New York City’s 102-story Empire State Building opened in 1931 and was the tallest building in the world until 1970. A popular Thanksgiving turkey riddle is:

Q: Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?
A: Of course. The Empire State Building can’t jump.

“I can jump as high as the Woolworth building”—the original form of the joke/riddle, referring to New York City’s Woolworth Building—was cited in print in 1919. The Thanksgiving turkey riddle was posted to the newsgroup alt.humor.puns on November 29, 2002.

A 2009 discussion about “Just how high can a turkey jump?” is on the website Homesteading Today.


Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
Puns of the Weak 11/29/02
Stan Kegel
11/29/02
(...)
Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?
Yes - a building can’t jump at all (Jokes 4U)

Google Groups: alt.fifty-plus.friends
Help!
david
12/7/03
(...)
Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?
Yes - a building can’t jump at all

Twitter
G. Wayne Clayton
‏@SocialMtgExpert
JOKE: Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building? Yes - a building can’t jump at all
5:32 PM - 27 Nov 2008

Google Books
A Random Journey of Mind
By Ajay Ray
Published by author
2009
Pg. 410:
I had heard some jokes about turkeys also. I don’t know if any body cares to know the answer to the question – can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building? The answer is of course it can. (The Empire State building cannot jump at all).

Twitter
Richard D Parker 
‏@RichardDParker
Another from Hunting magazine: Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building? (Yes… Buildings can’t jump!)
9:10 AM - 31 Aug 2009

Google Books
Thanksgiving Jokes For Kids
By Peter Crumpton
PeteyRF Creative
2015
Pg. ?:
Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?
Yes, a building can’t jump at all.