The Monthly Gazette

August 2021

Th e Monthly Gazette

“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning.” ~ Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

Animal of the Month – Snake Special Days Snakes are long, narrow- bodied, limbless reptiles of National Ice Cream the suborder Serpentes. They Sandwich Day are found throughout the world August 2 except in Antartica and live both on land and in water. National Snakes range in size from Watermelon Day mere inches (the Barbados August 3 threadsnake) to over 20 feet Purple Heart Day long (the reticulated python). fish, slugs, and/or worms. August 7 Because they have a slow Some snakes have venomous metabolism, they can survive Senior Citizen’s Day bites that can be dangerous a long period of time without August 21 to humans, but the majority eating. Snakes lay eggs and eat and kill prey by using sleep in protected places, such Full Sturgeon Moon constriction or swallowing as burrows or piles of rocks. August 22 their dinner alive. Depending In some traditions, snakes on their type and size, they represent treachery and evil, Women’s Equality Day eat rodents, rabbits, birds, while in others they symbolize August 26 insects, eggs, frogs, toads, fertility, immortality, and rebirth. Flower – Gladiolus Birthstone – Peridot This member of the iris family is the The peridot, the birthstone for August, takes its name from the flower for August. Gladioluses are French word for “unclear” — native to the mountains of South perhaps due to the tiny crystals Africa, the Mediterranean, and Europe, of other minerals trapped inside and are now grown throughout the as this gem grows. Folklore world. There are about 300 separate has it that the peridot (a variety of olivine) was species.The North American Gladiolus so bright it could be mined in the dark. This gem ranges in color from olive to lime green. Its Council recognizes 28 basic colors, green color is due to its iron content—the higher including white, yellow, green, the level of iron, the browner the stone. The orange, red, purple, blue, and tan. In the greenest of the stones are often mistaken for language of flowers, gladiola symbolizes emeralds. It’s even thought that many of strength of character, sincerity, generosity, and Cleopatra’s beloved emeralds were actually imagination. peridots.

Eight August Firsts “Dog Days” of Summer Here are just a few of the 5. The Ring magazine’s Boxing August is traditionally the countless achievements made Hall of Fame was founded. hottest month of the year for the first time in August: (August 5, 1954) in the northern hemisphere, and the time period between 1. Mt. Rainier’s summit was 6. The Transcontinental Roller July 3 and August 11 is first reached. (August 17, Derby began in Chicago. sometimes referred to as 1870) (August 13, 1935) the “dog days” of summer. 2. Mt. Whitney was scaled 7. The National Basketball The nickname refers to for the first time. (August Association was established. Sirius, or the Dog Star. 18, 1873) (August 3, 1949) 3. The first recorded tennis tournament was held in 8. The Guinness August Zodiacs the U.S. (August 15, 1876) Book of Leo (The Lion) Records was 4. The first woman, Gertrude August 1–22 first published. Ederle, successfully (August 27, Virgo (The Virgin) swam across the English 1955) August 23–31 Channel. (August 6, 1926) Photo of Mt. Rainier

August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It was named for Augustus Caesar, the grandnephew and adopted son of Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, who is honored with the month of July. Originally, August was the sixth month in the 10-month Roman calendar and did not have 31 days. Legend has it that Augustus wanted his month to have as many days as July. So it was lengthened by borrowing from February, leaving that month with just 28 days (29 on a leap year). August Grows Like a Weed August Birthdays In the time of the Anglo-Saxons (from 410 to Dom DeLuise (comedian) – August 1, 1933 1066), the month of August went by another Peter O’Toole (actor) – August 2, 1932 name. It was called Woed Monath, which means Martin Sheen (actor) – August 3, 1940 “month of weeds.” The month got its name for a very practical reason—weeds (and a wealth of Louis Armstrong (musician) – August 4, 1901 other plants) tend to proliferate during this hot Neil Armstrong (astronaut) – August 5, 1930 summer month. Interestingly, the word month is Lucille Ball (comedienne) – August 6, 1911 derived from the word moon, as months are Hulk Hogan (wrestler) – August 11, 1953 approximately the length of the lunar cycle. Linda Ellerbee (news reporter) – August 15, 1944 What’s Lucky in August? Mae West (actress) – August 17, 1893 Paula Danziger (author) – August 18, 1944 Lucky Color: Orange Connie Chung (TV journalist) – August 20, 1946 Lucky Animal: Moose Al Roker (weather forecaster) – August 20, 1954 Lucky Letters: J and L Mother Teresa (missionary) – August 26, 1910 Lucky Day: Wednesday Ingrid Bergman (actress) – August 29, 1915 Lucky Plant: Peony