LITTLE ROCK, Ark.(KTHV) -- The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in America. She began a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States. Although she was successful in 1914, she was already disappointed with its commercialization. By the 1920's Jarvis' holiday was adopted by other countries and it's now celebrated all over the world.
In 1912 Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day", and created the Mother's Day International Association. She was specific about the location of the apostrophe; it was to be singular possessive, for each family to honor their mother, not plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world. This is also the spelling used by President Woodrow Wilson in the law making official the holiday in the United States, by the U.S Congress on bills, and by other U.S. Presidents on their declarations.
As the American holiday was adopted by other countries and cultures, the date was changed to fit already existing celebrations honoring motherhood.