January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the first of seven months to have a length of 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day. It is, on average, the coldest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of winter) and the warmest month of the year within most of the Southern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer). In the Southern hemisphere, January is the seasonal equivalent of July in the Northern hemisphere and vice versa.

January (in Latin, Ianuarius) is named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology.^[1]

Traditionally, the original Roman calendar consisted of 10 months totaling 304 days, winter being considered a month-less period. Around 713 BC, the semi-mythical successor of Romulus, King Numa Pompilius, is supposed to have added the months of January and February, so that the calendar covered a standard lunar year (354 days). Although March was originally the first month in the old Roman calendar, January became the first month of the calendar year either under Numa or under the Decemvirs about 450 BC (Roman writers differ). In contrast, each specific calendar year was identified by the names of the two consuls, who entered office on May 1^{[citation needed]} or March 15 until 153 BC, from when they entered office on January 1.

According to Theodor Mommsen,^[3] 1 January became the first day of the year in 600 AUC of the Roman calendar (153 BC), due to disasters in the Lusitanian War. A Lusitanian chief called Punicus invaded the Roman territory, defeated two Roman governors, and killed their troops. The Romans resolved to send a consul to Hispania, and in order to accelerate the dispatch of aid, "they even made the new consuls enter into office two months and a half before the legal time" (March 15).

Notable Events

1892 Ellis Island Begins As Immigration gateway

1920 The Yankees bought Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox

1920 New "Dry Bill" (Alcohol Prohibition) being Introduced to Congress

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SYMBOLS

January's birthstone is the garnet, which represents constancy.^[4] 

Its birth flower is the cottage pink Dianthus caryophyllus, galanthus or traditional carnation.^[5][6] 

The zodiac signs are Capricorn (until January 19) and Aquarius (January 20 onward).

FEBRUARY

The Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means "purification", via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar. January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period.

February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The month has 28 days in common years or 29 in leap years, with the 29th day being called the leap day. It is the first of five months to have fewer than 31 days (the other four being April, June, September, and November) and the only one to have fewer than 30 days. Seven months (January, March, May, July, August, October, and December) have 31 days, leaving the four previously mentioned months (April, June, September, and November) to have exactly 30 days. 

February is the third and last month of meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, February is the third and last month of meteorological summer (being the seasonal equivalent of what is August in the Northern Hemisphere).

HISTORY

February, from the Très riches heures du Duc de Berr

The Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means "purification", via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar. January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. They were added by Numa Pompilius about 713 BC. February remained the last month of the calendar year until the time of the decemvirs (c. 450 BC), when it became the second month. At certain times February was truncated to 23 or 24 days, and a 27-day intercalary month, Intercalaris, was occasionally inserted immediately after February to realign the year with the seasons.

Under the reforms that instituted the Julian calendar, Intercalaris was abolished, leap years occurred regularly every fourth year, and in leap years February gained a 29th day. Thereafter, it remained the second month of the calendar year, meaning the order that months are displayed (January, February, March, ..., December) within a year-at-a-glance calendar. Even during the Middle Ages, when the numbered Anno Domini year began on March 25 or December 25, the second month was February whenever all twelve months were displayed in order. The Gregorian calendar reforms made slight changes to the system for determining which years were leap years, but also contained a 29-day February.

Notable Events

Symbols

The zodiac signs of February are Aquarius (until February 18) and Pisces (February 19 onward).^[11]

Its birth flowers are the violet (Viola), the common primrose (Primula vulgaris),^[12] and the Iris.^[13]

 Its birthstone is the amethyst, which symbolizes piety, humility, spiritual wisdom, and sincerity.^[14]

MARCH

March is the third month of the year and is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. The name of March comes from Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar.

 In early versions of the ancient Roman calendar, the year began with March or Martius. Because the month coincides with the time of the March equinox and the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, where the calendar originated, March was considered to be a month of new beginnings.

The months of January and February did not feature in earlier versions of the Roman calendar. They were added to the end of the year around 700 BCE and became the first months of the year around 450 BCE, pushing March to its currently held third position.

