CAMILLE BOHANNON

The British took Bunker Hill outside of Boston on this day in 1775.

Kathryn Elizabeth Smith  (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986)

Known as The First Lady of Radio, Kate Smith was a singer best known
for her rendition of Irving Berlin‘s "God Bless America".

In her later years, Smith was impaired by diabetes. In 1976, she suffered
brain damage after slipping into a diabetic coma. In January 1986, Kate’s
right leg was amputated due to poor circulation caused by diabetes. Five
months later, she underwent a mastectomy. On June 17, 1986, Smith died
of respiratory arrest at Raleigh Community Hospital in Raleigh at the age
of 79.

Statue of Kate Smith in Philadelphia, PA.

Father’s Day was not celebrated in the US, outside Catholic traditions, until the
early 20th century. As a civic celebration in the US, it was inaugurated then
to complement Mother’s Day by celebrating fathers and male parenting.

After Anna Jarvis‘ successful promotion of Mother’s Day in Grafton, West
Virginia, the first observance of a "Father’s Day" was held on July 5, 1908,
in Fairmont, West Virginia, in the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal
Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church.