Father's Day History

It wasn't an act of charity out of which Father's Day started being celebrated. It wasn't like "we have a Mother's Day; might as well should give fathers too, a day, so that they won't feel left out". Rather, it was the remarkable strength that a father showed in raising his six kids after their mother passed away is what inspired the cause. It was due to his daughter's praiseworthy efforts, who above everything else, just wanted to honor her father for his selfless attempt in raising his kids. History has it that it was more than a hundred years ago, on 19 June 1910, that the observance of the first Father's Day took place in Spokane, Washington, United States - an event which even the Mayor of Spokane and the Governor of Washington State supported. The father was William Jackson Smart, a farmer and a Civil War veteran, and the daughter who initiated it all was Sonora Smart Dodd.

William Jackson Smart's wife died young while giving birth to their sixth child and Sonora was only 16 at that time. After the sad demise of her mother, Sonora, along with her five other siblings, including the newborn, were single handedly raised by Mr. Smart. Over the period of time, Sonora watched her father lovingly and selflessly raise all six kids, and always felt that she had an outstanding father. Sonora was 27 and was listening to a Mother's Day sermon at the Methodist Episcopal Church. Being motherless, she pondered why there isn't a day to honor the fathers just as there was a day to honor the mothers. Henceforth, she launched a rigorous campaign to set aside a day to honor the fathers and the fatherly figures around the world. Backed by the Spokane Ministerial Association and the Young Men's Christian Association, Sonora's cause was given a day - 19 June 1910, when Spokane celebrated its first Father's Day.

From that day onwards, the state of Washington started celebrating every 3rd Sunday in