Some Interesting Facts About Father's Day

Father's day is a day to cheer and honor the man who matters us the most. We pray for his good will, make him feel special and give him gifts, we find most appropriate.Did you know, when was this day first celebrated? Or, when it went into being marked as a global celebration? And, for that matter,  the youngest and the oldest dads of the world? Let us look into some interesting facts related to the Fathers and the Father's day:

1. The word "Dad" got originated in the 16th century. It might have got its origin from the Welsh word ‘tad’ (father) that later got altered to dad. The word ‘father’ is basically derived from the Old English word - ‘foeder’.

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2. Father's day seems to have got its seed planted 4,000 years ago in Babylon, when a small boy called Elmesu etched a Father’s Day message on a clay card and wished his father a healthy and happy life.

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3. Father’s Day was first celebrated in America. Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington, conceptualized the idea of celebrating Father's day when she was listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. She wanted to have a special day to honor her father, William Smart, who was a widowed Civil War veteran and had to raise his six children on a farm. Going forward with the idea, Sonora decided a day in June for the first Father’s Day celebration, which was June 19, 1910. The day was decided and approved by the Spokane's mayor as it was the month in which William Smart was born.

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4. Though Father’s Day was first celebrated in the United States in year 1910, it made its first official celebration in the year 1966, when US President Lyndon Johnson determined and proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. The designated date for Father Day's Celebration was made permanent in the year 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed a public law stating it.

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5. The First Father's Day Service was conducted by Dr. Robert Webb of West Virginia, at the Central Church of Fairmont.

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6. Despite all the popular gifts, a rose marks to be the official gift of Father's day.

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7. Father's Day is celebrated at different times around the world. For instance: in Australia, the first Sunday of September is observed as Father’s day, whereas Finnish people celebrate the festival on the second Sunday of November. In Thailand, December 5 is celebrated as Father’s Day. In Argentina, it is also observed on the third Sunday in June, but there have been attempts to change the date to August 24. The reason behind getting to the "August 24" date is because this day honors the day José de San Martín became father to a lovely daughter named María. He played a lead part in helping the South American countries attain independence from Spain. Many other nations celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June.

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8. According to the statistics, the most common and popular gifts for the Father's day are necktie and flowers.

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9. The youngest father crown was barged by 13-year-old Alfie Patten, in February, 2009, when he fathered a child with his 15 year old girlfriend.

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10. The world's oldest father was an Indian farmer named Nanu Ram Jogi, who fathered his 21st child at the age of 90, in year 2007.

(Update Dec.29, 2010 - A landless laborer  from Haryana (India) became oldest father at the age of 94 in November 2010. For details check here.

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