August is the 8th month of the Roman calendar. The name “August” is taken from the name of Caesar Augustus, the first ever Roman Emperor. This particular month was said to coincide with the greatest triumphs of the Roman soldiers. August is also the month wherein Augustus died back in AD14.

Below are some facts about August and other related things about it:

Fact 1: The original Roman calendar put August as the sixth month and with a different name. Before the months of January and February were added, August was technically the sixth month of the year and this is the reason why it was first called as “Sextilis” which literally means six.

Fact 2: August is also a popular name for men. Among the current 12 months of the calendar, only August belongs to the top 1000 names for men. In the case of women, many names are created and inspired from the months of April, May, and June.

Fact 3: Weodmontha is another term that is given to the month of August. For the Anglo-Saxons, August is the time of year wherein weeds grow and proliferate. With many weeds growing, August has been dubbed as “weed month” or “Weodmontha”.

Fact 4: August is summer time in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere. In the US for example, August is part of the summer break for schools. It is during these times that kids are able to do various outdoor activities like playing or swimming among many others.

Fact 5: In the US, August is also the peak for family vacations and holidays. Many families and people travel to different places during this month because of the school break. State-run schools in the US for example have a school break of at least 6 weeks in which August is a part of.

Fact 6: The first day of August was also celebrated by the Anglo-Saxons as Lammas Day. This particular day was a form of thanksgiving for harvest time. On this particular day, people go to the church and give thanks for the provisions received in terms of crops. This particular celebration by the Anglo-Saxons also led to other similar celebrations in other parts of the world that involves thanksgiving to a bountiful harvest.

Fact 7: August is a popular name among Norwegians and many of them are also born during this month. Almost a quarter of Norwegians named August or other similar names were also said to be born on the same month that they are named after.

Fact 8: August is the month wherein the famous Elvis Presley died. In August 16 of 1977, the famous singer died and many of his fans continue to mourn his death every anniversary or every month of August.

Fact 9: The ancient city of Pompeii was destroyed back in August 24, 79 A.D. It was during this time when Mt. Vesuvius erupted and destroyed this beautiful city and killed many of its residents.

Fact 10: The first expedition headed by Christopher Columbus was done in August of 1492. During this time, Columbus was able to discover the Canary Islands which are located off the coast of North-eastern Africa.