Five Things You May Not Know About Summer

  1. Seasonal changes result from the tilt of Earth’s rotational axis. During summer, the northern hemisphere faces towards the sun, allowing those living in this part of the planet to experience relatively long days and warm temperatures.
  2. The word “summer” can be traced to the word “sumor,” which was the Old English name for warmest part of the year.
  3. The word “June” is believed to date back to Roman times; either the month’s name comes from the name the lower branch of the roman Senate (Juniores) or the god Jupiter’s wife (Juno). The month of July was named by the Roman general Marc Antony, who chose this name as a way to honor Julius Caesar.
  4. The Eiffel Tower actually grows roughly half a foot during the summer months as the iron it is constructed from expands when exposed to warm temperatures.
  5. The year “1816” is often referred to as “the year without a summer.” Due to a volcanic eruption in Indonesia which spewed large amounts of ash into the atmosphere blocking out the sun’s rays from cleanly passing through to the Earth’s surface, Europe and North America were stricken with abnormally cool and rainy weather, causing numerous crop failures and steep increases in food prices.

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