It was named after Mars, the Roman god of war. His month Martius was the beginning of the season for warfare, and festivals weree held in his honor.  being the start of spring, was also the start of the New Year. Much of Europe used March as the start of the year. Britain used March 25th as the beginning of the New Year until 1752.

March 1 began the numbered year in Russia until the end of the 15th century. Great Britain and its colonies continued to use March 25 until 1752, when they finally adopted the Gregorian calendar (the fiscal year in the UK continues to begin on 6 April, initially identical to 25 March in the former Julian calendar). Many other cultures and religions still celebrate the beginning of the New Year in March.

Notable Events

SYMBOLS

 March has two birth flowers: daffodils and jonquils.

March also has two birthstones: aquamarine and bloodstone, which symbolize courage.

There are two zodiac signs in March. Pisces, which is until March 20, and Aries, which is from the 21^st.

APRIL

April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, the fifth in the early Julian, the first of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the second of five months to have a length of less than 31 days.

April is commonly associated with the season of autumn in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, and spring in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to October in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.

April was the second month of the earliest Roman calendar,^[3] before Ianuarius and Februarius were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC. It became the fourth month of the calendar year (the year when twelve months are displayed in order) during the time of the decemvirs about 450 BC, when it also was given 29 days. The 30th day was added during the reform of the calendar undertaken by Julius Caesar in the mid-40s BC, which produced the Julian calendar.

The Anglo-Saxons called April ēastre-monaþ. The Venerable Bede says in The Reckoning of Time that this month ēastre is the root of the word Easter. He further states that the month was named after a goddess Eostre whose feast was in that month. It is also attested by Einhard in his work, Vita Karoli Magni

The Romans gave this month the Latin name Aprilis^[1] but the derivation of this name is uncertain. The traditional etymology is from the verb aperire, "to open", in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to "open", which is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of άνοιξη (ánixi) (opening) for spring. Since some of the Roman months were named in honor of divinities, and as April was sacred to the goddess Venus, her Veneralia being held on the first day, it has been suggested that Aprilis was originally her month Aphrilis, from her equivalent Greek goddess name Aphrodite (Aphros), or from the Etruscan name Apru. Jacob Grimm suggests the name of a hypothetical god or hero, Aper or Aprus.^[2]

NOTABLE EVENTS

SYMBOLS

April's birthstone is the diamond.

The birth flower is the common daisy (Bellis perennis) or the sweet pea.^[5][6] 

The zodiac signs are Aries (until April 19) and Taurus (April 20 onward).^[7][8]

MAY

May typically marks the start of the summer vacation season in the United States (Memorial Day) and Canada (Victoria Day) that ends on Labor Day, the first Monday of September.

May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days.

May (in Latin, Maius) was named for the Greek Goddess Maia, who was identified with the Roman era goddess of fertility, Bona Dea, whose festival was held in May. Conversely, the Roman poet Ovid provides a second etymology, in which he says that the month of May is named for the maiores, Latin for "elders," and that the following month (June) is named for the iuniores, or "young people" (Fasti VI.88).

NOTABLE EVENTS

10 May 1752 

Benjamin Franklin first tested his lightning rod. 

10th May, 1994

Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. 

30 May 1821

James Boyd patented the rubber fire hose.

14 May 1853

Gail Borden invented her process for condensed milk.

 1 May 1888

Patent #382,280 was granted to Nikola Tesla for the "electrical transmission of power."

6th May, 1954

Twenty-five-year-old medical student Roger Bannister became the first man to run a mile in under four minutes at the Iffley Road Sports Ground in Oxford. Bannister’s finishing time was 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds breaking former record of 4 minutes 13 seconds.

Symbols

April's birthstone is the diamond.

The birth flower is the common daisy (Bellis perennis) or the sweet pea.^[5][6] .

The zodiac signs are Aries (until April 19) and Taurus (April 20 onward).^[7][8]

                Juno ^(above}

June represents the halfway point of the year, being the sixth of the twelve months of both the Gregorian calendar — which we use currently in the West — and also the earlier Julian calendar, named for Julius Caesar, the namesake of July. Where do we get the name for June?

What’s In A Name?

Ovid, author of that bi-millennial best-selling magnum opus “Metamorphoses” — where he takes the stories of the Greek myths and gives them Roman names — suggests two possible etymologies.

