2024 April Trivia and History

Name History

Latin: Aprilis. The origin of the name is unknown. It may come from the Latin word aperire (“to open”; because spring generally begins, and the buds open in this month), or - more likely - from the ancient Latin prefix apter- (“subsequent”).

Another interpretation is that April means Aphrodite's month. Aphrodite is a Greek goddess of love and beauty. Her Roman equivalent is Venus.

The Saxons called the month Eostur-monath after the goddess Eostur. It is the Goddess Eostur from who we derive the name Easter.

Aprilis had 30 days, until Numa Pompilius came into rule (ca. 700 B.C.), and shortened the month by one day (to 29 days) to make it an odd number (considered to be lucky), until Julius Caesar came into power (46 B.C.), and made it 30 days again.

April is:

• Cancer Control Month
• Keep America Beautiful Month
• National Child Abuse Prevention Month
• National Crime Victims Right Week
• National Garden Month (not updated since 2016)
• National Humor Month
  
• National Poetry Month
• Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month
• United States Jazz Appreciation Month
• World Autism Awareness Month

Special April Periods

• Kentucky Derby Festival - Saturday, April 20th, 2024 - Saturday, May 4th, 2024

Special 2024 April Days:

•  1st* • (Monday)  April Fools' Day
•  2nd* • (Tuesday)
  •  World Autism Awareness Day
  •  World Autism, Awareness Day
•  7th* • (Sunday)
  •  National Beer Day
  •  World Health Day
•  8th* • (Monday)  Total Solar Eclipse for central U.S.
•  9th* • (Tuesday)  National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day
• 10th* • (Wednesday)  National Siblings Day
• 13th* • (Saturday)  Thomas Jefferson's Birthday*
• 14th* • (Sunday) Pan American Day
• 15th* • (Monday)
  • Tax Day
  •  Good Deeds Day
  •  World Art Day
• 19th* • (Friday)  Garlic Day
• 20th* • (Saturday)  Record Store Day
• 22nd* • (Monday)
  •  Earth Day
  •  International Mother Earth Day
  •  Lyrid Meteor Showers - Day 1
• 23rd* • (Tuesday)
  •  Lyrid Meteor Showers - Day 2
  •  World Book Day
• 26th* • (Friday)
  •  Arbor Day (Last Friday in April)*
  •  World Intellectual Property Day
• 28th* • (Sunday)  Workers Memorial Day*
• 30th* • (Tuesday)
  •  Honesty Day
  •  International Jazz Day

April special historical dates:

• 2021 - April 9 - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh died at the age of 99 years.
• 1948-9 - Nov-Apr - A blizzard covered the Midwest for several months.
• 1939 - April 26th-29th - Golden Spike Days Celebration and in celebration of the world premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's film "Union Pacific" in Omaha, NE.
• 1873 - April 13th-16th - A huge blizzard covered the central part of the state of Nebraska (Nance and Platte counties at the northern end and south to the state line). It was known as the Easter Blizzard due to starting on Easter Day (13th). (Ref)

Quotes relating to April

Literature relating to April

• “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November, etc.” • Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Biographia Literaria (Ch. 13)

Lyrics relating to April

•  “Sometimes it Snows in April.” • Prince

April Puzzle

The World Book Day was chosen to be on the 23rd because Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and William Shakespeare both died on April 23rd, 1616, but Shakespeare could have attended Miguel de Cervantes funeral in Spain, then returned home to England, and still have time to write an entire book before passing away. How is that possible?