July 3, 2023 – Happy National Fried Clam Day, y’all! I’m getting a(another) late start on the website update this month and was stymied for an article topic. I decided to find facts about July. For those data freaks out there: here ya go!

The Seventh Month

The seventh month of the Gregorian year is named in honor of Julius Caesar. In 63 B.C. Caesar had been elected Pontifex Maximus. During this time, the calendar was 355 days long. Gradually, through mishandling and corruption, pontiffs allowed the calendar to lengthen. To please one priest and anger another, January slipped into fall shortening it. While Caesar didn’t place the month of Quintilis (meaning fifth) in the strangely seventh place, he did decide to change from a lunisolar to a solar calendar.

A year after Caesar completed the calendar, he was assassinated on the Ides of March. In his honor, the Roman Senate named the seventh month July, the month of Caesar’s birth.

Quintilis

July was originally named Quintilis after Marcus Aurelius Claudius Quintillus, a Roman Emperor who died in 270 B.C.  Before the Roman calendar, there were only ten months, and Quintilis was the fifth month. When the Romans added new months, Quintilis and other months were adjusted. The new solar year would consist of 365 days, adding 10 to the total. The extra days were distributed among the months with 29 days.

Thе new calendar went іntо effect оn the first dау оf Jаnuаrу 709 A.U.C. (ab urbе condita—”from the fоundіng оf thе сіtу [Rоmе]”) Jаnuаrу 1, 45 B.C. and put аn end tо thе arbitrary and іnассurаtе nаturе оf thе еаrlу Roman ѕуѕtеm. Thе Julіаn саlеndаr bесаmе thе predominant саlеndаr thrоughоut Europe for thе nеxt 1600 уеаrѕ untіl Pоре Gregory mаdе furthеr rеfоrmѕ іn 1582.

Certain соuntrіеѕ аnd institutions іn fасt аdhеrеd to this ancient ѕуѕtеm untіl wеll іntо thе twеntіеth сеnturу. Thе Julіаn саlеndаr wаѕ uѕеd іn Russia untіl 1917 and іn Chіnа untіl 1949. To this day the Eastern Orthodox сhurсh adheres tо Cаеѕаr’ѕ саlеndаr.

Read More at National Day Calendar.

This is a quick summary of the next three events on our schedule. Click any of the event titles above to go to the Events page for the full listing.

Once there, click the title of any scheduled activity on the Events page for more details.

It is with a sad heart that I wish to inform our TBI members that we have lost one of our own. Carol Jean Vosburgh was tragically killed in a biking accident last Wednesday, July 10 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Our hearts go out to her family and friends.

At this time, we have no information regarding memorial services.

Mary Goiran

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Our sincere condolences also go out to Mary Stachnik and her family. Mary’s husband John passed away peacefully at their home on Wednesday, July 17. Our hearts are with you.

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We also encourage and comfort our members in times of challenge. If you are aware of any such need, please contact Heather Rush, TBI Secretary, via email.

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