Summertime: Fun Facts Friday

Since yesterday was the first official day of summer, it seemed appropriate to find some interesting facts on summertime for my Fun Facts Friday.

(Plus, I'm encouraging my kids to do research projects this summer on interesting topics. Gotta keep those brains stimulated! Summer seemed an easy pick.)

Summer is my favorite time of year. Time to enjoy my kids (most days!), soak in some sun, visit friends and family, appreciate slower schedules, and take time to smell the roses.

SourceHow the summer months got their names: June is named after the Roman goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter; Marc Antony named July after Julius Caesar; and August is named after Caesar's nephew, Augustus. So Rome can be thanked for influencing our summer months.

I grew up throwing a Frisbee with my dad, especially in the summertime. Fun fact: they were originally designed as pie plates in the 1870s. Students started throwing them in the 1940s.

I found this fact online, and thought it was a juicy detail for authors who love to write stories from back in the day: in ancient times, most people swam in the nude; laws about decent swimming attire were created progressively from the 17th century onwards.

I've always heard of the "dog days of summer" and wondered where the title originated. The hot, sticky days get their name from the rising of the Sirius, the Dog Star. The Sirius rises around the hottest time of the year. (Source: Bright Hub Education)

All day today I complained about our 100 degree heat. It left me wondering about the hottest day ever recorded... on September 13, 1922, the temperature in the shade in the Libyan Desert reached 136 degrees Fahrenheit (hot enough to fry an egg on a rock). (Source also Bright Hub)

What's your favorite part of summer?