July is the seventh month of the year (between June and August) in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honor of the Roman general, Julius Caesar, it being the month of his birth. Prior to that, it was called Quintilis. 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.
July symbols: The birthstone of July is the ruby, which symbolizes contentment. Its birth flowers are the Larkspur or the Water Lily. The zodiac signs for the month of July are Cancer (until July 22) and Leo (July 23 onwards).
Historical Events for July, 1862
Day of Week 1st » The Russian State Library is founded as The Library of the Moscow Public Museum.
1st » Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, second daughter of Queen Victoria, marries Prince Louis of Hesse, the future Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse.
Day of Week 12th » The Medal of Honor is authorized by the United States Congress.
Day of Week 16th » American Civil War: David Farragut is promoted to rear admiral, becoming the first officer in United States Navy to hold an admiral rank.
Day of Week 18th » First ascent of Dent Blanche, one of the highest summits in the Alps.
Day of Week 23rd » American Civil War: Henry Halleck takes command of the Union Army.
Day of Week 27th » Sailing from San Francisco San Francisco, California to Panama City Panama City, Panama, the 'SS Golden Gate' catches fire and sinks off Manzanillo, Colima Manzanillo, Mexico, killing 231.
Famous Birthdays on July in 1862
2nd » William Henry Bragg, English physicist, chemist, and mathematician Nobel Prize in Physics named Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1942)
14th » Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter and graphic artist (d. 1918)
16th » Ida B. Wells, American journalist and activist (d. 1931)
18th » Nikolai Yudenich, Russian general (d. 1933)
22nd » Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon, 5th Baronet, Scottish fencer (d. 1931)
Famous Deaths for July 1862
5th » Heinrich Georg Bronn, German geologist and paleontologist (b. 1800)
24th » Martin Van Buren, American lawyer and politician, 8th President of the United States (b. 1782)