A Father's Love Can't Be Matched

Fathers have always been honored: in Europe, the Catholic population as far back as the Middle Ages have celebrated fatherhood on St. Joseph's Day (March 19). This tradition was brought to the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese and in Latin America, fathers are still celebrated on the same day. The first Father's Day in the United States, however, is deemed to be July 5, 1908 - celebrated in West Virginia after the Monongah Mining Disaster killed 361 men, the majority of them fathers. After many failed attempts at establishing a nationwide holiday - including efforts by Presidents Wilson and Coolidge, President Lyndon Johnson was the first to issue a proclamation establishing Father's Day in 1966 and President Nixon signed it into law in 1972. The third Sunday in June now celebrates fathers in many nations of the world.

Fathers love us, support us, and protect us. They teach us how to love and how to make our way in the world. As much as mothers, they are indispensable to our growth and success. Celebrate your father with him - and with these 32 photos showing that a father's love can't be matched.