Father’s Day was created because of Mother’s Day.
Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington, was listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909 when she decided there should be a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who raised six children on a farm, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The first Father’s Day celebration was June 19, 1910, as proclaimed by Spokane’s mayor because it was the month of Smart’s birth, the Census Bureau says.
President Lyndon Johnson in 1966 proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day, and it has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.
Some numbers:
72.2 million: Estimated number of fathers across the nation in 2014, the most recent year for which data are available.24.6 million: Number of fathers living in married-couple family groups with children younger than age 18 in 2016.2 million: Number of single fathers in 2016 living with their children younger than 18.That’s a lot of ties – but perhaps Durangoans will do something more interesting for their dads on Sunday, such as take them for a bike ride or fishing trip.
Four Corners Pet Expo, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.; adults $5, children younger than 12 free. It’s the largest pet event in the area, and it includes pet adoptions, interactive events, demonstrations, vendors with the latest pet products, toys and food. For a full schedule: http://fourcornersexpos.com/four-corners-pet-expo.
Durango Motor Expo, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Main Avenue, downtown Durango, free. For more information: bit.ly/2rAcAgg.
Four Corners Pet Expo, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.; adults $5, children younger than 12 free. It’s the largest pet event in the area, and it includes pet adoptions, interactive events, demonstrations, vendors with the latest pet products, toys and food. For a full schedule: http://fourcornersexpos.com/four-corners-pet-expo.
Juneteenth, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Durango Community Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave. Music, crafts, food and more to celebrate freedom from slavery in the United States.
