This special day for dads—Father's Day—is celebrated on the third Sunday in June and was first observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington.

Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired by a Mother's Day sermon to honor her father, a widowed Civil War veteran who raised six children with unwavering love and quiet strength. June was chosen for the celebration because it was his birth month.

“The heart of every child beats to the rhythm of a father's love,” wrote Steve Curley.

The holiday gained public support from President Calvin Coolidge in 1924 and became a national holiday in 1972, officially proclaimed by President Richard Nixon.

In his 1999 proclamation, President Bill Clinton reminded the nation that fathers are vital role models—guiding, protecting, encouraging. Their presence makes all the difference.

Whether biological, chosen, or spiritual, father figures shape us with their lessons, laughter, and lifetimes of steady care. They are anchors of integrity, examples of discipline, and often, the first to teach us how to hope.