August Historical Events
This precious metal was discovered in Rabbit Creek, a tributary of the Klondike River in Alaska on August 16th, 1896, sparking a large migration to the region for the next three years.
What is gold?
It is estimated that 100,000 people migrated to the Yukon region from 1896 to 1899 in the hopes of finding gold.
The month of August is named after this first Roman Emperor, who was the grand-nephew of another famous Roman ruler, Julius Caesar.
What was Augustus Caesar?
In the year 8 BC, Augustus had the sixth month of Sextilus renamed after himself, as it was the month of some of his greatest military victories.
Hurricane season in the United States officially begins on this date.
What is June 1st?
Hurricane season in the United States runs from June 1st through November 30th.
Had a wife and couldn't keep her
He put her in a pumpkin shell
Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater
On August 21st, 1959, President Dwight D Eisenhower signed a proclamation declaring this state the 50th state in the Union.
What is Hawaii?
After many petitions over more than half a century, a referendum was held in Hawaii in which more than 93% of voters approved the proposition to admit the territory as a state.
Multiple choice – August has three birthstones: the spinel, the sardonyx, and this rare green gem, which is formed under extreme conditions.
a. Jade
b. Peridot
c. Emerald
b. Peridot
The two known ways this gem is formed: in the Earth’s mantle and carried to the surface in lava flows, or in outer space and brought to Earth in a meteorite.
The United States is impacted by tropical storms and hurricanes that form over this body of water.
What is the Atlantic Ocean?
“Hurricane” is the term for tropical cyclones that form over the North Atlantic and the Northwest Pacific oceans. Storms that form over the Northwest Pacific Ocean are called typhoons and in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans they are called cyclones.
Catch a tiger by the toe
If he hollers let him go
Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo
The 19th Amendment to the Constitution took effect on August 18th, 1920, which guaranteed this group the right to vote.
Who are women?
This was a long and hard won victory for suffragists. Activists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony signed a petition in 1865. The amendment was first introduced in 1878 and was finally certified 42 years later.
Every year August 20th is the day of observation for this annoying, blood-sucking insect.
What is the mosquito? – World Mosquito Day is observed every year on August 20th, the date of British doctor Sir Ronald Ross's discovery that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. It is intended to raise awareness of the burden of mosquito-born illnesses around the world, to advocate for increased funding and research for mosquito control and disease prevention, and to promote responsible and sustainable mosquito control practices.
The practice of using an official list names to identify tropical storms began in this year.
a. 1931
b. 1945
c. 1953
d. 1965
What is 1953?
Historically storms were named haphazardly and after the fact, often after the saint’s day that the hurricane occurred. In the mid-20th century meteorologists in the military began naming storms as a shorthand, allowing for quicker and simpler communications. National Hurricane Center issued an official list of female names for storms in the North Atlantic in 1953; men’s names were added to the list in 1979. There are currently six lists used on rotation. Names are retired from the list when the storm is particularly deadly or costly.
Who sat down beside her
Little Miss Muffet
This explorer set sail from Spain on August 3rd, 1492, with three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
Who was Christopher Columbus?
He landed in the Bahamas a little more than two months later, on October 12th. In total he would complete four round-trip voyages between Spain and the Americas from 1492 to 1504.
August has two birth flowers, the tall, stately gladiolus and this bright and colorful papery flower, the seeds of which are popular in baking.
What is the poppy?
In addition to being a long-time symbol of remembrance, poppies’ opiate qualities make them symbols of sleep, peace, and death, as well as resurrection. In Greek mythology, the poppy was also associated with Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. It was believed that if poppies grew in your field, a bountiful crop would follow.
The Saffir-Simpson scale measures this to determine the severity of a hurricane.
What is wind?
Developed in 1971 by a structural engineer and a meteorologist, the scale is a rating system of 1-5 based only on a hurricane's maximum sustained wind speed. It was intended to help government officials and the public understand the risks of an impending storm and the potential damage. This scale does not take into account other potentially deadly hazards such as storm surge, rainfall flooding, and tornadoes.
To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down and broke his crown
Jack and Jill
This president signed the Voting Rights Act into law on August 6th, 1965.
Who was Lyndon B Johnson?
This landmark federal legislation prohibits racial discrimination in voting, providing for direct federal intervention to enable Black Americans to register and vote and banned tactics long designed to keep them from the polls.
August 21st is a national day of recognition for this group of Americans, who are the reason this center exists.
Who are senior citizens?
Established by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, National Senior Citizen Day is an opportunity for families, friends, and the community to come together to celebrate and acknowledge the invaluable impact that seniors have made in our lives and society. The theme for 2025 is Flip the Script on Aging, focuses on transforming how society perceives, talks about, and approaches aging.
The hurricane that struck this island city in Texas in 1900 is still considered the deadliest natural disaster in the United States, with the death toll estimated death toll around 8,000.
What is Galveston?
The storm struck Texas the evening of September 8th, 1900. Every building on the island was damaged, leaving more than a quarter of the city homeless. It remains the fourth deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record.
Went to the cupboard
To get her poor dog a bone
Old Mother Hubbard