There is so much more to the month of October than ghouls and goblins. For instance, the reason behind why October was named after the number eight and which influential people in history were born in this month. October is known for pumpkins and Halloween, but aside from that, what else is the month of October known for?
1. October was the eighth month of the year in the Roman Calendar
Before there was even the Gregorian Calendar, the calendar which the modern world uses today, the Roman calendar was originally the sole calendar used millennia ago.
The Roman Calendar also had 12 months. At first, 10 out of those 12 months had formal names. The months of May, April, May, and June had meanings behind their formal names. March, May, and June were named after gods and goddesses, meanwhile, April had its name stem from the buds opening during springtime.
For the succeeding months of September, October, November, and December, their names simply came from numbers. Quintilis was the fifth month, Sextilis was the sixth, September was the seventh, October was the eighth, November was the ninth, and December was the tenth.
Eventually, January (Januarius) and February (Februarius) were added to the calendar; the former became the first month of the calendar, while the latter came after the month of December.
Of course, like everything in this world, the Roman Calendar ceased to be used by the people in 45 BCE and was replaced with the Julian Calendar. In this calendar, February was moved to the second spot on the calendar, leaving the other months to adjust accordingly.
The Romans tried changing the months’ names but ultimately failed to keep them permanent. To this day, despite officially being the tenth month in the Gregorian Calendar, October still keeps its octo name.
2. October always ends on the same day as February—every year
This may not be noticed by everyone, but in actuality, no matter what year it is, both October and February will always end on the same day. This year, 2022, February ended on a Monday. Take a look at the calendar and you will see that October will also end on a Monday.
If you look at the year 2023, both months would end on the same day, which is Tuesday. The same thing goes for the succeeding years as well.
3. Mahatma Gandhi was born in October
One of the most influential individuals that impacted the world was none other than Mahatma Gandhi himself. This non-violent person who led his fellowmen to freedom from British colonial rule was actually born on October 2, 1869.
4. The People’s Republic of China was founded in October
When we talk about China, one of the things that comes to mind is the Chinese Communist Party. This form of government was formerly known as the People’s Republic of China, which was founded on October 1, 1949.
5. Peak fall foliage begins around the month of October
While the fall season began on September 22 this year, the peak of fall foliage happens a month after. As leaves start to lose chlorophyll during this season, they also start to lose their green pigment. In turn, they are replaced with warm tones of yellows, oranges, and reds.
6. The first McDonald’s in Britain opened its doors on the month of October
The popular fast food chain, McDonald’s, had its first branch in Britain and opened its doors to the public in the district of Woolwich in October 1974. This branch was also responsible for creating the McMariner, the British version of the ever-famous Filet-o-Fish.
7. Several countries have named the month of October after the number 8
As we have previously mentioned, the 10th month’s name originated from the Latin word octo, meaning eight. For some reason, we expect foreign countries to have a different name for this month, but in reality, they also name October after the number eight.
For example, Spanish speaking countries, October is called Octubre; in German and Danish, they say Oktober; in French, they say Octobre; and in Italian, they say Ottobre.
8. 44% of Americans purchase pumpkins in the month of October alone
October is celebrated for an abundance of occasions, but of course, this month is commonly celebrated for Halloween. And what do people do in preparation for this holiday? They create Jack-o-lanterns. This is the reason why 44% of Americans purchase pumpkins in the month of October.
With pumpkin costs spiking up more than usual in 2022, Finder estimates that Americans will spend a whopping $804 million on pumpkins in 2022 alone.
9. Six of the United States’ presidents were born in October
October has been hailed as “President’s Month” given that the majority of U.S. presidents were born in this month. The likes of John Adams, Chester Arthur, Jimmy Carter, Rutherford Hayes, Dwight Eisenhower, and Theodore Roosevelt
10. These libras and scorpios were born in October
There are quite a lot of actors born in October, and the majority of them are some names that we know all too well.
- Zach Galifianakis
- Ralph Lauren
- Gwen Stefani
- Eminem
- Kate Winslet
- Zach Efron
- Snoop Dogg
- Matt Damon
- Kim Kardashian
- Bob Odenkirk
- Ryan Reynolds
- Hugh Jackman
- Drake
And the list just goes on!
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