FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – The way we celebrate Father’s Day is differs from family to family.  Other countries also have different ways of celebrating the holiday.  What do you plan to do for your father this year?  Do you know why and when America started to celebrate Father’s Day?

The word “Dad” is believed to date back to as early as the end of the 15th Century, however the exact date is unknown.  As far as where the word “Dad” came from, it is believed that it stems from simple baby talk.  Babies all over the world often acknowledge their fathers as “dada” or “tata.”

In 1910, Spokane celebrated the first Father’s Day.  President Calvin Coolidge publicly supported plans to make Father’s Day a national holiday in 1924.  In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation calling for Father’s Day to be celebrated on the third Sunday in June.  President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a permanent national holiday in 1972.

The nation’s first public Father’s Day event was held on July 5, 1908 in West Virginia, according to TheDailyMeal.  A church held a commemoration to honor 362 men who had died from explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company Mines the previous December.

There are many notable fathers in history.  For instance, Halsey Taylor invented the drinking fountain in 1912 as a tribute to his father, who died in 1896 of typhoid fever from drinking out of a contaminated public water supply.

According to MentalFloss, Winnie the Pooh creator, A.A. Milne, had his son, Christopher Robin, in mind when creating Winnie.  Pooh was based on his son’s teddy bear, Edward.  Winnie came from the London Zoo as Christopher’s favorite bear at the zoo was Winnie.  The name Pooh came from Christopher’s pet swan.

The song “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder was written about his newborn daughter Aisha.  If you pay close attention to the song, you can hear Aisha crying during the song.

Around the world, Father’s Day is celebrated in different ways.  In Thailand, the King’s birthday also serves as Father’s Day.  Father’s Day traditions include, fireworks, speeches, acts of charity and honor, blood donation and freeing captive animals.

In Germany, men hike with hand-pulled wagons filled with beer.  They often overindulge in the beer and in local food.  According to Der Spiegel, alcohol related crashes are three times more likely to occur on this day.

In Australia, the first Sunday of September is observed as Father’s Day, according to the LA Times. Finnish people celebrate it on the second Sunday in November.

If you are still unsure of what to get for your father, perhaps you could get him a necktie.  Neckties are the most popular gift for Father’s Day.  It is said that over 87 million cards are sent each year for Father’s Day.  That makes Father’s Day the fourth largest greeting card occasion of the year, according to msn.com.  On a side note, 20% of cards sent on Father’s Day are from their wives.

Americans are projected to spend over $15 billion on Father’s Day gifts, which equals around $133 per father.  Of that $15 billion, $2.2 billion will be on clothing, $2.1 billion on gift cards and $1.8 billion on electronics.

Are you looking for something to do for Father’s Day?  There are many things to do around town for the holiday.  You could play golf, go bowling or just go out for dinner.  If you wish to go out and do something that is Father’s Day focused, VisitFortWayne lists several things going on around town the entire weekend.

• The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo will be kicking off their “Sleep under the Stars” events.  The camp out starts Saturday evening at 6 p.m. and ends at 9 a.m. on Sunday.  Families with kids ages five and up are welcome.  Campers are also asked to bring their own tents.
• You can Hike with Dad at the Lindenwood Nature Preserve.  The Daddy Day Hike is from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday and is free.
• Associated Churches of Fort Wayne & Allen County will be hosting a Father’s Day 5K.  Runners, walkers and ruckers are eligible to complete the 5K course around Lakeside Park.  Ruckers are asked to carry 10 pounds of baby care items to donate to A Baby’s Closet.  The 5K will also have other activities like Kid’s Fun Run, face painting, a pancake breakfast and more.  Registration is at 7:30 a.m. with the 5K starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.
• For all of you baseball lovers, you can go see the Fort Wayne Tin Caps take on the Lake County Captains this weekend.  Saturday’s game starts at 7:05 p.m. and will feature fireworks after the game.  Sunday’s game starts at 1:05 p.m. and after the game, you can get an autograph from your favorite player or coach.