The month of October is one of the best months of the year with Halloween, stacks of Autumn leaves to jump into and it is even national pizza month!
This list is all about October and all the quirky things to love about it. From all of the exciting events of October and historical facts to all the fun facts about October, there are lots of things to learn.
If you like our list of interesting facts about October, check out our lists on hazel eye facts and spring facts.
Interesting Facts About October
These are super interesting October facts and trivia for those born in the tenth month of the year.
1. Tourmaline and opal are the official birthstones of October.
2. The birth flower of October is the bright orange calendula, also known as the marigold.
3. The star sign of everyone born in October is either a Libra or a Scorpio. Libras are born between 23 September to 22 October and Scorpios are born between 23 October to 21 November.
4. Shakespeare never mentioned October in any of his plays or sonnets!
5. Matt Damon, Julie Andrews, Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, Katy Perry, Julia Roberts and even Christopher Columbus were all born in October!
6. In German and Dutch, October is called 'Oktober', in Italian it is 'Ottobre', in Turkish it is 'Oketopa' and in Korean it is 'Siweol'.
7. Babies born each year during October are thought to be very smart and are usually high achievers.
8. October is the tenth month of the year and is the sixth of seven months to have 31 days.
9. October and January always start on the same day of the week in common years. In leap years, October doesn't start on the same day of the week as any other month. October and February also always end on the same week day!
Special Days In October
October is a very special month with 31 days full of wonderful celebrations. With important historical days and cool national and global celebrations, you and your family and friends will be giddy for October to arrive. These are some of our favorite things that happen in October every year.
10. National Homemade Cookies Day is on the first day of October, perfect for any kids who love baking and especially love cookies!
11. Plan something nice for your family and friends on National Do Something Nice Day, celebrated on 5 October.
12. 12 October is one of the biggest days in the history of America as it is the same day Columbus arrived in America in 1492. It is the day Christopher Columbus Day is celebrated. Thanksgiving Day is also celebrated in Canada on this day.
13. World Smile Day is on the first Friday of every October each year. It is a great excuse to give a big smile to your friends, your family, or even your teacher.
14. For any little animal lovers out there, don't forget that 15 October is World Animal Day each year!
15. 28 October is National Chocolate Day, so mark that one down in your calendar as a good excuse to dig into some yummy chocolate just before Halloween!
16. Halloween is of course on 31 October, for an exciting night of trick-or-treating, eating yummy snacks and dressing up as your favourite characters.
October In History
Enjoy these quirky October fun facts about important historical events in the world's history, and interesting things about the history of the month.
17. October was named after the Latin word 'octo' meaning "eight".
This is because October was originally the eighth month of the year! This all changed with the introduction of the Roman calendar. It was only the eighth month until July and August were introduced to the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar and Augustus and it became the tenth month in the year instead of the eighth month.
18. In October 1888 the first ever National Geographic magazine was released.
19. The Statue of Liberty arrived in the United States all the way from France in October 1886.
20. 12 October 1999 was a very important date for the whole world as it was the day we reached a population of six billion people.
21. In October 1884, the time zones of the world were created. This was based on the Greenwich Meridian time zone, which helps us understand time zones.
22. October has seen more presidents of the United States born than any other month of the year.
23. In October 1968, the 19th Summer Olympic Games was held in Mexico City. It was the first Olympic Games held in Latin America ever!
24. October used to be called 'Winterfylleth' by the Anglo-Saxons, which means "the fullness of winter".
25. 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott was published in October 1868.
26. Disney World in Florida opened in October 1971.
October In Culture
The month of October is full of great cultural events and is a month that celebrates many important cultures!
27. October is the tenth month and celebrates family history month, national book month, national roller skating month, country music month and LGBT history month.
28. National Indigenous People Day is celebrated on 12 October.
29. National Hispanic Heritage Month takes place in October, running from 15 September to 15 October.
30. October is a very busy month for food lovers. To name a few, October is the month of pizza, cookies, sausages, popcorn, and dessert.
October In Nature
October is famous for its beautiful fall leaves but is full of many more interesting nature facts that you'll love.
31. In the Northern Hemisphere, October happens in Autumn (fall) but in the Southern Hemisphere, October falls in spring! For each hemisphere, October is in the same season that April is in for the other hemisphere.
32. October babies are more likely to live to 100 than those born in many other months! Scientists think this might be because they aren't born in a harsh winter or summer when people are more likely to get sick.
33. The night sky is much clearer in October so it is the perfect time to go stargazing.
34. Every year October is a big mating season for elk, white-tailed deer, moose and even porcupines, so look out for these cute little baby animals.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for October facts then why not take a look at these green eye facts, or zodiac facts too?