| The idea of Father’s Day originated with Sonora Dodd
of Spokane, Wash., while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909.
Dodd wanted to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran
who raised his six children by himself on a rural farm. June was chosen
for the first Father’s Day celebration — proclaimed in 1910
by Spokane’s mayor — because it was the month of William 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. It has been celebrated annually since 1971.
66.3 million
Estimated number of fathers in the United States today. (From unpublished
data.)
Father’s Day Gifts
22,468
Number of sporting goods stores in the United States. These stores are
good places to visit for such traditional gifts for dad as fishing rods
and golf clubs.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/county_business_patterns/000926.html>
Mr. Mom
105,000
Estimated number of “stay-at-home” dads. These are married
fathers with children under 15 who are not in the labor force primarily
so they can care for family members while their wives work outside the
home. Stay-at-home dads care for 189,000 children.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/children/001125.html>
2 million
Number of preschoolers whose fathers care for them more hours than any
other child-care provider while their mothers are at work. This is a ratio
of about 1-in-5 preschoolers of employed mothers. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/child/ppl-168.html>
How Many Fathers?
25.8 million
Number of fathers in married-couple families with their own children under
18.
Among these —
- 2-in-10 are raising three or more of their own children under 18.
- 1-in-10 are raising their own infants under age 1.
- 1-in-8 are under 30.
- 4 percent are 55 or over.
- 2 percent live in the home of a relative or a nonrelative.
- 6-in-10 have an annual family income of $50,000 or more.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/000436.html>
2.0 million
Number of single fathers, up from 393,000 in 1970. Currently, 1-in-6 single
parents is a single father, compared with 1-in-10 in 1970.
Among these fathers —
- 10 percent are raising three or more of their own children under 18.
- 45 percent are divorced; 34 percent have never married; 17 percent
are married with an absent spouse; and 4 percent are widowed.
- 10 percent are raising their own infants under age 1. (This percentage
is not significantly different from the corresponding rate for fathers
in married-couple families.)
- 22 percent are under 30.
- 5 percent are 55 or over. (This percentage is not significantly different
from the corresponding rate for fathers in married-couple families.)
- 13 percent live in the home of a relative or a nonrelative.
- 24 percent have an annual family income of $50,000 or more.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/000436.html>
3-in-10
The ratio of children under 18 living with their single father and his
unmarried partner. In contrast, only 1-in-10 children who lived with their
single mother shared the home with mom’s unmarried partner. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/children/001125.html>
Dining with Daddy
60%
Percentage of children under 6 years old living with married parents who
eat dinner on a daily basis with their fathers. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p70-89.pdf>
24%
Percentage of children under 6 years old living with married parents who
eat breakfast on a daily basis with their fathers. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p70-89.pdf>
88%
Percentage of children under 6 years old living with married parents who
are praised by their fathers at least once a day. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p70-89.pdf>
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