History of Father's Day. Fathers Net.

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History of Father's Day

Father's Day was first observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. Sonora Smart Dodd (Mrs. John B. Dodd) of Washington State proposed the idea in 1909 after she had attended a Mother's Day service.

Mrs. Dodd wanted to honor her own father. William Smart, who had been a Civil War veteran, who raised six children after his wife died in childbirth.

President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day in 1924. It took until 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson declared the 3rd Sunday of June Father's Day officially in the United States of America, but this was only for one year. On April 24, 1972, Father's Day was assured annual recognition by Presidential Proclamation. In Australia, Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September.

Read about Father's Day Traditions.