Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there from the Car Pro Show! We hope you have a great weekend!
Father's Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1972, but was observed many years before that. The holiday is typically dated back to the early 1900s in Spokane, Washington and a woman named Ms. Sonora Dodd. She was inspired to establish Father's Day to honor her dad, American Civil War Veteran William Jackson Smart, after hearing a sermon on Mother's Day in 1909. Her dad, a single father, was raising Dodd and her five brothers after their mother died during childbirth.
Dodd's idea gained support from the community and just over a year later, on June 19th, 1910, the city of Spokane observed its first Father's Day.
From there, it took awhile to actually become a designated national holiday. Here's a look at some major events in the timeline:
- In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson spoke at Spokane Father’s Day event.
- In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed a resolution in favor of Father’s Day.
- In 1956, Congress officially recognized Father's Day with the passage of a joint resolution.
- In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed an executive order declaring the holiday be celebrated on the third Sunday in June.
- In May of 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation establishing Father's Day as a U.S. holiday. Six years later, Sonora Dodd died at the age of 96.
As I say on the Car Pro Show every year, anybody can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a dad. Here is a poem, just for you Dads:
What Makes a Dad
Take a moment and watch this short video of sons and daughters telling their dad just how much he means to them:
