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August, 2005
| 30 | First Day of School | |
1 Lammas and Lughnasadh. Two ancient festivals with similar purposes are celebrated on August 1. Lammas is one of the four major pagan festivals originally celebrated in Britain and now celebrated in other countries, including the United States. During medieval times, loaves were baked from the first grains of the harvest and blessed in a church ceremony known as the "loaf mass". Many believe that "lammas" is a shortened form of "loaf mass". Others attribute "lammas" to a combined form of "lamb" and "Mass" which reflects a time when lambs were offered as a tribute to feudal lords. (from the University of Kansas Medical Center)
Birthday of William Clark, explorer (biography)
2 Birthday of Isabel Allende, writer. (biography at about.com)
3 Birthday of John T. Scopes, central figure in the "Scopes Monkey Trial" (more)
4 Birthday of Raoul Wallendberg, humanitarian (biography) and Louis Armstrong, musician (biography)
5 Birthday of Neil Armstrong, astronaut. (biography)
6 Birthday of Andy Warhol, artist (biography)
7 Birthday of Louis Leakey, archaeologist (biography)
8 Birthday of Matthew Henson, explorer (biography)
9 Birthday of Jean Piaget, educator (biography)
10 Birthday of Herbert Hoover, 31st President (biography)
11 Birthday of Alex Haley, author (biography)
12 Birthday of Cecil B. deMille, film director (biography)
13Bon or Obon (13 - 15 August): The festival of souls. Japanese visit the graves of their ancestors at this time and leave food offerings. They also dance and, in some places, light paper lanterns. (from holidayfestival.com)
14 Birthday of John Galsworthy, author (biography)
15 Birthday of Julia Child, chef and author (biography) and Napoleon Bonaparte, Emporer (biography)
16 Birthday of Charles Bukowski, author (biography)
17 Birthday of Davy Crockett, American Folk hero (biography)
18 Birthday of Meriweather Lewis, explorer (biography)
19 Birthday of Bill Clinton, 42nd President (biography) and Gene Roddenberry, film producer (biography)
20 Birthday of H. P. Lovecraft, author (biography) and Benjamin Harrison, 23rd President (biography)
21 Birthday of Count Basie, musician (biography) and Wilt Chamberlain, athlete (biography)
22 Birthday of Ray Bradbury, author (biography) and Claude Debussey, composer (biography)
23 Birthday of Gene Kelly, actor and dancer (biography)
24 Birthday of Jorge Luis Borges, author (biography)
25 Birthday of Althea Gibson, athlete. (biography at about.com)
26 Women's Equality Day. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote was certified as part of the U.S. Constitution. Referred to as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, it states, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."
The U.S. Congress designated August 26 as "Women's Equality Day" in 1971 to honor women's continuing efforts toward equality.
27 Birthday of Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President (biography) and Mother Theresa, Nobel Peace Prize recipient (biography)
28 Birthday of Count Leo Tolstoy, author (biography)
29 Birthday of Preston Sturges, filmmaker (biography) and Charlie Parker, musician (biography)
Staff Development Day
30 Birthday of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, author (biography)
Teacher Work Day
31 Birthday of Maria Montessori, educator (biography at about.com) and Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panthers (biography)