Father's Day

In the United States, the driving force behind the establishment of the celebration of Father's Day was Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, born in Creston, Washington. Her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, as a single parent raised his six children in Spokane, Washington. She was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day. Although she initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, she did not provide the organizers with enough time to make arrangements, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June. The first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane.

Unofficial support from such figures as William Jennings Bryan was immediate and widespread. President Woodrow Wilson was personally feted by his family in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon.

In recent years, retailers have adapted to the holiday by selling male-oriented gifts such as electronics and tools. Schools and other children's programs commonly have activities to make Father's Day gifts.

Source: Father's Day - Wikipedia

17 Father's Day Ideas for Dads
By Deb Donovan

1. Get physical. Play basketball with your family, or a group of your friends.

2. Browse in your favorite book store. Take your time.

3. Lie outside under the stars. Pick a clear night, spread out the blanket and enjoy.

4. Indulge in a massage.

5. Take in a movie -- all by yourself for a change

6. It's Father's Day! Allow yourself a day of solitude.

7. Work with your hands. Garden, build a bird house or make a swing set for the kids.

8. Get back to nature. Take a walk in the woods, climb a mountain, fish.

9. Make love.

10. Explore your area by bike. See it from a new perspective.

11. Get involved in your hobby.

12. Hug your partner, your children, your friends.

13. Make some popcorn and watch your favorite video.

14. Lounge on the beach or by the pool. Don't forget to bring along a cool drink and a book to read.

15. Do only one thing at a time.

16. Get away from it all. Camp out.

17. Meet with a good friend.

Source: http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tcelebrations/0,,45b6-1,00.html

Kansas is a Midwestern state in the United States. The state is named after the Kansas River that flows through it, which in turn derived its name from the Siouan word Kansa meaning "People of the south wind."

Located in the heartland of the country, Kansas is home to the geographical center of the contiguous United States. Historically home to large numbers of Native Americans who hunted buffalo there, the state was first settled by white Americans in the 1850s. Beginning in 1854, abolitionists from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri rushed to the territory to determine if Kansas would become a free state. Known as Bleeding Kansas, the state was a hotbed of violence and chaos in its early days as these forces collided. In 1861 Kansas entered the Union as a free state. After the Civil War, the population of Kansas exploded as wave after wave of immigrants turned the desolate prairie into productive farmland. Today Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states, leading the nation in wheat production.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/