• The first and more likely origin is the Roman goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter, who was referred to as Hera by the Greeks. She is the patroness of marriages, and most marriages happen during June. It was considered good luck to get married during June, though the good weather and school vacation could have something to do with it now.

• Ovid also suggested that the month was named for Iuniores, Latin for “young people,” in the same way that May is named for “elders” or Maiores. And as we all recall from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” there was no J in Latin in the 1st century.

Astronomy and June

June contains the longest days of the year, at least in the Northern hemisphere, including the very longest day(light) of the year, the Summer Solstice. This is also called Midsummer Day  — made famous by Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream — when the “sun stands still” in its trek north in the sky, and reverses its course, and begins heading south.

Why June Weddings

While some believe June is Wedding Month, it was not always so with the ancient Romans. The aforementioned Ovid, to pick a good day for his daughter to marry, consulted the high priestess of Jupiter who said mid-May through mid-June was inauspicious and recommended he postpone until after June 15.

Summer?

The 1st of June is the beginning of the meteorological summer in the Northern hemisphere. In the pagan calendar, the summer solstice is the time of Litha, similar to the way the Winter Solstice is Yule, an old Norse word for a twelve-day celebration.

June hosts such important holidays in the year, so mark your calendar, as Flag Day (June 14), International Picnic Day (June 18), and the perennial favorite Juneteenth (June 19) all happen during this month.

Trivia: No other month in the same year starts on the same day of the week as June.

So June is more than just Dads and G

NOTABLE EVENTS

June 26, 1498 - The toothbrush is invented in China

June 2, 1692 - Salem Witch Trials begin.

June 14, 1775 - The U. S. Army is formed.

June 20, 1782 - The U.S. Congress approves the Great Seal of the United States and the bald eagle as its symbol

June 2, 1835 - PT Barnum's circus begins first tour of U.S.

June 13, 1884 - The first toller coaster ride opens at Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY. It cost 5 cents a ride

June 2, 1886 - Grover Cleveland is married while in serving as U.S. president.

June 2, 1924 - Congress grants U.S. citizenship to people of American Indian descent

June 6, 1933  The first drive-in theater opened in Camden, New Jersey.

june 29, 1964 - The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed after an 83 day filibuster in the U.S. Senate

June 1, 1971 - Ed Sullivan's final show.

June 5, 1968 

June 23, 2016 - Brexit: The United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union.

Symbols

June’s birthstone is generally considered to be the Pearl, as well as Alexandrite and Moonstone.

June’s birth flowers are the rose and the honeysuckle.

June Zodiac signs Gemini (May 21 - June 20) and Cancer (June 21 - July 22).

JULY

July is the seventh month of the year (between June and August) in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the fourth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honour of Roman general Julius Caesar, it being the month of his birth. Before that, it was called Quintilis, being the fifth month of the 10-month calendar.

It is on average the warmest month in most of the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the second month of summer, and the coldest month in much of the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the second month of winter. The second half of the year commences in July. In the Southern Hemisphere, July is the seasonal equivalent of January in the Northern hemisphere.

Ft. McHenry !812 Flag

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: 'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more! Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

NOTABLE EVENTS

July 3, 1775 - During the American Revolution, George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts

July 5, 1775- The Continental Congress adopted the Olive Branch Petition expressing hope for a reconciliation with Britain. However, King George III                                    refused even to look at the petition and instead issued a proclamation declaring the colonists to be in a state of open rebellion.

July 2, 1776 - The Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the following resolution, originally introduced on June 7, by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia: "Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved. That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances. That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation."

July 4, 1776 - The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress.

July 4, 1776 - The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress.

July 8, 1776 - The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence occurred as Colonel John Nixon read it to an assembled crowd in Philadelphia.

July 31, 1776 - During the American Revolution, Francis Salvador became the first Jew to die in the conflict. He had also been the first Jew elected to                         office in Colonial America, voted a member of the South Carolina Provincial Congress in January 1775.

July 13, 1787 - Congress enacted the Northwest Ordinance establishing formal procedures for transforming territories into states. 

July 1, 1863 - Beginning of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.

