The histories of July and August

By Yolanda Romero
Staff Writer

July is the seventh month of the year. Julius Caesar was born during this month in the year 100 B.C., so he named it for himself. It is a hot month, the special flower for July is Water Lily, and the ruby is the gem.

Key July dates in history:

July 1, 1863 - The Battle of Gettysburg raged in Pennsylvania.
July 4, 1776 - American colonies declared their independence from Britain.
July 8, 1881 - Wisconsin druggist Edward Berner concocted the first ice cream sundae.
July 13, 1908 - First women competed in the Olympic games.
July 16, 1790 - The District of Columbia was established. The leaders of our country wanted a brand new capital city. George Washington chose the site.
July 17, 1955 - The first theme park in the U.S. opened. The creator, Walt Disney, named it Disneyland.
July 23, 1904 - Charles E. Minches of St. Louis invented the ice cream cone and sold it at the St. Louis World’s Fair.
July 25, 1952 - Puerto Rico became a commonwealth of the U.S.
July 25, 1946 - Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis teamed up.

August was named by the Romans to honor their emperor, Caeser Augustus. According to tradition, Augustus lengthened the month to 31 days by taking a day from February. August is the height of summer and it has the longest days of the year. The special flowers are the poppy and the gladiolus, and the gems are the saidonyx and the peridot.

Key August dates in history:

Aug. 1, 1790 - First United States census is completed.
Aug. 1, 1960 - Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” was released.
Aug. 1, 1981 - MTV debuted.
Aug. 2, 1909 - The first Lincoln penny is coined.
Aug. 14, 1935 - The United States Social Security Act approved.
Aug. 14, 1945 - Japan surrendered to the Allies.
Aug. 15, 1969 - The Woodstock Music Festival began at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in upstate Bethel, N.Y.
Aug. 16, 1898 - The roller coaster was patented.
Aug. 22, 1831 - Nat Turner led an uprising of blacks against slavery.
Aug. 23, 1963 - Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington D.C.
Aug. 26, 1873 - St. Louis authorized the nation’s first public kindergarten.
Aug. 26, 1920 - The 19th Amendment is passed, giving women the right to vote.

There is so much history to learn and if you are interested visit your local library, surf the Internet or tune into to the History Channel.