Here Are 121 August Fun Facts We Bet You Never Knew

August was named in order to honor the first Roman emperor, who was Augustus Caesar, this month has a long and rich history behind it.

August means inspiring reverence or admiration, it is the eight-month of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. When August was renamed Augustus, the issue of the month having fewer days than Julius or July, the seventh month of the year, persisted. 

Although it's unclear if Octavian changed the number of days to equal July, the outcome left February with 28 days except in leap years, and September and November each handed up a day to October and December to prevent 31 days three times. The month of August is also associated with augury, which is the practice of divining the future by observing the behavior of birds and animals and examining their guts and other body parts.

Famous Birthdays

August is a big month for the two-star signs, Leo and Virgo.

Fun facts about august born two-star signs are that they tend to be confident, organized, and strong. August-born individuals have great leadership qualities and have outgoing personalities. Some of the most famous birthdays of August are:

Claudius I –August 1, 10 BC.

Sir Arthur Bliss –August 2, 1891.

Stanley Baldwin –August 3, 1867.

Maria Mitchell –August 1, 1818.

Louis Armstrong –August 4, 1901.

Neil Armstrong –August 5, 1930.

Lucille Ball –August 6, 1911.

Matthew Henson –August 8, 1866.

Barack Obama –August 4, 1966.

Orville Wright - August 19, 1871.

Fun facts about August-born persons tell that they are headstrong, as well as adept at reading others. They believe that their opinions are the most important, and, unexpectedly, they are correct the majority of the time. They prefer to shield their pride in order to keep others from seeing their vulnerable side.

Holidays In August

The month of August wraps up summers in the Northern Hemisphere, and for the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the end of winter. August brings a lot of events and holidays for people.

Some of the holidays and events celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere in the month of August are:

Lammas Day – Lammas Day is celebrated on August 1, this holiday marks the annual wheat harvest and corn harvest in the Northern Hemisphere. Lammas Day also serves as a midpoint of the summer solstice and autumn equinox. The day was regarded as a quarter day. Lammas Day is also known as 'Loaf Mass Day' in many parts of the world.

Civic Holiday - The first Monday in August is observed as a national holiday in Canada. The majority of folks just look forward to having an extra day off from work. The first mentions of a Civic Holiday in Canada originate from the mid-1850s to the early 1860s, when certain Upper Canadian communities — London in 1856, Toronto in 1861, and Hamilton in 1862 — began to enjoy a public holiday in August. The mayor declared these holidays, which changed every year.

Islamic New Year – August 9 starts the First Of Muharram or the Islamic New Year. The event starts at sundown; however, traditionally, the Islamic New Year begins at the first sighting of the first lunar crescent after a full moon. Muharram is known as the month of remembrance and is sacred to Muslims all over the world as it is marked by rituals and prayers.

National Rum Day – National Rum Day is celebrated on August 16, and it is a very popular event on the August calendar. This is a celebration dedicated to rum, which is a distilled alcoholic beverage derived from sugarcane residue. Its spirit has been identified with romance due to its association with the Pirates of the Caribbean. After vodka and whiskey, it is also regarded as the third most popular alcoholic beverage.

St. Lawrence’s Day – 10th August is celebrated as St. Lawrence’s Day. The legendary Roman martyr St. Lawrence, who lived in the second century, is commemorated on this day. He was one of seven deacons in charge of providing assistance to the destitute and needy. Then there were a lot of conflicts, and those who didn't like Christians decided to assassinate Pope Sixtus II. Lawrence wept as they led the Pope away to be executed. St. Lawrence Day is an important event in the August calendar.

Weather

In the Northern Hemisphere, August offers fair weather for people to go out and have a good time. While in the Southern Hemisphere, August is the month of the cold dew as the winters are slowly coming to an end.

The month of August tends to be on the warmer side for a country that falls in the Northern Hemisphere. In countries such as the USA, August is the hottest month of the year and the busiest at the beach and in the mountains, as well as in state and national parks. In August, high temperatures in much of the USA vary from 78.8-98.6° F (26-37° C), with higher temperatures not unusual in the south. The month of August is just before the fair autumn season. Both the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific are in the midst of hurricane season in August. Hurricanes forming in the Atlantic Ocean are more likely to make landfall along the coast, from Florida to Maine, as well as along the Gulf Coast states, such as Texas.

When we talk about East Asian countries such as India, from the sixth month of June through the ninth month of September, monsoons sweep these countries, making August one of the wettest months of the year. The southern shores of India, especially Goa and Kerala, are notably damp yet hot in August, whereas the north of India is drier and sunnier. Despite the fact that rain is unavoidable at this time of year, showers are generally powerful but brief, giving way to a clear sky and pleasant weather. The case is completely opposite in countries of the Southern Hemisphere, such as Australia, where winters are observed in the month of August.

Did you know that in many regions of the Northern Hemisphere, August is also known as 'Dog Days?'

Fun Facts About August

There are a lot of August fun facts that you might not be aware of, the month of August is known for multiple things.

 A fun fact about August is that according to the Roman calendar, August was not the eighth month of the year but the sixth one. Originally, the month of August had to be 30 days, but another day was added so that August would equal the number of days of July, the month which was named after Julius Caesar. August is the only month of the year in which both peridot and sardonyx birthstones occur. 

The August birthstone is peridot which is a unique green gemstone that is one of the oldest known. Sardonyx, a lesser-known gemstone with white and brown bands, was previously thought to have supernatural properties. No other month in a calendar year begins on the same day as August. August, on the other hand, begins on the same day as February in a leap year. On August 6, 1762, the Earl of Sandwich requested a meal consisting of beef sandwiched between two slices of bread. According to legend, he ordered lunch while engaged in a gambling game and didn't want to disrupt it. The gladiolus, which represents tranquillity, infatuation, and integrity, and the poppy, whose red varieties indicate peace, while the white and yellow varieties convey consolation, fortune, and prosperity, respectively, are August's birth flowers. Although civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. is commemorated in January, the month in which he was born, he is most remembered for his famous 'I have a dream' address delivered on August 28, 1963. 

August is a month which is known for strange celebrations. World Honeybee Day Aug celebrations are done in order to raise awareness about the importance of honey bees in our environment. Many different cultures around the world call August the month of harvest. Weod Monath was the name given to the month by the Anglo-Saxons. The literal meaning of weed month is that weeds and other plants grow the quickest in the Northern Hemisphere during this month.

Lammas Day is traditionally celebrated on August 1. It is a festival that is celebrated after the annual corn harvest which takes place after the corn ripens in the fields. Lammas Day is also the mid-point between the autumn equinox and summer solstice, making it an extremely important day in the month of August.

When it comes to the birth flower, the birth flowers for August are the poppy and gladiolus.