events dedicated to honoring fathers.
Sonora Smart Dodd and the Official Movement
While the mining disaster helped inspire public recognition of fathers, the modern Father’s Day movement gained momentum through the efforts of Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington. After hearing a sermon about Mother’s Day in 1909, Dodd believed fathers deserved similar recognition.
Her inspiration came from her own father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children after the death of his wife. Dodd admired her father’s strength, sacrifice, and devotion. She worked tirelessly to establish a day dedicated to fathers everywhere.
The first widely recognized Father’s Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. Churches held special services, families gathered together, and fathers were publicly honored for their contributions.
Becoming a National Holiday
Although the idea quickly gained support, Father’s Day took many years to become an official national holiday. Several presidents supported the celebration over the decades, including President Woodrow Wilson and President Calvin Coolidge.
Finally, in 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a permanent national holiday in the United States. Since then, Father’s Day has been celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June.
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