History of Father’s Day

This year Father’s Day falls on Sunday, June 18th, you may not know the origins of this holiday. On July, 5th 1908 a church in West Virginia sponsored the first national event to specifically honor fathers. The service was in memory of 362 men who perished during explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines. However, this was only a one-time event and not an annual holiday. In 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane Washington, worked to get support from churches, local businesses, the YMCA and the government officials to establish a holiday for male parents, like Mother’s Day. Ms. Dodd was one of 6 children raised by her father after her mother’s death. Her campaign was a success, with Washington State celebrating the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on June 19th, 1910.

June Calendar of Events

The popularity of this holiday slowly spread with the 28th US President, Woodrow Wilson, honoring the day by automatically unfolding an American flag in Spokane Washington via telegraph after pushing a button. The holiday continued to gain popularity when President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day in 1924.

There was a movement during the 1920’s and 1930’s to combine both Mother’s Day & Father’s Day into one holiday, Parents’ Day. This effort lost momentum when the Great Depression hit. Struggling merchants and advertisers made efforts to make Father’s Day as popular as Christmas, but just for men. During this time, retailers showcased products such as ties, golf clubs, hats, socks, and greeting cards to boost their sales. Once WWII began, the holiday became a way to honor American soldiers and support the war effort. These initiatives propelled the holiday’s popularity, making it a national institution.

In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson, signed an executive order establishing that the Father’s Day holiday be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. It wasn’t until 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day an official National Holiday. According to a History Channel Article published on May 15, 2023, American consumers spend nearly $1 billion dollars per year on Father’s Day gifts.

The East Orlando Chamber of Commerce supports our local businesses and encourages you to patronize our local shops and restaurants to honor the fathers in your life. You can find many of these businesses in our member directory at this link: https://business.eocc.org/list/. If you’d like more information on the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce or have your business listed, contact us at 407-277-5951 or eocc@eocc.org.