The month of June is one of the four months that contain only 30 days.
June 1st brings with it new seasons, with meteorological summer beginning in the Northern Hemisphere and meteorological winter beginning in the Southern Hemisphere.
The month of June, like all the best superheroes, has several origin stories. One theory states that June was named after the Roman goddess Juno, wife to Jupiter and goddess of marriage.
Another theory states that June got its name from the Latin word “iuniores,” which roughly translates to “younger” since it follows the month of May, which is rumored to have been named after the Latin word for “elders” (which is “maiores” if anyone is interested).
The days of June are a varied bunch, with three separate days devoted to eating your vegetables and another five devoted to deliciously sweet treats that are best eaten in moderation.
Whatever the celebration, from Dare Day (June 1st) to Meteor Day (June 30th), we have all you need to spread a little random joy in your corner of the world.
Also, if you want to find out what events happened on each day in history in June, then click the link on the dates.
1st June – Dare Day.
Today is the day to dare yourself, or someone else, to do something crazy. Just make it legal and preferably safe!
We can’t afford a lawsuit because you decided that dodging traffic was something you just had to do today.
2nd June – Rocky Road Day.
Chocolate, marshmallows and nuts. What’s not to love about this day?
You can eat it as a candy bar, you can eat it in delicious oddly shaped chunks, and above all, you can eat it in ice cream.
Don’t worry about all the extra calories though, because we have several days of healthy eating coming our way to make up for all the rocky road related treats we can eat today (it’s practically mandatory).
3rd June – Repeat Day.
3rd June – Repeat Day. 3rd June – Repeat- Okay I think you get the idea. Today is Repeat Day, and because it’s Repeat Day, you have to repeat things over and over again… Because it’s Repeat Day.
Now, not all the things you do in your day warrant a repeat, you can probably leave off the extra tooth brushing, if only for your poor gums.
But why not try watching the same film a couple of times? Maybe you missed something the first time.
Or you could really annoy people by repeating everything you say like Foghorn Leghorn. Like Foghorn Leghorn. Like F- I’ll let myself out.
4th June – Cheese Day.
Cheese pre-dates recorded history. How cool is that?
Archaeologists theorize that cheese has been around since about 8000BC. Everyone made cheese, so nobody is really sure where it originated.
There is evidence of early cheese making in Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
In England they roll it down hills and chase after it. Celebrate today by ordering everything with cheese!
5th June – World Environment Day.
This day was started in 1974 by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
Each year has its own theme to do with the environment and how we, as a species, can improve it.
6th June – Yo-Yo Day.
The humble yo-yo can trace its roots back to ancient Greece; we know this because of a number of vases and plates that can be found with pictures of children playing with them.
But, enough about the peculiar record keeping of the ancient Greeks, and onto the 1920’s, when the modern yo-yo (the kind you can do tricks with) was designed by Pedro Flores.
Flores was a Filipino immigrant who redesigned the humble “bandalore” into a more trick friendly “yo-yo”.
Thanks to him you can go “around the world” without moving an inch. Celebrate by trying out a trick, or, failing that, watching the pros online.
7th June – Chocolate Ice Cream Day.
Yet another day lauding the beautiful foods that keep gyms in business.
Chocolate Ice Cream Day falls at the beginning of summer (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere), so this is a perfect opportunity to go out into the sunshine and enjoy some tasty chocolate ice cream.
8th June – Best Friends Day.
Today is all about your best friend, be they animal or human.
Spend some time with your best friend today and spoil each other. Or hurl insults at each other if that is more your style.
9th June – Donald Duck Day.
Good old Donald Duck made his debut in 1934 in a cartoon entitled “The Wise Little Hen”. Walt Disney’s previous creation Mickey Mouse had become a role model for many children, and so he needed a new character to showcase just how funny a short temper can be.
However, Donald Duck is not just Mickey’s angry friend, he happens to be the Disney character that has featured in the most Disney films.
He is also the most published comic book character outside of the superhero genre.
10th June – Ballpoint Pen Day.
The original ballpoint pen was devised in 1888 by John J. Loud. However this first incarnation of everyone’s favorite chew toy was full of problems and the patent held by Loud eventually lapsed.
