The idea of Father's Day was
conceived slightly more than a century ago by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash.,
while she listened to a Mother's Day
sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a
widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm.
A
day in June was chosen for the first Father's
Day celebration, June 17, 1910, proclaimed by Spokane's
mayor because it was the month of Smart's
birth. The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966
when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Father's
Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed
the public law that made it permanent.
How Many Fathers?
70.1 million - Estimated
number of fathers across the nation in 2008, the most recent year for which
data are available.
24.4 million - Number
of fathers who were part of married-couple families with children younger than
18 in 2012.
- 21 percent were raising three
or more children younger than 18 (among married-couple family households
only).
- 3 percent were a subfamily
living in someone else's home.
1.96 million - Number
of single fathers in 2012; 16 percent of single parents were men.
- Nine percent were raising
three or more children younger than 18.
- About 44 percent were
divorced, 31 percent were never married, 20 percent were separated, and 5
percent were widowed.
- 42 percent had an annual
family income of $50,000 or more.
Thinking of You, Dad
7,368 - The
number of men's clothing stores
around the country (as of 2010), a good place to buy dad a tie or shirt.
15,542 - The
number of hardware stores (as of 2010), a place to buy hammers, wrenches,
screwdrivers and other items high on the list of Father's
Day gifts. Additionally, there were 6,764 home centers across the country in
2010.
21,418 - Number
of sporting goods stores in 2010. These stores are good places to purchase
traditional gifts for dad, such as fishing rods and golf clubs.
79.1 million - The
number of Americans who participated in a barbecue in 2010. It's probably safe to assume many of these barbecues
took place on Father's Day.
Stay at Home Dads
189,000 - Estimated
number of stay-at-home dads in 2012. These married fathers with children
younger than 15 have remained out of the labor force for at least one year
primarily so they can care for the family while their wife works outside the
home. These fathers cared for upward of 369,000 children.
18% - In spring
2011, the percentage of preschoolers regularly cared for by their father during
their mother's working hours.
Child-Support Payments
$1.9 billion - Amount
of child support received by custodial fathers in 2009; they were due $3.5
billion. In contrast, custodial mothers received $19.5 billion of the $31.7
billion in support that was due.
34% - Percentage
of custodial fathers who received all child support that was due in 2009, not
significantly different from the corresponding percentage for custodial
mothers, 42 percent.
70% - Percentage of custodial fathers receiving
noncash support, such as gifts or coverage of expenses, on behalf of their
children. The corresponding proportion for mothers was 58 percent.
The idea of Father's Day was
conceived slightly more than a century ago by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash.,
while she listened to a Mother's Day
sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a
widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm.