Fact 1: Origin of the Name 'July'
The month of July was named after the great Roman general Julius Caesar. Initially, it was called 'Quintilis', which means fifth in Latin, as it was the fifth month in the ancient Roman calendar. When Julius Caesar reformed the calendar in 46BC, he renamed it 'July' in his honor.
Fact 2: Famous Birthdays
A number of well-known personalities were born on July 15. They include actress Diane Kruger, footballer Gareth Bale, and drag queen and reality TV personality Bianca Del Rio.
Fact 3: National Gummy Worm Day
July 15 marks the National Gummy Worm Day in the United States. This unique holiday was initially established by Trolli, a popular candy manufacturer known for gummy worms and other gummy treats. This day is all about celebrating this fun, delicious, and wiggly candy!
Fact 4: Rembrandt's Birthday
One of the greatest painters in European art history, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, was born on this day in 1606. He is considered one of the most important figures in Dutch Golden Age art history.
Fact 5: Twitter's Social Media Milestone
On July 15, 2006, Twitter, one of the world's most popular social media platforms, was officially launched to the public. As of today, Twitter has over 330 million active users worldwide, making it a powerful tool for people to communicate and share ideas, news, and information.
Fact 6: Festival of San FermÃn
This is the last day of the annual festival of San FermÃn held in Pamplona, Spain. The festival, famously known for its running of the bulls, spans over a period of a week and concludes on July 15th.
Fact 7: Anniversary of the Roswell Mystery
On July 15, 1947, the Roswell Daily Record published a news report on an alleged UFO crash near Roswell, New Mexico. This incident sparked numerous conspiracy theories and remains one of the most controversial and talked-about topics in UFO research.
Fact 8: Consecutive Prime Numbers Day
For those who love mathematics, July 15, under the format 7/11/13 (in MM/DD/YY), is consecutively a prime numbers day, a rare event in the calendar.
Fact 9: The Premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
On July 15, 2009, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment in the Harry Potter film series, premiered in London. The series remains one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time.
Fact 10: Opening of Disneyland
On July 15, 2021, Disneyland Paris celebrated its 29th anniversary. The theme park first opened its doors on July 15, 1992, and since then, it has been a magical destination for millions of visitors from around the world.
Fact 11: International Chess Day
Chess enthusiasts around the world would know that July 15 is celebrated as International Chess Day. The day was proposed by UNESCO and has been celebrated worldwide since 1966.
Fact 12: A Star-Studded Sports Day
July 15 is a special day in sports history because several renowned sports personalities share their birthdays on this day. These include footballers Gareth Bale and Adam Johnson, and former cricket star, Sourav Ganguly.
Fact 13: National Respect Canada Day
In the United States, July 15th is recognized as "National Respect Canada Day". It's a day for Americans to celebrate the long-standing peaceful relationship between the two countries.
Fact 14: The Srebrenica massacre
On a somber note, July 15, 1995, is remembered as the end day of the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia. Many young men and boys were killed leading to one of the darkest periods during the Bosnian War.
Fact 15: The Home Insurance Building
On July 15, 1931, the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, the world's first skyscraper, was demolished. Completed in 1885, the building was considered groundbreaking for its use of a steel skeleton frame, which allowed buildings to be built much taller.
Fact 16: A Leap Second
July 15, 1972, is a unique day in timekeeping as a leap second was added to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to synchronize atomic clocks with the Earth's slowing rotation. This marked one of the 27 times a leap second has been added since it was first introduced in 1972.
Fact 17: Creation of the New Mexico Territory
July 15, 1850, marks the day when Congress passed a bill to create the New Mexico Territory. This included parts of the present-day states of New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado.
Fact 18: The First Air Mail in Canada
On July 15, 1918, the first experimental air mail flight in Canada took place. Pilot Katherine Stinson flew from Calgary to Edmonton, Alberta, in a historic 260 kilometers of aerial journey.
Fact 19: National Pet Fire Safety Day
As a way for promoting fire safety for pets, the National Pet Fire Safety Day was established on July 15. This is a day where pet owners are encouraged to consider and implement pet safety measures in their households.
Fact 20: A Day for Animal Rights
July 15 is observed in Russia as 'The Day of Zoologists and Animal Rights'. This day is aimed at promoting love and kindness towards animals, as well as giving respect to those involved in the field of zoology.