It was not until 1938, when Hungarian newspaper editor Laszlo Biro got fed up of ink smudges and refilling fountain pens, and enlisted his brother, a chemist, to help him come up with the perfect kind of ink to couple with the ball and socket design, that the world at large was introduced to the humble biro.
When ballpoints came to America, in 1945, they were priced at $12.50 each.
11th June – Corn On The Cob Day.
This staple food is by far the most difficult to eat politely. Apparently it has caused many an etiquette expert to hang up her pearls in dismay and quit telling rich people how to avoid insulting other rich people.
Apparently eating it with your hands is permissible, but using a knife or spoon to scrape off the kernels for easier consumption is preferred.
I say cover it in butter and try not to burn your fingers, because corn on the cob is the perfect side dish for a BBQ and June is a perfect time to have one.
12th June – Loving Day.
On this day in 1967 the Supreme Court struck down all anti-miscegenation laws, which stated that interracial couples were not allowed to marry.
It began when Mildred, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, got married in Washington DC and returned home to Richmond, Virginia.
Virginia was one of the remaining 16 states of America that still outlawed interracial marriage, so they had to plead guilty to “cohabiting as man and wife, against the peace & dignity of the Commonwealth”, because history is full of idiots.
They avoided having to go to jail for being in love by agreeing to leave Virginia, but the sheer stupidity of the laws there urged them to take the matter to the Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and after a court case hilariously entitled “Loving vs. Virginia”, they won the right to be married in the last 16 states that were dragging their heels.
The Lovings returned to Virginia and, to the surprise and dismay of a lot of bigots, the world did not end.
13th June – Sewing Machine Day.
The first attempt to mechanize sewing happened in 1755, and the first “sewing machine” was used mainly to sew saddles and canvas ship sails.
It was not until 1842 that the sewing machines that we are familiar with came into being.
There are over seven billion people in this world, and most of them, being unable to grow a thick enough coat of fur, need clothes.
Imagine how hard this task would be if they had never invented the sewing machine.
14th June – Pop Goes The Weasel Day.
You know the tune, even if you’ve forgotten the words. What other song gives you the excuse to make the “pop” noise?
This nursery rhyme dates back to 1850’s England, where it seemed to have come into being in two separate parts.
The tune began life as a simple, and very popular, dance song, and the lyrics were added two years later.
15th June – Smile Power Day.
Smiles are universal. All human beings (barring the most tragic ones) smile.
Smiles can be used to dispel tension, put people at ease, and are, evolutionarily speaking, a good indicator that the human smiling at you isn’t about to steal your wallet and rip your ears off (unlike chimpanzees, who smile to show you their teeth and warn you that they might be about to use them).
However, culturally speaking, smiles can mean many different things around the world.
For example, in parts of Asia people smile when they are embarrassed.
And if you smile too much at people in the former Soviet Union, they will think you are a dishonest person. If you don’t happen to live in the former Soviet Union, spread the joy today with the power of a smile.
16th June – Fresh Veggies Day.
Today you pay for all the chocolate and cheese that June has indulged you in.
The good thing is that vegetables are about the healthiest thing around, packed with everything good for us, just short of financial stability.
Vegetables are essential for maintaining a well-balanced, healthy diet. And they taste great roasted or smothered in cheese.
17th June – Eat Your Veggies Day.
Yesterday we rejoiced at the health benefits of the fresh vegetable, from humble carrot, to the just plain weird cauliflower. And today you have to eat them. Yes, even the broccoli.
18th June – Splurge Day.
Created in 1994 by Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith, Splurge Day is all about treating yourself.
Take yourself out for an expensive meal. Buy yourself those shoes/that game/that giant pizza you always wanted but couldn’t get because you’re sensible with money.
Celebrate by indulging yourself, and don’t feel guilty about it!
19th June – World Sauntering Day.
Nothing makes me happier than a day created out of spite. And here it is; World Sauntering Day was created in 1979 by W.T Rabe, because jogging had gotten popular in his neck of the woods and he hated it.
He felt that these trendy new joggers did not take in enough of the world around them, so he decided to create a day devoted to wandering around slowly and taking in all the sights.
