2024 July Trivia and History

Name History

Latin: Julius. Named after Julius Caesar in 44 BC. Prior to that time its name was Quintilis from the word quintus, fifth (it was the 5th month in the old Roman calendar).

July is:

• Honor America Days
  
• United States National Ice Cream Month
• United States National Park and Recreation Month

Special 2024 July Days:

•  0th* • (Sunday)
  • (3rd Sunday). NNN - Initially a Presidential Proclamation for 1984, signed by Ronald Reagan, it continues as a promotion by ice cream manufacturers.*
  • (4th Sunday). NNN - HHH*
  • (for 40 days, until August 11) - HHH*
  • NNN - HHH*
  • NNN - HHH*
  • EEE (Celebrating 248 years) - Now in our 249th year of Independence*
  • EEE (Celebrating 474 years) - 474 is the number of years since chocolate was introduced into Europe (1550). Also note that National Chocolate Day is celebrated on September 13th. Who says you can't have two days to celebrate chocolate?*
  • EEE NNN - Earth is farthest away from the Sun, at the aphelion point, two weeks after the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is enjoying warm summer months*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - Offical holiday in Utah, and celebrated by Mormons worldwide. Marks Brigham Young arrival into Utah in 1847.*

July historical dates:

• 1969 - 20th - Apollo 11 lands on the moon with Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the first men to walk on the moon.
• 1913 - 14th - Leslie Lynch King, Jr. born in Omaha; later renamed Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr, 38th U.S. president, and 1st President to live longer than Thomas Jefferson.
• 1863 - 4th - Civil War - Battle of Vicksburg.
• 1863 - 1st-3rd - Civil War - Battle of Gettysburg.
• 1776 - 4th - Adopted the Declaration of Independence. This date is celebrated as the nation's birthday.
• 1776 - 2nd - The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, declared the independence of the colonies.

We aren't the only ones celebrating our independence this month. July is also the Independence Day month for Venezuela (July 5), Malawi (July 6), Argentina (July 9), Colombia (July 20), and Peru (July 28).

July is the start of Dog Days (July 3rd through August 11th), considered the hottest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Often referred to as the 40 Dog Days but can be as short as 30 and as long as 50 or more days. In past times, the Dog Days were believed to be an evil period when the seas boiled, the wine went sour, and creatures went "languid," thereby making man have burning fevers and hyterics. Also it was believed this was the time when dogs went mad. In ancient times, a brown dog was sacrificed to appease the rage of Sirius, the Dog Star, which in times past, rose at approximately the same as sunrise, and therefore believed to be the cause of the excessively hot days.

Lyrics relating to July

•  “Everyone's feeling pretty. It's hotter than July. - From Jammin” • Stevie Wonder, Master Blaster (Jammin)

Also a July Trivia Contest:

What month or months in the same calendar year starts on the same day of the week as July? A good hint would be months that have the same starting day of the week as April, and even January for leap years. You can check our calendar display or you can use any other Gregorian calendar that you wish.