Today is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving traces its origins back to the early 17th century, when the Pilgrims had a feast with Native Americans to give thanks for their safe passage across the Atlantic Ocean. President Abraham Lincoln first declared the federal Thanksgiving holiday in 1863. There are many closures in Knoxville for the holiday. This includes Knoxville City Hall, the Marion County Courthouse, the Knoxville Public Library, the Knoxville Post Office, and the Knoxville Recreation Center.