July 27, 1953 - The Korean War ended with the signing of an armistice by U.S. and North Korean delegates at Panmunjom, Korea. 

July 20, 1969 - A global audience watched on television as Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon's surface and proclaimed, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" -

Symbols

July birthstone is the ruby, which symbolizes contentment.^{[citation needed]}

July birth flowers are the larkspur and the water lily.

July  zodiac signs are Cancer (until July 22) and Leo (July 23 onward)

AUGUST

August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days.^[1] Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named Sextilis in Latin because it was the sixth month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC, with March being the first month of the year. About 700 BC, it became the eighth month when January and February were added to the year before March by King Numa Pompilius, who also gave it 29 days. Julius Caesar added two days when he created the Julian calendar in 46 BC (708 AUC), giving it its modern length of 31 days. In 8 BC, it was renamed in honor of Emperor Augustus. According to a Senatus consultum quoted by Macrobius, he chose this month because it was the time of several of his great triumphs, including the conquest of Egypt.

NOTABLE EVENTS

August 2, 1776 - In Philadelphia, most of the 55 members of the Continental Congress signed the parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence.

August 3, 1492 - Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, with three ships, Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. Seeking a westerly route to the Far East, he instead landed on October 12th in the Bahamas, thinking it was an outlying Japanese island.

August 5, 1861 - President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the first Federal income tax, a 3 percent tax on incomes over $800, as an emergency wartime measure during the Civil War. However, the tax was never actually put into effect.

August 5, 1962 - Film star Marilyn Monroe died at age 36 from an overdose of sleeping pills. She made 29 films during her career and came to symbolize Hollywood glamour

August 6, 1965 - The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Act suspended literacy, knowledge and character tests designed to keep African Americans from voting in the South. It also authorized the appointment of Federal voting examiners and barred discriminatory poll taxes. The Act was renewed by Congress in 1975, 1984 and 1991.

August 9, 1974 - Effective at noon, Richard M. Nixon resigned the presidency as a result of the Watergate scandal. Nixon had appeared on television the night before and announced his decision to the American people. Facing possible impeachment by Congress, he became the only U.S. President ever to resign.

August 13, 1961 - The East German government had closed the border between east and west sectors of Berlin with barbed wire to discourage emigration to the West. On this date, the barbed wire was replaced by a 12 foot-high concrete wall eventually extending 103 miles (166 km) around the perimeter of West Berlin. The Berlin Wall included electrified fences, fortifications, and guard posts. Presidents Kennedy and Reagan made notable appearances at the wall accompanied by speeches denouncing Communism. Due to pressures from the Reagan Administration, the wall was opened Nov. 1989 by decree of the East German government and torn down by the end of 1990.

August 14, 1945 - Following the two Atomic Bomb drops, delegates of Emperor Hirohito accepted Allied surrender terms originally issued at Potsdam on July 26, 1945, with the exception that the Emperor's sovereignty would be maintained. Japanese Emperor Hirohito, who had never spoken on radio, then recorded an announcement admitting Japan's surrender, without actually using the word. The formal surrender ceremony occurred later, on September 2, 1945, on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

August 15, 1969 - Woodstock began in a field near Yasgur's Farm at Bethel, New York. The three-day concert featured 24 rock bands and drew a crowd of more than 300,000 young people. The event came to symbolize the counter-culture movement of the 1960's.

August 18, 1920 - The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting women the right to vote.

August 24-25, 1814 - During the War of 1812, Washington, D.C., was invaded by British forces that burned the Capitol, the White House and most other public buildings along with a number of private homes. The burning was in retaliation for the earlier American burning of York (Toronto).

August 28, 1963 - The March on Washington occurred as over 250,000 persons attended a Civil Rights rally in Washington, D.C., at which Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his now-famous I Have a Dream speech.

August 31, 1997 - Britain's Princess Diana died at age 36 from massive internal injuries suffered in a high-speed car crash, reportedly after being pursued by photographers. The crash occurred shortly after midnight in Paris inside a tunnel along the Seine River at the Pont de l'Alma bridge. Also killed in the crash were Diana's companion, Dodi Fayed, 42, and chauffeur Henri Paul. A fourth person in the car, bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, was seriously injured.

