texans.

New York Jets
2012
4
4

.500
New York Titans (1960–1962)

San Francisco 49ers
2014
2
2
1
.500
Does not include 1–0 record when team was a member of the AAFC.

Seattle Seahawks
2014
2
2

.500

Atlanta Falcons
2007
1
1

.500

Detroit Lions
2017
37
39
2
.494

Buffalo Bills
1994
3
4
1
.438
Does not include 1–0 record of unrelated AAFC team of same name.

Oakland Raiders
2013
3
4

.429

Green Bay Packers
2015
14
20
2
.417

Denver Broncos
2009
4
7

.364

Arizona Cardinals
2008
6
15
2
.304
Chicago Cardinals (1920–1959)
St. Louis Cardinals (1960–1987)
Phoenix Cardinals (1988–1993)

Pittsburgh Steelers
2016
2
6

.250

Washington Redskins
2017
4
7

.364

Cincinnati Bengals
2010
0
1

.000

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2006
0
1

.000

Cleveland Browns
1989
0
3

.000
Does not include 3–0 record when team was a member of the AAFC.

Jacksonville Jaguars
None
0
0

–
Only active franchise to have never played on Thanksgiving.

text: Notable appearance droughts[edit]

text: The last currently active franchise to have never played on Thanksgiving through 2017 is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who joined the league in 1995.

text: An idiosyncrasy in the NFL's current scheduling formula, which has been in effect since 2002 and revised in 2010, effectively prevents teams from the AFC North from playing the Lions or Cowboys on Thanksgiving, as the formula has the AFC North playing in Dallas or Detroit in years when the other team is slated to play the AFC game on Thanksgiving. These teams can, under the 2014 television contracts, play only in the third (night) game; should cross-flex be expanded to Thursdays or Fox win the Thursday Night contract in 2018 (either scenario would allow both Fox and CBS to carry AFC games), this idiosyncrasy will be eliminated.

text: The Los Angeles Rams have the longest active appearance drought of any team, with their last appearance coming in 1975. Among current NFL markets, Cleveland has had the longest wait to have a team from its city play on Thanksgiving; the Browns last appeared in 1989, several years before being suspended in the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, and have not appeared in the game since rejoining the league as an expansion team.

text: Since 2010, the league has made efforts to end the longest droughts. New Orleans, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Houston, and Carolina all played their first Thanksgiving games during this time frame. San Francisco likewise played their first Thanksgiving game since 1972 in 2011, and the Los Angeles Chargers, who last played on the holiday in 1969 (while the team was still an AFL franchise in San Diego) before actually joining the league, appeared for the first time as an NFL member in 2017.[33]

text: Thanksgiving Day records of defunct teams[edit]

text:
Team
Wins
Losses
Ties
Win Pct.
Other names appeared under

Frankford Yellow Jackets
2
0

1.000
Defunct (1931)

New York Yankees*
2
0

1.000
Defunct (1949)

Pottsville Maroons
2
0

1.000
Defunct (1928)

Boston Yanks
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1948)

Buffalo Bills*
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1949), unrelated to current NFL team with this name

Dallas Texans
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1952), does not count AFL's Dallas Texans, which are now the Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Buccaneers
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1926)

Oorang Indians
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1923)

Rock Island Independents
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1925)

All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks
1
0

1.000
Defunct (1921)

Akron Pros
3
1
1
.700
Defunct (1926)

Buffalo Bisons
1
1
1
.500
Buffalo All-Americans (1920–1923), Defunct (1929)

Canton Bulldogs
1
1
1
.500
Defunct (1926)

Cleveland Bulldogs
1
1

.500
Defunct (1927)

Dayton Triangles
1
1

.500
Defunct (1929)

Kansas City Cowboys
1
1

.500
Kansas City Blues (1924), Defunct (1926)

Milwaukee Badgers
1
1

.500
Defunct (1926)

Brooklyn Lions
0
1

.000
Defunct (1926)

Chicago Tigers
0
1

.000
Defunct (1920)

Detroit Heralds
0
1

.000
Defunct (1920)

New York Yanks
0
1

.000
Defunct (1950)

Providence Steam Roller
0
1

.000
Defunct (1931)

Racine Legion
0
1

.000
Defunct (1926)

Toledo Maroons
0
1

.000
Defunct (1923)

Brooklyn Dodgers*
0
2

.000
Defunct (1949)

Chicago Hornets*
0
2

.000
Chicago Rockets (1946–1948), Defunct (1949)

Columbus Panhandles
0
2

.000
Defunct (1926)

Detroit Panthers
0
2

.000
Defunct (1926)

Hammond Pros
0
2

.000
Defunct (1926)

Rochester Jeffersons
0
2

.000
Defunct (1925)

Los Angeles Dons*
0
3

.000
Defunct (1949)

text: *All-America Football Conference team.

