The actual beginnings of Father's Day is not clear, and there are several stories of how this holiday started. While these are considered to be true, probably the most common and widespread story is that the June holiday that is known today as Father's Day is said to have started growing its roots in the year of 1909.

The celebration of Dad's special day can most likely be credited to Sonora Dodd, of Washington State, who first suggested the idea of the holiday in 1909. Sonora Dodd's father, a Civil War veteran, lost his wife when she was into labor with their sixth child. He could have remarried like many others and left his children to the mercy of their stepmother but then he would have never been sure about the proper treatment being given out to the children. He took heart and as an extremely devoted and loving father, he instead chose to raise the newborn and his other five children single-handedly on a rural farm in eastern Washington State, where they lived. 

Sonora wanted to dedicate a day as a special one to honor her father, William Smart, who could not be said to have done less than any mother of the world. Sonora wanted the date of the holiday to be on her father's birthday, which was the fifth of June, but the festivities had to be moved to the nineteenth of June so there would be enough time to prepare. She campaigned and worked to spread her message, and even got the help of friends and family to write letters to influential people who could make this dream happen for her. And, finally, after much hard work and determination, a local celebration was finally proclaimed in the year of 1910. 

The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

Mrs. Dodd even designated a flower for Father’s Day: the rose. Red roses are given for a living father and white ones are for remembrance if he has passed away.

Timeline

In 1926, a National Father's Day Committee was formed in New York City.

In 1956, Father's Day was officially recognized in the USA by a Joint Resolution of Congress.

In 1966, US President, Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. 

In 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day in the USA to be held on the third Sunday of June.