#FunFactFriday – August
With the dog days of summer drawing to a close (August 11, to be exact) and back-to-school season in full-swing, not everyone always looks forward to the month of August. So we figured it was high time to remind you all that there are some fun and interesting aspects about this month. Let us begin!
- August was named after which Roman emperor? Why, it was Augustus Caesar, of course! Interestingly enough, the emperor demanded that the month of August have 31 days so that it would contain just as many days as Julius Caesar’s month of July.
- The birthstones for August are the peridot and the sardonyx and the flowers are the gladiolus and poppy.
- Contrary to the number of presidential death that happened in month of July, Warren Harding was the only U.S. President to have died in the month of August.
- Martin Luther King Jr.’s famed “I have a dream” speech was delivered on August 28, 1963.
- As I mentioned, the month of August is referred to as the “dog days of summer.” The name is derived from the star Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, which always rose at the same time as sunrise during the month of August in ancient Roman times.
- Speaking of stars, people born in August fall under the sun zodiac signs of Leo, the Lion, and Virgo, the Virgin Maiden.
- Leos are natural born leaders. They are dramatic, creative, self-confident, dominant and extremely difficult to resist!
- Virgos have acute attention to detail and are the people most likely to dedicate themselves to serving. They also are loyal, hardworking and analytical.
- August in the Northern Hemisphere is similar to February in the Southern Hemisphere.
- The month of August, or should I say, Romance Awareness Month, has a ton of fun holidays scattered throughout it, including:
- National Ice Cream Sandwich Day – August 2 (let’s hope you didn’t miss this one)
- National Watermelon Day and National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day – August 4
- National Underwear Day – August 5 (wear a pair, if you care!)
- National S’mores Day – August 10
- National Tell a Joke Day – August 16 (I kid you not)
- National Spumoni Day – August 21
- Toasted Marshmallow Day – August 30