text: Game MVPs[edit]

text: Since 1989, informal and sometimes lighthearted Man of the Match awards have been issued by the networks broadcasting the respective games. Running back Emmitt Smith holds the record for most Thanksgiving MVPs with five (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2002). Voting on the respective awards is typically done informally by the announcing crew themselves, and criteria are loose. Noteworthy statistical accomplishments weigh heavily, and "group" awards are common. The announcement of the winner(s), and the presentation of the award is normally done immediately following the game, during post-game network coverage.

text: Turkey Leg Award (CBS & FOX)[edit]

text: In 1989, John Madden of CBS awarded the first "Turkey Leg Award", for the game's most valuable player. Pursuant to its name, it was an actual cooked turkey leg, and players typically took a celebratory bite out of the leg for the cameras during post-game interviews. Reggie White of the Eagles was the first recipient. The gesture was seen mostly as a humorous gimmick relating to Madden's famous multi-legged turkey,[34] cooked and delivered by local restaurant owner Joe Pat Fieseler of Harvey's Barbecue (located less than a mile from Texas Stadium). Since then, however, the award has gained subtle notoriety. Madden brought the award to FOX in 1994, and it continued through 2001.

text: Because of the loose and informal nature of the award, at times it has been awarded to multiple players. On one occasion in 1994, it was given to players of both teams.

text: Galloping Gobbler / Game Ball (FOX)[edit]

text: When John Madden left FOX after 2001, the network introduced a new award starting in 2002, named the "Galloping Gobbler." It was represented by a small figurine of a silver turkey wearing a football helmet[35] striking a Heisman-like pose.[36] Much like Cleatus and Digger, the original Galloping Gobbler trophy reflected Fox's irreverent mascots, and went through several iterations.[35] Unimpressed by its tackiness, 2002 winner Emmitt Smith (who holds the record for most Thanksgiving MVP awards and had won the Turkey Leg Award four previous times) famously threw his in a trash can.[35]

text: In 2007, the kitschy statuette was replaced with a bronze-colored statue of a nondescript turkey holding a football.[36] In 2011, the trophies were discarded altogether and replaced by an attractive plaque. Unlike the aforementioned "Turkey Leg Award", the "Galloping Gobbler" is normally awarded to only one player annually,[37] however in 2016, co-winners were honored.[38]

text: For 2017, the Galloping Gobbler was permanently retired, and replaced with the "Game Ball," an stylish, ornate football-shaped trophy, reminiscent of the tradition where game-used balls are typically awarded to players of the game. No one at Fox seemed to notice the first ball awarded has the stripe markings of a college ball.

text: All-Iron Award (CBS)[edit]

text: When the NFL returned to CBS in 1998, they introduced their own award, the "All-Iron Award", which is, suitably enough, a small silver iron, a reference to Phil Simms' All-Iron team for toughness. The All-Iron winner also receives a skillet of blackberry cobbler made by Simms' mother.

text: Through 2006, the trophy was only awarded to one player annually. Occasionally, it has been issued as a "group award" in addition to a single player award. In 2008, Simms stated it was "too close to call" and named four players to the trophy; he then gave the award to several people every year until 2013, after which he reverted to a single MVP in 2014.

text: Simms was removed from the broadcast booth for the 2017 season and no player of the game was chosen that year.

text: Prime time games (NFLN & NBC)[edit]

text: During the time when NFL Network held the broadcast rights the prime time game, from 2007 to 2011 they gave out the "Pudding Pie Award" for MVPs. The award was an actual pie. In 2009, NFL Network gave Brandon Marshall a pumpkin pie rather than the chocolate pudding pie of the previous two years.

text: NBC, which carried Thanksgiving afternoon games through 1997, did not issue an MVP award during that time. NBC began broadcasting the Thanksgiving prime time game in 2012, at which point the MVP award was added. The award is currently called the Sunday Night Football on Thanksgiving Night Player of the Game, and is typically awarded to multiple players on the winning team.[39] From 2012 to 2015, the NBC award was referred to as the "Madden Thanksgiving Player-of-the-Game", honoring John Madden (who announced NBC games from 2006 to 2008).[40][41] In the first few years, the award specifically went to players on both offense and defense, but in recent years, defensive players have not necessarily been recognized. The winning players are presented with ceremonial game balls and, as a gesture to Madden, a cooked turkey leg.[42]

text: Complete list[edit]

text:
CBS Turkey Leg Award

Year
MVP (Team)

