America's first Father's Day was celebrated on July 19, 1910 -- one year after the first Mother's Day celebration. It wasn't a nationwide holiday, however: it was celebrated only by the state of Washington. (It would take another 62 years for the holiday to officially spread to the rest of the country.)
We've already highlighted some notable mothers in history and taken a look at memorable brothers and sisters of fiction. So in honor of the upcoming holiday, we'll take the middle ground and present you with some of our favorite historical and fictional fathers:
HISTORY:
1. King Henry VIII
Okay, we've done a whole entry on him before. Still, no list of memorable fathers would be complete without ol' Henry, who ultimately had at least four children given to him by various members of his half-dozen wives (and one mistress).
It was his third wife, Jane Seymour, who gave Henry VIII what he most wanted: a legitimate male heir. Their son would go on to become Edward VI, King of England -- a position he held only briefly, as he was plagued by ill health and died at the age of fifteen. (He'd been crowned at the age of nine.) He was succeeded by Mary I (daughter of Henry and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon), who earned the moniker of "Bloody Mary" for the hundreds of Protestants she persecuted during her reign. Ultimately, it was Elizabeth I (daughter of Henry and his second wife, Anne Boleyn) who would be the most fondly-remembered of Henry's children. This fifth and final monarch of the Tudor dynasty eventually earned the nickname (among others) of "Good Queen Bess."
In addition to these three children, Henry most likely had several illegitimate children, although he only officially acknowledged one of them: son Henry FitzRoy. Still, Henry was remembered as being an affectionate father towards his children, particularly daughters Elizabeth and Mary -- at least for awhile.
2. Peter the Great
Maybe Father doesn't always Know Best. This Russian czar (from 1682 to 1725) is remembered in part for helping to establish Russia as a major European power -- but he certainly won't be winning any prizes for World's Best Dad.
When Peter's second wife, Catherine, gave birth to son Peter Petrovich, Peter Senior's plan was to name his new son as his heir. Problem was that Peter already had a son, Alexis, given to him by first wife Eudoxia (whom he'd wedded in an arranged marriage, and eventually forced into a convent).
Considered by his father to be both lazy and hostile, Alexis refused to follow the path Peter laid out for him. Convinced that Alexis was plotting to overthrow him, Peter ordered him dragged away to prison, where his son eventually died at the hands of his torturers. When Peter Petrovich died several years later, Peter the Great was left heirless -- and had still failed to name a successor at the time of his death in 1725.
3. George Washington
He never had any children. But still, this Founding Father (and our first president) is remembered as "the Father of his Country" for good reason.
He never owned wooden teeth (ivory and animal teeth were more common components in his denture sets), any more than he ever chopped down a cherry tree (it was a story invented to showcase Washington's strong ethics). But his resume as commander in chief of the continental army, president of the constitutional convention, and the first-ever president of the United States is, nonetheless, an impressive resume for any patriotic "dad."
4. Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr.
"They're cheaper by the dozen!" Forget the (very) loosely-adapted Steve Martin movie. The story of this real-life dad takes front and center in the memoir Cheaper by the Dozen (written by two of his children).
A pioneer in the scientific study of motion study and work efficiency, Frank and his Ph.D.-psychologist wife, Lillian, had a dozen children in the early twentieth century. The tales of the eccentric family make for great reading, with adventures in traveling, touch typing, tonsillitis, and the day-to-day scheduling quirks that must occur in a family of fourteen.
Frank himself is drawn as a booming, boisterous, and all-together fun type of father, who expects the best of his children and the best in himself. While he passed away at the age of 55, he was clearly remembered by each one of his kids as a fantastic, one-of-a-kind father.
5. Jim Henson
This dad is best remembered as "father" to the Muppets, those much-beloved puppets who include in their ranks such characters as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Bunsen and Beaker, and, of course, Kermit the Frog. A director, scriptwriter, film producer, and (of course) puppeteer, Henson worked on the special effects for films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, and was nominated for both Oscar and Emmy awards.
