When Was the First Father’s Day

Father’s Day is a special day that is set aside to honor fathers. It is a time to say thank you for the hard work that they put into raising their children. Father’s Day is celebrated at different times around the world and Father’s Day in the United States does not fall on the same day as Father’s Day in other countries. However, many countries celebrate this special day on the first Sunday in June. So when was the first Father’s Day? Read this article to find out.

The first Father’s Day
Father’s Day was first celebrated in a small town in Fairmont, West Virginia on July 5, 1908. It was a service to commemorate and celebrate the lives of 210 fathers who were lost in a mining accident several months earlier. It was organized by a lady named Mrs. Grace Golden Clayton who chose the Sunday closest to the birthday of her recently deceased father. Father’s Day did not become a regular event in the city due to it being so close to July 4th.

The modern version of fathers day began two years later when another woman by the name of Sonora Dodd organized a Father’s Day celebration in the city of Spokane. This was largely influenced by the celebration of Mother’s Day.

Father’s Day officially became a holiday of recognition in 1972 by President Nixon. However, it had been presented to the congress in a bill many years prior to this in 1913. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane and spoke at the Father’s Day celebrations. He wanted it to become a national holiday but the congresses feared it would become commercialized and lose meaning. It wasn’t until 1966 that a President issued a presidential proclamation honoring fathers. Father’s Day was to be celebrated on the first Sunday in June every year. It was them finally signed into law in 1972.