History of August

History of the month of August

In the original 10 month Roman calendar, August was the sixth month with 30 days and was originally named Sextilis. In 8 BC, the Roman Senate rewarded Octavian Augustus a month in his honor. The founder and first emperor of the Roman Empire, Octavian Augustus selected Sextilis, which under the Julian calendar was the eighth month with the addition of January and February.

Renamed to Augustus, there remained the issue of the month having fewer days than Julius (July). Whether Octavian adjusted the number of days to match that of July is uncertain, but the result left February with 28 days except in a leap year and September and November each gave up a day to October and December to avoid a trifecta of 31 days in a row. For hubris or pride or both, the Julian calendar came to be.

Today, August is the eighth month of the modern calendar with 31 days. It also wraps up the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere that also include the Dog Days of Summer. This traditionally hot and humid time lures people to pools and beaches to cool off. In the Southern Hemisphere, winter reigns.

In the sporting world, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships begin at the end of August while the National Football League kicks off its preseason matchups.

August birthdays celebrate with the gladiolus and poppy. Other flowers coming into bloom in August include goldenrod and salvia.

Peridot and spinel are the birthstones of those born in August. Peridot is a semi-precious olive or lime-green stone found in lava flows and veins from the United States to Finland and Pakistan, among others. Found in shades of pink, red, blue, violet and lavender, spinel is a more recent addition to the August birthstones.

8 Interesting Facts About People Born in August!

1. Confident

People born this month are usually very confident. Depending on their date of birth, they would either be a Leo or Virgo, and there’s a lot to like about people born under both of these signs. Leos are extremely confident. They are strong, both physically and mentally. Strong-willed, proud, loyal, and brave, they can be outspoken and often enjoy being the centre of attention.

2. Organised

Virgos are generally witty, hardworking, and practical. They have an appealing personality too. Detail-oriented, organised, and practical, they tend to be intelligent and reliable. They should grow up to be a responsible individual. All that hard work and attention to detail will help them achieve their goals.

5. Outgoing

Those born this month also have an outgoing personality. They are confident, have little self-control, but are kind-hearted. They can easily talk to people and get along with them. Although they love being the centre of attention, they are also empathic listeners. They make great conversationalists and tend to be daydreamers. Their social skills are generally second-to-none.

6. Solitude

Although they are outgoing, August-borns tend to be private regarding sensitive issues and need some me-time now and then. They also don’t open up easily to people except for the ones they are really close to and trust.

7. Selective

August-borns are selective and have high standards. They are quite conservative with their affection and you would need to make them feel special before they begin to reciprocate. Because of their high standards, not everybody can be their close friends.

8. Stubborn

Being intuitive and good at reading people, those born in August are often very stubborn. They think that their opinions matter the most, and surprisingly, they are right most of the times. They tend to protect their pride to stop people from seeing their sensitive side.

3. Good Leader

August-borns are confident, organised, and practical. These are the basic qualities of a good leader. If a person born in August grows up to be a leader or a manager in a big organisation, don’t be surprised, because they will have gained that position because of all the hard work they put in. August-borns make naturally strong leaders because of their confidence and charisma.

4. Royalty

People born in August love being treated like royalty. They are very reciprocal and giving when treated with respect and honour. They enjoy being noticed when they enter a room which they would often do quite dramatically and won’t hesitate to ask for your praise when they don’t get it!