1989
Reggie White (Phi)

1990
Troy Aikman & Emmitt Smith (Dal)

1991
Barry Sanders (Det)

1992
Emmitt Smith & Cowboys Offensive line

1993
Richard Dent (Chi)

CBS All-Iron Award

1998
Stephen Boyd (Det)

1999
Dexter Coakley (Dal)

2000
Charlie Batch (Det)

2001
Mike Anderson (Den)

2002
Troy Brown (NE)

2003
Jay Fiedler & Chris Chambers (Mia)

2004
Peyton Manning & Colts Offensive line

2005
Ron Dayne (Den)

2006
Joey Harrington (Mia)

2007
Tony Romo & Cowboys defense*

2008
Albert Haynesworth (Ten)
Chris Johnson (Ten)
Kevin Mawae (Ten)
LenDale White (Ten)

2009
Miles Austin (Dal)
Tony Romo (Dal)
Jason Witten (Dal)

2010
Tom Brady (NE)

2011
DeMarcus Ware (Dal)

2012
Andre Johnson (Hou)
Matt Schaub (Hou)
J.J. Watt (Hou)

2013
Tony Romo (Dal)
DeMarco Murray (Dal)
Lance Dunbar (Dal)
HM: Matthew McGloin (Oak)

2014
Calvin Johnson (Det)

2015
Luke Kuechly (Car)
Jerricho Cotchery (Car)
Kurt Coleman (Car)
Cam Newton (Car)

2016
Matt Prater (Det)
Darius Slay (Det)
Matthew Stafford (Det)

2017
no award

FOX Turkey Leg Award

Year
MVP (Team)

1994
Emmitt Smith & Jason Garrett (Dal)
Brett Favre & Sterling Sharpe (GB)

1995
Herman Moore (Det)
Brett Perriman (Det)
Johnnie Morton (Det)

1996
Emmitt Smith (Dal)

1997
Luther Ellis (Det)

1998
Randy Moss (Min)

1999
Gus Frerotte (Det)
Greg Hill (Det)
Johnnie Morton (Det)
Robert Porcher (Det)

2000
Robert Smith (Min)
Randy Moss (Min)
Daunte Culpepper (Min)
Cris Carter (Min)

2001
Brett Favre & Ahman Green (GB)

FOX Galloping Gobbler Award

2002
Emmitt Smith (Dal)

2003
Dré Bly (Det)

2004
Julius Jones (Dal)

2005
Michael Vick (Atl)

2006
Tony Romo (Dal)

2007
Brett Favre (GB)

2008
DeMarcus Ware (Dal)

2009
Donald Driver (GB)

2010
Drew Brees (NO)

2011
Aaron Rodgers (GB)

2012
Robert Griffin III (Was)

2013
Reggie Bush (Det)

2014
LeSean McCoy (Phi)

2015
Matthew Stafford (Det)

2016
Dak Prescott & Ezekiel Elliott (Dal)

FOX Game Ball

2017
Case Keenum (Min)

NFLN Pudding Pie Award

Year
MVP (Team)

2006
Not given

2007
Reggie Wayne (Ind)

2008
Donovan McNabb & Brian Westbrook (Phi)

2009
Brandon Marshall (Den)

2010
Brad Smith & Darrelle Revis (NYJ)

2011
Terrell Suggs (Bal)

NBC Player of the Game

2012
Tom Brady (NE)
Vince Wilfork (NE)
Steve Gregory (NE)

2013
Jacoby Jones (Bal)
Justin Tucker (Bal)

2014
Russell Wilson (Sea)
Richard Sherman (Sea)

2015
Jay Cutler (Chi)
Tracy Porter (Chi)

2016
Le'Veon Bell (Pit)
Ben Roethlisberger (Pit)
Antonio Brown (Pit)

2017
Kirk Cousins (Was)
Jamison Crowder (Was)
Ryan Kerrigan (Was)

text:
Of the members of the 2007 Cowboys defense, Chris Canty, DeMarcus Ware, Terence Newman and Greg Ellis were particularly noted.
In 2017 no official CBS award was handed out, though Phillip Rivers and Keenan Allen (both of the Chargers) was interviewed after the game during post-game coverage.

text: Broadcasting[edit]

text: DuMont was the first network to televise Thanksgiving games in 1953; CBS took over in 1956, and in 1965, the first ever color television broadcast of an NFL game was the Thanksgiving match between the Lions and the Baltimore Colts.

text: Starting in 2012, all three broadcast networks with NFL rights will carry one game apiece. The first two games are split between CBS and Fox. These games are rotated annually, with CBS getting the 12:30 p.m. (EST) "early" game, and Fox getting the 4:25 p.m. "late" game in even-numbered years, while Fox likewise gets the "early" game and CBS the "late" game in odd-numbered years. The third game, with a prime time 8:30 p.m. start, is carried by NBC[43]. The NFL may involve the Flexible Scheduling rule in the future to reassign games if the night game has less importance than the Dallas or Detroit game.

text: Westwood One holds national radio broadcast rights to all three games, with Compass Media Networks sharing rights to the Cowboys contest. (Under league rules, only radio stations that carry at least 12 Cowboys games in a season are allowed to carry the Compass broadcast.) The participating teams also air the games on their local flagship stations and regional radio networks.

text: The Cowboys Thanksgiving game has regularly been the most watched NFL regular season telecast each year, with the Lions Thanksgiving game usually in the top five.