Father's Day

June 21, 2009

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Profile America — Sunday, June 21st. This is a special day — not only is it the first day of summer, but it’s also Father’s Day. However you celebrate the day — funny cards, perhaps a tool he’s always wanted or dinner at his favorite restaurant, it’s a day to say thanks to the dads, stepfathers, grandfathers and other father figures for all they’ve done for each of us. The observance goes back to 1910, when Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington, wanted to honor her father, who raised six children by himself after his wife died. The idea caught on and spread across the country but didn’t become official until 1966. Today, there are slightly more than 64 million men who are fathers. Just under 26 million of them are part of married couple families with children younger than 18. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, p. 323
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, CB09-FF.10
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/013535.html