The Library of Congress records the first official Mother’s Day as May 9, 1914. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the day to be one for expressing public “reverence” for mothers.

West Virginia native Anna Jarvis is considered to be the driving force behind the campaign, which she developed in memory of her mother Anna Reeves Jarvis.

Mother Jarvis established the Mothers Day Work Clubs in the 1850s. Among other things, these clubs nursed soldiers on both sides of the Civil War to eliminate public division.

Moms are more than people: They’re nurturers, caretakers, protectors and — according to data compiled in 2019 by the Pew Research Center — an evolving demographic in the U.S.

In today’s world:

Women — especially those with a college education — are more likely to become mothers than they were at the turn of the century. In 2014, 80 percent of women between 40 and 44 with a professional degree had given birth, compared to 65 percent in 1994.

Women become mothers later in life. The median age of a U.S. mother is 26, up from 23 in 1994.

Mothers dedicate more time to work and childcare. Their weekly paid work hours rose from nine to 25 from 1965 to 2016. Their weekly childcare hours rose from 10 to 14 in the same time.

One in four mothers are raising children alone, though about 68 percent of U.S. mothers are married.

Info was gathered from the Library of Congress and Pew Research Center.