April Fun Facts.
April is the fourth month of the year in today’s calendar, it comes after March and is followed by May. The month of April is the first month in the calendar’s order to have a 30-day length and it is also the second not to have 31 days. It is said to be the second month of spring for those in the northern hemisphere.
An interesting fun facts for April is that the month of April is the only month in the entire year with a day totally dedicated to fools, this happens on the first day of the month which makes April to be considered fools month. While this fact isn’t particularly new it is interesting that despite the 365 days in the calendar only April has a fools day. There are much more intriguing fun April facts which we have compiled in this article below.
There are some cool facts to know about this month, and, in this article, I’ll be sharing with you April fun facts you need to know about the month of April.
Fun Facts For April
- April Fool
April fool’s day is arguably the most popular date from January, the beginning of the year. The 1st of April is referred to as April Fool’s Day and it is a time for pranks and jokes amongst different people. Even big corporations like BBC take part in it as they’ve run a news piece about flying penguins and spaghetti growing in the Nordic region, Sweden to be precise.
The origin of this day is not fully confirmed as some people believe it is related to the story, “Nun’s Priest’s Tale”, by Geoffrey Chaucer in the book ” Canterbury Tales”.
- It is an important time in space exploration
The first human exploration into space happened in April. Yuri Gagarin, a Russian astronaut was the first person to go into space on April 12th, 1961. He achieved this by using the Vostok 1 spacecraft which enabled him to travel 187 miles above Earth.
Also, Apollo 13, a spacecraft for exploring the moon, was launched on April 11, 1920, 56 hours before it ran into engine difficulties “Houston, we’ve had a problem”. After the difficulties, the three astronauts were forced to land back on Earth in a very discomforting situation but they all made it back alive.
- The meaning
The word April is said to be roughly translated from the Latin word “Aperire”. It is said to mean “to open”, and this is quite visible as it is during April that lots of flowers begin to bloom.
It is also the period when animals that hibernated in the Northern hemisphere start to come out of their burrows and finally open to the world.
- It was once the 5th month
Everyone knows April as the fourth month of the year in today’s calendar, the Gregorian calendar, but it was once the 5th of the year according to the Julian calendar.
- Birthstone
The birthstone for the month of April is Diamond and is thought to mean innocence.
- It got one more day
Traditionally, April used to have only 29 days, but one more day was added to it when the Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar.
- Zodiac signs
Just like every other month, there are two zodiac signs in April and they are Aries and Taurus. Aries is the zodiac sign until the 19th day of the month while Taurus is the zodiac sign from the 20th of the month onwards.
- A time to remember in the US
April is host to one of the days to remember in the US as on April 30, 1789, George Washington, the first President of the US was inaugurated.
- It has some tragic events
Unfortunately, there have been some tragedies in April.
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded on April 26, 1986. It created a radioactive cloud that covered over 300 miles radius forcing everyone there to be evacuated. This event caused the area to be inhabitable for over 30 years with a few people moving back in from 2018.
It was also in April that the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. This happened on April 15, 1912, and about 706 people survived with about 1500 not making it out.
- An important time in sports
April is also an important time to remember in the history of modern sports as it was during the month that the first Olympics was held in Athens. The event took place on April 6, 1896, after it had not taken place for about 1,500 years.
- Famous personalities
The month of April is host to some famous and iconic personalities across history. Some famous and iconic people are Robert Downey Jr, Queen Elizabeth II, Travis Scott, Leonardo da Vinci, Shirley Temple, Charlie Chaplin, Hans Christian Andersen, and Colin Powell.
One of the most evergreen writers and poets, Williams Shakespeare was also born in April, on the 26th day in the year 1564 to be precise.
- Weather
The month of April is said to be the second month of spring in the northern hemisphere. It is said to be the seasonal equivalent to October in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.
- It was a holy time
According to the Ancient Romans traditions, the month of April was a period sacred to the goddess Venus.
- Meteor showers
The month of April is a period for meteor showers as from April 16 to April 25, a meteor shower called Lyrids appears. Also, Eta Aquariids, another meteor shower appears from the 19th till the next month. If you’re a fan of them, you can take a look at the sky during these periods to check for them.
- Birth flowers
Just like every other month, April also has birth flowers and they are even fortunate enough to have two which are the Sweet Pea and the Daisy.
We have gotten to the end of the list of fun facts for April, but if you want to learn more about April fun facts let’s look at some of the most popular frequently asked questions about April facts below. These questions are all about the month of April and would reveal more facts you probably never knew about the month.
Aprile FAQs
What is special about the month of April?
The special thing about the month of April is that it is the only month with a day dedicated to fools. Another special thing about the month of April is that we have the Easter bunny making its appearance.
What does the month of April stand for?
The month of April is named after the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. The name of the month in the Roman calendar is Aprilis which translates to open.
What God is April named after?
April is named after Aprodite the Greek goddess of love.
What is April named for?
April is named after the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. It’s actual name in the Roman calendar is Aprilis which means to open.
Is April a good name for a girl?
April is a good name for a girl, judging by the numerous people named after the month. The month is named after the Greek goddess of love, that could be a contributing factor.
Is Easter always in April?
Easter is not always in the month of April because it is not a fixed celebration/feast. There are weeks which the feast could fall in between. Going by the records, Easter could be on any Sunday between the 22nd of March and the 25th of April.
Is April a unisex name?
No, April is not unisex named. April is a female given name typically given to new born baby girls.
Can April be a boy name?
No, a boy can not be named April. Because April is a female given name and not a male name.
What is the rarest date for Easter?
March 24th is the rarest date for Easter even though it falls within the possible days an Easter could be celebrated(between 22nd March and 25th of April).
Are there people named April?
Yes, there are lots of people named April, they are typically females because the name April is a female given name.
That’s all the facts we have about the month of April. If you have friends and family born in the month of April you might want to share these facts with them so they can learn something new about their birth month. You could also share the April facts with your friends named April. Do check out facts about the month of May next.
