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Father's Day, by the numbers
Every year on the third Sunday in June, we celebrate Dad with his own day. The idea sprang from the mind of one woman who thought that fathers, just like mothers, deserved their own holiday. Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, celebrated the first Father's Day on June 19, 1910 - her father's birthday.
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge publicly supported a national Father's Day, and in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed it a national holiday. Following up in 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a permanent U.S. Father's Day into law, observed on the third Sunday in June.
Father's Day is also the fourth-largest card-sending occasion. Here's a breakdown of the other intriguing numbers that follow this holiday.
70.1 million – The estimated number of fathers in the United States
24.7 million – The number of married men with children under 18 at home in the United States
1.7 million – The number of single fathers in the United States in 2011.
170,000 – The number of single fathers raising three or more children.
176,000 – Estimated number of stay-at-home dads in the U.S. in 2011.
94 million – Estimated number of Father’s Day cards exchanged annually, according to Hallmark.
$117.14 – Estimated amount that the average person will spend on Father’s Day gifts in 2012, according to the National Retail Federation.
$12.7 billion – Estimated amount that consumers will spend on Father’s Day cards and gifts in 2012.
1910 – The first Father’s Day is celebrated in Spokane, Washington.
1972 – The year President Richard Nixon signed the law that designates the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day.
[cnn-video url="http://cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/living/2012/06/15/open-mic-fathers-day.cnn.html"%5DJust for fun – daddies, papas and fathers
92 – Age of Les Colley of Australia at the birth of his son Oswald in 1992. He holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest man to father a child.
0 – Number of children fathered by Presidents George Washington, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, James Polk, James Buchanan and Warren Harding.
$1.22 billion – Estimated sales at pizza restaurant Papa John’s in 2011, according to Hoovers.com
1 – Highest chart position on the Billboard Hot 100 for “Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna.
$15 – Cost of a loaf of “Papa Don’t Peach” bread made by Breadwinner bakery in Atlanta.
3 – Number of awards won by the Temptations’ song “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” at the 1972 Grammy Awards.
50 – Number of years the Rolling Stones have been together with Mick Jagger as lead singer.
7 – Number of children fathered by Mick Jagger.
Here on CNN.com, we're also celebrating "Dear Old Dad" with our special coverage. Be sure to check this ultimate guide to the stories that pay tribute to Dad, whether he's no longer with us or enjoying Sunday's holiday on the couch with his favorite meal, and his favorite people.
A guide to celebrating and reflecting on Dad, fatherhood
In the early 1900s, a Washington state woman heard a Mother's Day sermon and thought that her father - a widower who raised six children by himself - could use a day of honor, too. She started the first Father's Day in the city of Spokane in 1910.
More than 100 years later, Father's Day, while no doubt a commercial hit - nearly 94 million cards are exchanged annually, according to Hallmark - remains a time to celebrate fathers or remember the ones we lost. For this Father's Day, many of CNN.com's writers and contributors came up with columns and articles that examine many ways to honor dad through gifts, food and time; and offer reflections on fatherhood and what dads want for their children.
To start, check out how others are paying tribute to their fathers, both dead and alive. In "The bittersweet side of Father's Day," CNN's Emanuella Grinberg talks to people who've lost their dads and examines how they mark the day and deal with the difficult moments - like discovering a book that would be a great gift, only to remember there's no need.
In our GeekOut blog, author Joe Peacock praises his stepfather for supporting all his geeky hobbies (the sci-fi and comic-book fan has an extensive "Akira" art collection) and helping him be a happy person who is "unapologetic about loving the things he loves.”
Thinking about grilling out for your father on Sunday? In our Eatocracy blog, top chefs at the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival offer tips for worry-free grilling. Interested in cooking something else? In Eatocracy's Spouse vs. Spouse series, a husband-and-wife team offers dueling suggestions for delighting your father at brunch: polenta with farm egg and sausage, and French toast with a fruity, chocolaty twist.
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