Yes, Sadie Hawkins was “the homeliest gal in the hills.” The hills of Dogpatch, that is. Sadie was so ugly, in fact, that her father, Hekzebiah Hawkins, feared he wouldn’t be able to marry her off and Sadie worried about becoming an old maid. In his desperation, Mr. Hawkins, also the powerful mayor of Dogpatch, decreed “Sadie Hawkins’ Day,” which was first held on November 15, 1937.

On this day, Mr. Hawkins gathered Dogpatch’s most eligible bachelors and shot off his gun. This signaled the men to run for their lives. Literally. Then a second shot was fired and the unwed females, led by Sadie, were off on their chase for a man. Mr. Hawkins said that when Sadie “starts a-runnin’, th’one she ketches’ll be her husband.” Of course, the women who snared their men won the ultimate prize: a true shotgun wedding. And Miss Sadie Hawkins, who was well known for her big, fast feet, finally became a Mrs.