Show off your smarts: August Trivia!

Do you want to show off your unique knowledge at the next trivia night? During the month of August, a lot of cool and exciting things happened, and a lot of people influenced history. Explore these fun books and resources and share your newly found knowledge at trivia night.

Did you know…

August is named after Augustus Caesar. Augustus Caesar wasn’t born until September.

Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, on August 28, 1963, in front of the Lincoln Memorial. That speech would go on to spark many more changes in American History.

National Underwear Day is marked on August 5, initially praised in 2003 by the brand Fresh Pair.

The sandwich was named after the English Nobleman, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu. Montagu was a gambler and a rake. However, the sandwich itself had likely been around for much longer since the word was coined in August of 1762.

Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii erupted on August 24, 79 AD, destroying the city of Pompeii. It has erupted 42 times since then, the last time in 1944.

Interestingly to note, the peridot (one of the birthstones of August) is created from molten lava.

The first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong, celebrates his birthday on August 5.

 National Aviation Month honors the birth of one of the famous brother duos of flight, Orville Wright, born on August 19, 1871.

On August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew departed from Spain. He wouldn’t arrive in the Bahamas for another two months, where he claimed to have discovered the ‘Americas.’

 August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa painting was famously stolen from the Louvre. It took over two years to recover. In today’s time, the price tag for its value then would have been 850 million U.S. dollars.

August also marks the passing of Hollywood icons Marilyn Monroe and the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.

August 26 marks the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the United States Constitution, granting women the right to vote.

Lastly, for all of you romance readers, celebrate famous author Danielle Steel on her birthday, August 14. Steel was born in 1947.

Find resources on all of these historical icons and memorable moments under the Research and Learning tab of the MCPL website.

Andrew E.
Red Bridge branch