A Little History
The first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910. It was founded by Sonora Smart Dodd, and that first celebration was held at the YMCA in Spokane, Washington. Sonora’s father was William Jackson, a Civil War veteran and single parent of six children. After hearing a sermon about Mother’s Day, she told her pastor that fathers should have a similar holiday honoring them.
Father’s Day was not initially a great success. Dodd moved to Chicago to attend school in the 1920s and no longer promoted the holiday. when she returned to Spokane in the 1930s, she started promoting the celebration again. This time she had help from trade groups that would benefit from such a holiday: manufacturers of such things as ties and pipes. In 1938 the Father’s Day Council was formed by the New York Associated Menswear Retailers, and they began to promote the occasion. They met resistance from those who felt they were just trying to replicate the commercial success of Mother’s Day. However, it was not long before Father’s Day was accepted and became a commercial success.
Father’s Day was made a national holiday in 1972 by President Richard Nixon.
Some Quotes
“A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.” – Unknown
“My father always provided me a safe place to land and a hard place from which to launch.” – Chelsea Clinton
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.” – Jim Valvano
“I’ve said it before, but it’s absolutely true: My mother gave me my drive, but my father gave me my dreams. Thanks to him, I could see a future.” – Liza Minnelli
“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it.” – Clarence Budington Kelland
“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” – Sigmund Freud
“A father carries pictures where his money used to be.” – Steve Martin
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” – Frederick Douglass
Some Jokes
I had a great childhood. My father would put me in a tire and roll me down a hill. Those were the good years. My brother, on the other hand, never appreciated such a tiring activity.
Wife: “Honey, look outside, all the bus stop signs on our street have been stolen!”
Husband: “Where do these people get off?!”
Dad: “How much would a new roof cost?”
Sales Rep: “Approximately $5000-7000.”
Dad: “Darn, I was hoping it would be on the house!”
Child: “Dad, can we get a pet dog?”
Dad: “Why don’t you get a pet tree instead?”
Child: “Why would we get a pet tree?”
Dad: “It’s just like a pet dog, but the bark’s quieter.”
There was a sale on TVs over the weekend. There was a 65-inch TV on sale for only $5.00! The salesman said it worked fine but that the volume was just stuck on 10. I bought it immediately. I just couldn’t turn it down.
Some Songs
“Papa Was a Rolling Stone”- Temptations
“Papa’s got a Brand New Bag” – James Brown
“Papa Don’t Preach” – Madonna
“Papa, Can You Hear Me” – Barbra Streisand
“Down at Papa Joe’s” – Dixiebells
“My Dad” – Paul Peterson
‘Father and Daughter” – Paul Simon
“Child Is Father of the Man” – Beach Boys
Some TV Dads
Al Bundy – Married with Children
Andy Taylor – The Andy Griffith Show
Archie Bunker – All in the Family
Dan Conner – Roseanne
Fred Sanford – Sanford and Son
Herman Munster – The Munsters
Homer Simpson – The Simpsons
Howard Cunningham – Happy Days
Mike Brady – The Brady Bunch
Steven Keaton – Family Ties
Tim Taylor – Home Improvement
Ward Cleaver – Leave It to Beaver
Ozzie Nelson – The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Desi Arnaz – I Love Lucy
Jim Anderson – Father Knows Best
Hal – Malcolm in the Middle
Peter Griffin – Family Guy
Danny Williams – Make Room for Daddy
Ben Cartwright – Bonanza
Johnny Rose – Schitt’s Creek
Steve Douglas – My Three Sons
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Important Announcement:
Jags Arthurson, author and writer of last week’s guest post, is offering all my blog post readers a free Kindle download of his latest novel, Runner.
This offer is available from Sunday 18th June through Tuesday 20th June.
If you read on Kindle or use the Kindle app on your smartphone or tablet go to https://tinyurl.com/5dpfpw82 (if you buy through amazon.co.uk) or https://tinyurl.com/yzbm37hj (if you buy on amazon.com) where you can ‘buy’ it for free.
I hope you enjoy it.
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