Symbols

August's birthstones are the peridot, sardonyx, and spinel.

August birth flower is the gladiolus or poppy, meaning beauty, strength of character, love, marriage and family.

August Zodiac signs are Leo (until August 22) and Virgo (from August 23 onwards)

SEPTEMBER

September is the ninth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the third of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the fourth of five months to have a length of fewer than 31 days

In the old Roman calendar, September was called mens september, the seventh month, because the Roman calendar started in March. September initially had 29 days. In 154 BCE, a rebellion forced the Roman senate to change the beginning of the civil year from March to January 1st.

September was an adaptation of the Latin word ‘Septum’ which indicates seven, since it was the seventh month of the Roman calendar.

Even though it is the ninth month of the Gregorian calendar, the name was retained. It is also recognized as the month of harvest in few regions around the globe. For instance, some people remember it as ‘Gerst Monath’, a month when Barley is harvested for the sake of a beverage.

NOTABLE EVENTS

 25 September 1690 The first—and last—issue of America’s earliest newspaper, Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick, debuted.. The Boston-published four-page paper covered a wide range of topics, including the English-French war, Thanksgiving celebrations in Plymouth and a smallpox outbreak. But, according to the N.E. Historical Society, British colonial authorities swiftly banned it for publishing without a license. The real reason was likely its negative accounts of the Mohawk Indians (British allies), and for spreading salacious rumors that France’s Louis XIV engaged in a sexual affair with his son’s wife.

13th September 1788 New York City became the first capital of the United States after the Constitution                                                was given formal consent.

10th September 1897 Twenty-five-year-old London taxi driver George Smith became the first person                            fined for drunk driving after crashing his car into a building.                                                                                                       Smith pleaded guilty and was fined 25 shillings.

2 September 1945 - President Harry Truman declared V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day) commemorating                                                                  the formal Japanese surrender to the Allies                                                                                                                                     aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

26 September 1960 - The first televised presidential debate occurred between presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. Many who watched thought Kennedy 'won' the debate, while those who only listened to the radio thought won. Nixon, who had been hospitalized  and also declined to use makeup, appeared haggard on TV in contrast to high-quality makeup and coiffure applied on Kennedy.

27 September 1964 - After a 10-month investigation, the Warren Commission Report was issued stating a lone gunman was responsible for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

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11th September 2001 Nineteen terrorists associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four passenger airplanes and carried out a series of suicide attacks against United States targets.

Two of the planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, another was flown into the Pentagon just outside Washington DC, and the fourth crashed in a field in Shanksville Pennsylvania.

Just short of 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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Symbols

September's birthstone is the sapphire. 

September birth flowers are the forget-me-not, morning glory and aster.^[7][8] 

September Zodiac signs are Virgo (until September 22) and Libra (September 23 onward).^[

October retained its name (from the Latin and Greek  ôctō meaning "eight") after January and February were inserted into the calendar that had originally been created by the Romans. In Ancient Rome, one of three Mundus patet would take place on October 5, Meditrinalia October 11, Augustalia on October 12, October Horse on October 15, and Armilustrium on October 19.  On these dates, all Romans everywhere .would roll back a stone opening a hole to the underworld. Into the hole they threw food for the dead. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar

Among the Anglo-Saxons, it was known as Ƿinterfylleþ, because at this full moon (fylleþ) winter was supposed to begin.^[1]

October is commonly associated with the season of spring in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, and autumn in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to April in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.

NOTABLE EVENTS

October 12, 1492 - After a 33-day voyage, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the New World in the Bahamas. He named the first land sighted as El Salvador, claiming it in the name of the Spanish Crown. Columbus was seeking a western sea route from Europe to Asia and believed he had found an island of the Indies. He thus called the first island natives he met, 'Indians.'

October 4, 1582 - The Gregorian Calendar took effect in Catholic countries as Pope Gregory XIII issued a decree stating the day following Thursday, October 4, 1582, would be Friday, October 15, 1582, correcting a 10-day error accumulated by the Julian Calendar. Britain and the American colonies adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1752.

