History of Mother's Day

Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day back in 1914, but the first observances date to 1908. Anna Jarvis organized observances in Grafton, West Virginia, and in Philadelphia on May 10, 1908, according to Census history of the holiday.

Other U.S. Census facts about this second Sunday in May:

• 4.1 million:  the number of women between 15 and 50 who gave birth in the past 12 months.
• 78: the estimated number of Londonderry women between 15 and 50 who gave birth in the past 12 months. In 2011, there were 102 births in Londonderry, according to the annual town report.
• 5 million: the number of stay-at-home moms in 2012 (same as in 2009, 2010, and 2011).
• 62.1: the percentage of women 16-50 who had a birth in the past 12 months who were in the labor force.