9 Fascinating Father's Day Facts

In honor of Father's Day, we decided to do some digging to find out more about this holiday, and we discovered some fun and fascinating facts. Read on for some surprising facts that you probably didn't know (we certainly didn't)!


1. One of the earliest Father's Day cards dates back to roughly 4,000 years ago. A young Babylonian boy named Elmesu carved a Father’s Day message onto a clay Babylonian tablet.

2. Father's Day is celebrated in 111 countries worldwide.

3. According to recent census data, there are more than 72 million fathers in the U.S.

4. Father's Day originated in the United States, Washington state to be exact. The first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910.

5. It didn't become an official holiday until 1972. President Lyndon Johnson made the proclamation in 1966, and President Nixon signed it into Public law in 1972.

6. The most popular Father's Day gift is a necktie.

7. Father's Day is celebrated on March 19 in many other countries, also known as St. Joseph's Day.

8. The average age of U.S. dads is 30.9 years old.

9. The first known record of the word "dad" dates back to the 1500s.