But Henson was also very much a real-life father. He and his wife, Jane, had five children, including filmmaker Brian Henson, and movie producer/Jim Henson Company CEO Lisa Henson. His kids remember him as a fun, creative dad who inspired in them a love for life, learning, and the people around them. (Check out this lovely essay from Brian Henson about his memories of his father.)
FICTION:
1. Frank Barone
"Holy crap!" If your own father wasn't much like Frank Barone, you probably know of a dad out there that is. Lasting for nine seasons, the hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond was best-loved for its cast of highly-relatable characters -- of which Frank, the title character's father, was definitely one of.
Loud, obnoxious, opinionated, rude, and a bit on the sloppy side, Frank somehow managed to still be endearing, at least to the audience. (His own family might have felt a bit differently most of the time.) Blunt to the extreme, Frank is always happy to explain to people exactly how he sees things, whether they want to hear his opinions or not. His saving graces are his sense of humor ... and the fact that he truly does care about his family, even if he doesn't always know the best way to show it.
2. George Bluth, Sr.
Arrested Development is a show all about screwy family members, but you have to give special props to George Senior, who is in something of a class by himself. His fraudulent spending of company money (landing him in jail, while his poverty-stricken wife and kids were left to cope on their own) was only the beginning.
There's his continued insistence on setting his kids up against each other. There's also his jail break, that time he faked his own death, and the possibility that he may or may not have had dealings with Saddam Hussein. He's had two religious awakenings, is the inventor of the Cornballer (a product which has been banned in most countries), and once committed what he refers to as "light treason."
Like many great TV dads, George Bluth, Sr. is the type of guy you might not want him in your house -- but he sure is a lot of fun to watch.
3. Captain Sisko
While Star Trek: Deep Space Nine got a fair bit of critical acclaim, it never reached the heights of popularity that the original series, or The Next Generation, managed to reach. The show did, however, have its own unique charm, as well as a veritable treasure trove of well-developed characters.
One such character was Benjamin Sisko, the central character of the show. And of the five Star Trek captains, Sisko is the only one to have a family: he's the single, widowed father to his twelve-year-old son, Jake.
Making Sisko a father gave him a unique role in the annuals of Trek lore. Never before had we seen a Starfleet captain take on the equally difficult duty of raising a child. But Sisko is more than equal to the task, and there's the suggestion that the patience, wisdom, understanding, and humor that make him such a good captain are precisely what make him such a good father -- and vice versa.
4. Darth Vadar
No list of fictional fathers would be complete without Darth Vader, the dark-helmeted, black-cloaked bad guy of the original Star Wars films, who rules the galaxy with an iron fist as sidekick to the evil Emperor Palpatine. (Don't tell him I called him a sidekick, though!)
Still, as you probably know, what really makes Vader such a memorable baddie is the fact that he's got a family-sized tie to our hero, Luke Skywalker: Vader just so happens to be Luke's dad. (And you thought your relatives were bad.)
The plot twist of Vader being Luke's father is remembered as one of the biggest story reveals in modern pop culture. And, aside from making for two really great picture books, it also sets up all kinds of drama, betrayal, and redemption throughout the films. Sounds like any family reunion!
5. Homer Simpson
"D'oh!" He's the star of America's longest running sitcom, cartoon or otherwise. The Simpsons has earned 27 Emmy awards, 30 Annie awards (an award given for excellence in animation), and a Peabody award during its 24-season run. The Simpson family has even been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Homer Simpson himself has served as the quintessential cartoon dad for so long that describing him almost seems redundant. Animated dads like South Park's Randy Marsh and Family Guy's Peter Griffin owe a debt to Homer -- who, along with his family, ushered in a new era of primetime animation.
That's not a bad accomplishment for a bumbling guy like Homer, who is happiest with a can of Duff beer in one hand and a doughnut in the other. Homer's got a lazy streak, and he's not always the most intelligent guy on the block. Still, like all good dads, Homer truly cares about his family -- making The Simpsons a show both hilarious and heartwarming.
-- Post by Ms. B
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