August in History
Back to Today in History
Select the day for the month of August that you would like to see
birthdays and history:
About the Month of August
August is the 8th month of the year and has 31 days.
Season (Northern Hemisphere): Summer
Holidays
Friendship Day
Raksha Bandhan
Women's Equality Day
National Catfish Month
Harvest Month
National Water Quality Month
Peach Month
National Immunization Awareness Month
Get Ready for Kindergarten Month
Symbols of August
- Birthstone: Agate or onyx
- Flower: Gladiolus or poppy
- Zodiac signs: Leo and Virgo
History:
In the original Roman calendar the month of August was called Sextilis. This was because it was the sixth month of the year. Later, after January and February were added to the calendar, it became the eighth month of the year. At the time the month had 29 days. When Julius Caesar created the Julian calendar in 45 BC, two days were added giving the month 31 days. The month was later renamed Augustus in honor of the first emperor of Rome, Caesar Augustus.
August in Other Languages
- Chinese (Mandarin) - bayuè
- Danish - august
- French - août
- Italian - agosto
- Latin - Augustus
- Spanish - agosto
Historical Names:
- Roman: Sextilis/Augustus
- Saxon: Weodmontha (Weed month)
- Germanic: Ernte-mond (Harvest month)
Interesting Facts about August
- It is the last of the summer months.
- The Islamic holiday of Ramadan runs from July 19 to August 18 in 2012.
- August in the Northern Hemisphere is similar to February in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Augustus renamed the month of Sextilis because many of his greatest triumphs occurred during this month.
- August is a month of summer vacation and holiday for many children around the world.
- Many cultures call this month the harvest month or the time of harvest.
Go to another month:
Want to know what happened the year you were born? What
famous celebrities or historical figures share the same birth year as you do? Are you
really as old as that guy? Did that event really happen the year I was born? Click here for a list of
years or to enter
the year you were born.
