Father's Day was created in 1909 after efforts by Sonora Smart Dodd to celebrate her father, William Jackson Smart, who had fought in the Civil War and went on to raise five children on his own after the death of his wife in childbirth
Heralding from Spokane, Washington, Dodd was inspired after the creation of Mother's Day to work to create a day to honour fathers in the same way. The mayor of Spokane was supported her initiative and it became a citywide event, but it would take many years before it reached national recognition.
In 1924, then-President Calvin Coolidge supported it in the name of establishing "closer relationships between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations," according to the Library of Congress. In 1938, a trade organization formed by men's clothing retailers in New York City took up the cause. President Lyndon Johnson made a presidential proclamation honouring fathers in 1966. Finally, in 1972, Richard Nixon signed the holiday into law.
We're not sure why it took so long to honour fathers officially. And we know we don't need a government mandate to support the fathers in our lives. But it's great to see that, now, many countries around the world celebrate Father's Day as we take time to honour those special men in our lives who mentor and support us.
Whether your dad is near or far, king of the grill or master of marinades - or neither! - we hope you have someone to love and remember and shower with gifts and affection.
Whether you FaceTime or BBQ together this year, Happy Father's Day!