October 4, 1582 - The Gregorian Calendar took effect in Catholic countries as Pope Gregory XIII issued a decree stating the day following Thursday, October 4, 1582, would be Friday, October 15, 1582, correcting a 10-day error accumulated by the Julian Calendar. Britain and the American colonies adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1752.

October 13, 1775 - The United States Navy was born after the Second Continental Congress authorized the acquisition of a fleet of ships.

October 19, 1781 - As their band played The World Turned Upside Down, the British Army marched out in formation and surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown. More than 7,000 British and Hessian troops, led by British General Lord Cornwallis, surrendered to General George Washington. The war between Britain and its American colonies was effectively ended. The final peace treaty was signed in Paris on September 3, 1783.

October 13, 1792 - The cornerstone of the White House was laid by George Washington. The building, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, is three stories tall with over 100 rooms, and was designed by James Hoban. In November of 1800, President John Adams and his family moved in. The building was first known as the "Presidential Palace," but acquired the name "White House" about 10 years after its completion. It was burned by British troops in 1814, then reconstructed, refurbished and reoccupied in 1817

October 3, 1863 - President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

October 26, 1881 - The shoot-out at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, occurred between the feuding Clanton and Earp families. Wyatt Earp, two of his brothers and "Doc" Holliday gunned down two Clantons and two others.

October 6, 1927 - The first "talkie" opened in New York. The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson was the first full-length feature film using spoken dialogue.

October 30, 1938 - The War of the Worlds radio broadcast panicked millions of Americans. Actor Orson Welles and the Mercury Players dramatized the story by H.G. Wells depicting a Martian invasion of New Jersey. Their script utilized simulated radio news bulletins which many listeners thought were real.

October 24, 1945 - The United Nations was founded.

October 28, 1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis ended with the announcement by Soviet Russia's leader Nikita Khrushchev that his Soviet government was halting construction of missile bases in Cuba and would remove the offensive missiles. President Kennedy immediately accepted the offer then lifted the U.S. naval blockade of Cuba.

SYMBOLS

October birthstone are the opal and pink tourmaline

October flowers are marigolds and cosmos

October Zodiac signs are Libra (Sept. 24 - Oct 23) and Scorpio (Oct. 24 - Nov.22)

NOVEMBER

November (johr-vēm-bēr) is the eleventh and penultimate month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars, representing the month of the birth of Jordan Pope. It the fourth and last of four months to have a length of 30 days and the fifth and last of five months to have a length of fewer than 31 days. Jorvember was the ninth month of the calendar of Romulus c. 750 bc. November retained its name (from the Latin Jor meaning "Jordan") when January and February were added to the Roman calendar. Jorvember is a month of late spring in the Southern Hemisphere and late autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, November in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of May in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa. In Ancient Rome, Ludi Plebeii was held from November 4–17, Epulum Jovis was held on November 13 and Brumalia celebrations began on November 24. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar.

November was referred toas Blōtmōnaþ by the AngloSaxons.

 Brumaire and Frimaire were the months on which Norvember fell in the French Republican Calendar..

November has just one birthstone, the radiant topaz. The topaz is symbolic of many things, but most of all, it is a symbol of strength and honor. The ancient Greeks also believed that the stone had the ability to turn oneself invisible.

November also only has one birth flower, although with a flower like this, who needs another?! We’re talking about the ever-stylish chrysanthemum, which to the most extent, symbolizes cheerfulness. Different colored s have different meanings, though – a white flower symbolizes pure love and truth, a red flower says “I love you” like nothing else does, while a yellow flower is a symbol of unrequited love.

NOTABLE EVENTS

November 15, 1777 - The Articles of Confederation were adopted by Continental Congress.

November 17, 1800 - The U.S. Congress met for the first time in the new capital at Washington, D.C. President John Adams then became the first occupant of the Executive Mansion, later renamed the White House.

November 1, 1848 - The first medical school for women opened in Boston. The Boston Female Medical School was founded by Samuel Gregory with just twelve students. In 1874, the school merged with the Boston University School of Medicine, becoming one of the first co-ed medical schools.

November 24, 1859 - Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was first published, theorizing that all the living creatures descended from a common ancestor.

