20 Wonderful Facts About July

Between June and August, July is the seventh month of the Gregorian calendar.

Since it is the beginning of the second half of the year, it is a good time to start on a new footing.

It is also an excellent time for starting work on one of those new resolutions for the year you put off trying for the first half of the year!

Like any other month, July has a fairly rich history worth taking a closer look!

So we'll do all that and take a look at the origins of the month, interesting observances and some important points of history that took place in July!

1. July was named after the famous Roman general Julius Caesar by the Roman Senate, as was the month he was born. Julius Caesar was a formidable military general and statesman who was largely responsible for the change of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. The month was previously called Quintilis (Latin fifth) as it was the fifth month of 10 month old long novel calendar.
2. As the second month of summer, July is on average the hottest month of the year in the northern hemisphere. Its southern hemisphere equivalent is January.
3. In the southern hemisphere, July is on average the coldest month of the year, being the second winter month.
4. In early July a period called the "dog days of summer" begins. Historically, they were found in the ancient Greek and Roman astrology and were associated with bad luck, rabid dog attacks, unexpected storms, heat and drought. They earned their name as "dog days" as they were related to the star Sirius, which is part of the star system Canis Major (Great Dog). Nowadays, "dog days" refers refers to the hottest days of summer.
5. Coincidentally, it was in July that the vaccine against rabies had been successfully given to a patient. The French microbiologist Louis Pasteur administered the vaccine to a child of nine, called Joseph Meister on July 6, 1885. The child had been bitten by a rabid dog, and Louis Pasteur, not knowing if the vaccine would be successful, decided it was worth testing. Fortunately for the boy, it worked!
6. On July 5, 1946, the first bikini in the world was unveiled in the famous pool Piscine Molitor in Paris. Just in time for the summer heat, the bikini was modeled by showgirl Micheline Bernardini. While two parts forms swimwear existed before, none used as little tissue as the bikini.
7. Julius Caesar was not the only military genius born in July. Alexander the Great was an important historical figure who changed the shape of the world and was born somewhere around 20th July 356 BC. Other famous people born in July include Frida Kahlo, Kafka, Marcel Proust, and Nelson Mandela.
   
8. It was on July 4, 1776 that the 13 American colonies declared their independence from the British monarchy. July 4, officially known as Independence Day, has been a federal holiday since 1870 in the United States of America.
9. July is not only the month for Independence Day. There are many other great holidays observed around the world! July 2 is the World Day of UFO while July 3 is "stay out of the the sun day". In the United States, 6 July is a day quite delicious, as it is the Fried Chicken National Day! At the end of the month, we also have the International Tiger Day on July 29.
10. July has some pretty delicious month long observances , too! In the US at least, there are three in particular that stand out - it is National Watermelon Month, the month of the National Hot Dog and the National Ice Cream Month. Yum!
11. On July 25, 1909, Louis Blériot became the first man to successfully fly a plane from one country to another. He took off the coast of France, and landed on the canal near Dover, England.
12. There are two astrological signs that fall in July. If you were born before July 22, then your astrological sign is Cancer. If you were born after that day, then you are a Leo. Those born under the Cancer sign 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 demonstrate great leadership.
13. July 12, 1943 is observed as an explosive day. It was on this day that Russian forces fought the Germans in the largest tank battle in history, with 900 tanks on each 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.
14. If you do everything right, then maize crops are expected to be "knee high by quarter of July." It is also in July that the crop circles start appearing in the cornfields. Crop circles mostly started appearing since the 1970s, although there have been a number of sporadic cases reported throughout history.
    
15. Although this is the first month in the second half of the year, July 1 is not actually in the middle of the year. In a regular non-leap year, the midpoint is actually July 2 at 1 pm.
16. July has two birth flowers - water lily and Larkspur. Water Lily is said to be a symbol of a pure heart, while Larkspur (in particular its blank form) shows a heart of lightness.
17. July's birthstone is ruby, considered by many to be the king of gems. At one point in time it was considered to protect soldiers on the battlefield if it was embedded in their armor. Currently, as a birthstone it is said to protect against evil.
18. July was an important time for the space race of the 60s. The first manned mission to the moon, Apollo 11 mission, was launched on July 16, 1969. Four days later, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong made history by taking the first steps on the moon while declaring "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind ".
19. July 16, 1945 was another great day for the world, and step down of a very dark period of history. It was on this day in Alamogordo, New Mexico that the first atomic bomb was detonated. The bomb called "Fat Boy", and its explosion was surely fat - a mushroom cloud 41,000 feet (12.5 kilometers) high!
20. The Anglo-Saxons had multiple names for the month of July, including Maed-monath and Hey-monath. These translated into “the flowering of meadows” and “hay month”.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you might not like July.

It's hot and it's uncomfortable, but that's how the summer is!

Be sure to take a break from the city and go out to the countryside, a lake, or even better - the sea!

For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, you'd better wrap up nice and warm and enjoy those long evenings, relaxing by the fire.

Wherever you are in the world, rejoice - the year is halfway over already!