WEIRD FACTS ABOUT AUGUST | The weird facts database

August was named in 8BC after the Roman Emperor Augustus because it was the month in which many significant events in his rise to power occurred.

In the US, the first Saturday in August is National Mustard Day.

The gemstones for August are sardonyx and peridot, and the flowers are the gladiolus and poppy.

The Anglo-Saxons called August by the name Weod-monath (weed month) because it is the month when weeds and other plants grow most rapidly.

In Sweden, the third Thursday in August is known as Surströmmingpremiär - the first day for selling surströmming, which is fermented Baltic herring.

Henry VI Part 1 and The Tempest are the only Shakespeare plays that mention the month of August.

"In August, choler and melancholy much increase from whence proceeds long-lasting fevers and agues not easily cured." - Richard Saunders, 1679.

| Share |

MOSCOW
Moscow was founded in 1147 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky; his name means 'Yuri the long-armed'.... MORE

KIDNEY
In snakes, the right kidney is closer to the head than the left kidney.... MORE

RICE T
The full name of the lyricist generally known as Tim Rice is Sir Timothy Miles... MORE

PRAT
An MP in the House of Commons was forced to withdraw a remark in which... MORE

BEDROOM
A study in Italy in 2006 reported that couples who have a TV set in... MORE

FROG
The town of Vittel in France is headquarters to the Brotherhood of Frog Thigh Tasters... MORE

SANDCASTLE
On 18 June 1997, science finally came to grips with sandcastles as physicists at the... MORE

MITTERRAND
On 31 December 1995, the former President of France, Francois Mitterrand, dying of prostate cancer,... MORE

ALEXANDER I
Tsar Alexander I of Russia considered trousers - instead of knee-breeches - to be subversive.... MORE

JAMES I
King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) did not speak until he was... MORE

ANTARCTICA
Antarctica was given its name by the ancient Greeks, who called it 'Anti-Arktikos'. The literal meaning... MORE

COMOROS
The Comoros island nation off the East coast of Africa supplies 80% of the world's... MORE

BOOKS
Every published book is assigned a unique 10-digit ISBN (International Standard Book Number). The final digit... MORE

AGE OF CONSENT
In England in 1576, 10-year-olds were allowed to marry. This is the lowest the age... MORE

GREENLAND
The area of the European Economic Community (formerly known as the Common Market) was halved... MORE