November 6, 1860 - Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th U.S. President and the first Republican. He received 180 of 303 possible electoral votes and 40 percent of the popular vote.

November 13, 1927 - The Holland Tunnel was opened to traffic. The tunnel runs under the Hudson River between New York City and Jersey City and was the first underwater tunnel built in the U.S. It is comprised of two tubes, each large enough for two lanes of traffic.

November 11, 1938 - Irving Berlin's God Bless America was first performed. He had written the song especially for radio entertainer Kate Smith who sang it during her regular radio broadcast. It soon became a patriotic favorite of Americans and was one of Smith's most requested songs.

November 29, 1947 - Palestine was partitioned into Jewish and Arab land by the U.N. General Assembly, resulting in the establishment of the Jewish state of Israel the following year.

November 1, 1950 - President Harry S. Truman was the target of an unsuccessful assassination attempt by two members of a Puerto Rican nationalist movement.

November 1, 1963 - South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu were killed in a military coup.

November 22 1963 - President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JKF) was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade, and pronounced dead at 1 p.m. 

November 4,1979 - 63 Americans were taken hostage by Iran

November 9,1989 Berlin Wall falls as East Germany opens its borders with the West

November 19-20, 1990 - The Cold War came to an end during a summit in Paris as leaders of NATO and the Warsaw Pact signed a Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe, vastly reducing their military arsenals.

November 1, 1993 - The European Union came into existence as a result of the Maastricht Treaty.

SYMBOLS

November birthstone is the radiant topaz

November flower is the chrysanthemum

November Zodiac signs are Scorpio (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) and Sagittarius (Nov. 23 - Dec. 22)

DECEMBER

December is the twelfth month of the year and has 31 days. It was originally the tenth month of the Roman calendar until 153 BC

December Means “Tenth”

In the modern-day Gregorian calendar and in its predecessor, the Julian calendar, December is the twelfth and last month of the year.

The name is derived from decem, meaning “ten” in Latin, because in the ancient Roman calendar, December was the tenth month of the year. At the time, the calendar only had ten months and began with March. This is why the name December no longer corresponds with the placement in the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

Early Names for December

• Middle English: Decembre

• Latin: December - tenth month

• Old English: Geol-monaþ (month before yule)

History of December

Originally, December was the last month of the Roman calendar since the winter period was not assigned months. It originally consisted of 30 days but was shortened to 29 days when January and February were added to the calendar around 700 BCE. During the Julian calendar reform, two days were added to December, making it 31 days long.

Winter North of the Equator

December is the seasonal equivalent of June in the opposite hemisphere. The winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, is the December solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. However, in the Southern Hemisphere, it is the summer solstice.

Solstices & Equinoxes Worldwide

Every year, December starts on the same day of the week as September and ends on the same day of the week as April.

 December birthstones are the blue turquoise and zircon.

December's birth flowers vary according to location. In the US, the paperwhite Narcissus (Euphorbia pulcherrima) has the honor. In the English system, December's birth flower is either the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) or holly (Ilex aquifolium), both symbolizing hope.

December 1, 1955 - The birth of the modern American civil rights movement occurred as Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white man and move to the back section of a municipal bus. Her arrest resulted in a year-long boycott of the city bus system by African Americans and led to legal actions ending racial segregation on municipal buses throughout the South.

December 2, 1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of France by Pope Pius VII in Paris.

December 2, 1823 - President James Monroe introduced his "Monroe Doctrine" during his annual message to the Congress, prohibiting any further colonization of the American continents by European powers, stating, "we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety..."

December 6, 1865 - The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified abolishing slavery

December 7, 1941 - The U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by nearly 200 Japanese aircraft in a raid that lasted just over one hour and left nearly 3,000 Americans dead.

December 15, 1791 - The Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution) became effective following ratification by Virginia.

December 19, 1998 - The House of Representatives impeached President Bill Clinton, approving two out of four Articles of Impeachment

December 23, 1948 - Hideki Tojo was hanged for war crimes. He had been Japanese prime minister from 1941-44

December 25, 1066 - William the Conqueror was crowned King of England after he had invaded England from France, defeated and killed King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, then marched on London.

December 29, 1170 - Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered by four knights acting on orders from England's King Henry II.