| Happy Father's Day The concept of honoring fathers has ancient roots, but the modern Father's Day celebrations can be traced back to the early 20th century. In 1908, a memorial service was held in a West Virginia church to honor the lives of 361 men who lost their lives in a mining accident, and this event is often considered an early precursor to Father's Day. The official establishment of Father's Day in the United States is attributed to Sonora Smart Dodd. Inspired by a Mother's Day sermon in 1909, Dodd wanted to create a similar holiday to honor her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran and single father who raised six children. The first recognized Father's Day took place on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, where Dodd resided. Over the following years, the idea of celebrating Father's Day gained momentum across the United States. However, it took several decades for the holiday to receive official recognition. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation declaring Father's Day as a national holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Explore fatherhood and check out these titles |
