Good morning July and here's 20 Jolly Facts about July
July was named after the
famous Roman general Julius Caesar; it was selected by the Roman senate, being
the month he was born in.
Lying between June and August,
July is the seventh month of the Gregorian calendar.
As
we’re at the beginning of the second half of the year, it’s a great time to
start on a new foot.
It’s
also a great point to start working on any of those new year’s resolutions that
you’ve put off attempting for the first half of the year!
Like
all other months, July has a pretty storied history worth taking a closer look
at!
So,
let’s do just that and look at the origins of the month, the interesting
observances it has, and some significant points in history that happened to
fall in July!
Fact 1: July was
named after the famous Roman general Julius Caesar by the Roman senate; as it
was the month he was born in. Julius Caesar was a formidable military general
and statesman who was largely responsible for changing the Roman Republic into
the Roman Empire. The month was previously called Quintilis (Latin for fifth)
as it was the fifth month of the 10-month-long ancient Roman calendar.
Fact 2: As the
second month of Summer, July is, on average, the warmest month of the year in
the northern hemisphere. Its southern hemisphere equivalent is January.
Fact 3: In the southern hemisphere, though, July is, on average, the
coldest month of the year, being the second month of winter.
Fact 4: In early
July, a period of time called the “dog days of summer” begins. Historically
they were observed within Ancient Roman and Greek astrology and were connected
with bad luck, mad dog attacks, unexpected thunderstorms, heat, and
drought. They gained their name as “dog days” as they were connected with the
star Sirius, which is part of the Canis Major (Greater Dog) star system.
Nowadays, “the dog days” refers to when the hottest days of summer begin.
Fact 5: Coincidentally, it was in July
that the rabies vaccine was first successfully given to a patient. The French
microbiologist Louis Pasteur administered the vaccine to a nine-year-old called
Joseph Meister on July 6, 1885. The child had been bitten
by a rabid dog, and Louis Pasteur, unsure whether the vaccine would be
successful, decided it was worth testing. Fortunately for the boy, it worked!
Fact 6: On July 5, 1946, the
world’s first bikini was unveiled in the famous Piscine Molitor
swimming pool in Paris. Just in time for the heat of summer, the bikini was
modeled by showgirl Micheline Bernardini. While two-piece forms of swimwear
previously existed, none used as little fabric as the bikini.
Fact 7: Julius
Caesar wasn’t the only military genius born in July. Alexander the Great was
another important historical figure who changed the shape of the world and was
born somewhere around July 20, 356 BC. Other famous people born in July
include Frida Kahlo, Franz Kafka, Marcel Proust, and Nelson Mandela.
Fact 8: The
Anglo-Saxons had multiple names for the month of July, including Maed-monath
and Hey-monath. Respectively, these translated into “the flowering of meadows”
and “hay month.”
Fact 9: On July 4, 1776, the 13
American colonies declared their independence from the British monarchy. The
4th of July, formally known as Independence Day, has been a federal holiday
since 1870 in the United States of America.
Fact 10: July
isn’t just the month for Independence Day, though. There are plenty of other
great holidays observed around the world! July 2nd is World UFO Day, while July 3rd is Stay out of the Sun Day. In the US, July 6th is a pretty delicious day, as it’s National Fried Chicken
Day! At the end of the month, we also have International Tiger Day on July 29th.
Fact 11: July
has some pretty delicious month-long observances, too! In the US, at least
there are three, in particular, that stand out – It’s National Watermelon Month, National Hot Dog Month, and National Ice Cream Month. Yum!
Fact 12: On July 25, 1909, Louis
Bleriot became the first man to fly an aircraft from one country to another
successfully. He took off from the coast of France and landed
across the channel near Dover, England.
Fact 13: There are two star signs which
fall in the month of July. If you’re born before July 22nd, then your star sign is Cancer. If you’re born after this day,
from July 23rd onward,
then you’re a Leo. Those born under the sign of Cancer are said to be loyal
friends with great emotional depth, and those born under the sign of Leo are
said to be very proud people who display great leadership.
Fact 14: July
12, 1943, was an explosive day. On this day, Russian and German
forces fought the largest tank battle in history, with 900 tanks on either side
obliterating each other at close range. After a cease-fire was ordered and the
smoke cleared, there were only 300 German tanks left standing.
Fact 15: If you’re
doing everything right, then crops of corn are meant to be “knee-high by the
fourth of July.” It’s also in July that crop circles start to appear in fields
of corn. For the most part, Crop circles have only started appearing since the
1970s, although there have been a number of cases sporadically reported
throughout history.
Fact 16: Despite it being the first month
in the second half of the year, July 1st is not actually the middle of the year. In a regular
non-leap year, the midpoint is actually on July 2nd at
1 pm.
Fact 17: July has two birth flowers – the
water lily and the larkspur. The water lily is a symbol of a pure heart, while
the larkspur (especially its white form) represents the lightness of the heart.
Fact 18: The birthstone of July is the ruby,
considered by many to be the king of gems. At one point in time, it was
considered to protect warriors on the field of battle if it was embedded in
their armor. Nowadays, as a birthstone, it’s said to protect against evil.
Fact 19: July was an important time for the space race of the ’60s. The first crewed mission to the moon,
the Apollo 11 Mission, launched on July 16, 1969. Four days later, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong made
history by taking the first step on the moon while declaring, “That’s one small
step for man, one giant leap for mankind!”.
Fact 20: July 16, 1945, was another big day for the world
and a step down a very dark period of history. It was on this day in
Alamogordo, New Mexico, that the first atomic bomb was detonated. The bomb was
called “Fat Boy,” and its explosion sure was fat – the mushroom cloud was
41,000 feet (12.5 kilometers) high!
If you live in the northern
hemisphere, then I get why you might not like July.
It’s
hot, and it’s uncomfortable, but that’s just how summer is!
Make
sure you take a break from the city and get out into the countryside, to a
lake, or even better – the sea!
For
those of you in the southern hemisphere, you better wrap up nice and warm and
enjoy those long evenings inside relaxing by the fire.
Wherever
in the world, though, rejoice – the year is halfway over already!
All above article was taken from the
https://www.thefactsite.com/july-facts/
Thank you
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