He probably ate chocolate in front of gym windows as well, the legend.
20th June – Ice Cream Soda Day.
This tasty beverage was invented in 1874 in Philadelphia by Robert McCay Green.
The phrase “necessity is the mother of invention” is extremely applicable here, since Mr. Green ran out of ice for his soda and used the coldest thing he had on hand – ice cream. And the rest is history.
Ice cream soda is popular around the world, in the U.K. they call it a “coke float”, and in Australia they call is a “spider” because of course they do.
21st June – Daylight Appreciation Day.
In the Northern Hemisphere, June 21st is generally recognized as the summer solstice, the day with most hours of daylight.
So in accordance with ancient Pagan tradition, we enjoy the sunshine all the way from 3am to 11pm.
Spend today outdoors, getting a good dose of Vitamin D, avoiding housework and any other kind of work you have to be indoors to do.
22nd June – Chocolate Eclair Day.
The name eclair is French, and means “flash of lightning”, the name was given to the delectable pastry because they could be eaten so quickly (in a flash).
Chocolate eclairs are made with choux pastry, which is the only pastry that is made in a pan.
Once the choux pastry is cooked it is hollow, and persons unknown back in nineteenth century France decided that that was just not good enough, so they filled it with cream and topped it with chocolate. And we thank them for it, though our waistlines might not!
23rd June – Pink Day.
The color pink has been described by many of the great authors, from Homer to Lucretius, which is impressive since they didn’t actually name it “pink” until the 17th Century.
Until the 17th Century “pink” was a verb that meant “to decorate with a perforated or punched pattern” (which is why they’re called “pinking shears”) and the color pink was always referred to as “rosy” or as a “pale red”.
Now, you don’t have to dress in pink from head to toe today if you have a particular aversion to the color, but it sure would confuse a lot of people around you.
Pink is the color people associate with: love, beauty, charm, politeness, sensitivity, tenderness, sweetness, childhood, femininity, and the romantic.
24th June – Pralines Day.
Pralines are not just something they make on Masterchef to show off. They are a mixture of nuts and sugar syrup, and sometimes cream.
The nuts can be ground or whole, the sugar syrup can be milky or pure caramel.
There are commonly three main types of pralines. French pralines are simply almonds and caramelized sugar. American pralines are made with either pecans or hazelnuts, with a creamy sugar syrup. And Belgian pralines are just chocolatey, nutty, tiny parcels of heaven.
If you’ve never tried anything more adventurous than a praline cookie (a cookie containing ground nuts) then indulge yourself and try all three!
25th June – Catfish Day.
Today is not about celebrating those twisted individuals who make money off the lonely by pretending to be a hot, blonde, 23 year old. No, today dates back to 1987, when President Ronald Reagan decreed that the 25th of June was Catfish Day.
I’m sure there was a discussion beforehand. Catfish are an excellent source of vitamin D and get their name from the prominent “barbels” on their face, giving them the appearance of having whiskers.
Fish is an excellent alternative to meat and carries many health benefits, so you can have it deep fried and not feel so guilty.
26th June – Chocolate Pudding Day.
We have finally come to the last food themed day of June, and what a day to go out on. Chocolate Pudding Day is celebrated by eating massive amounts of chocolate pudding, which can trace its origins all the way back to 1903, where it debuted in Mary Harris Frazer’s “Kentucky Receipt Book”.
Buy it ready-made, or make it from scratch, either way this is the last day of June that you can stuff yourself silly with a food not meant to be consumed in great quantities.
27th June – Sunglasses Day.
Just like our skin gets sunburn, so do our eyes.
And sunburn to the eyes results in a big patch of your field of vision just disappearing and not coming back for a while.
Like when a camera flash goes off. In cases of prolonged staring at the sun (thirty minutes), vision disturbances did not get better for 3 months.
So this National Sunglasses Day, why not buy yourself a pair of sunglasses, you’ll look cool and your eyes will thank you.
28th June – Paul Bunyan Day.
You should all have heard of Paul Bunyan, the giant lumberjack whose best friend is Babe the Blue Ox.
He is a staple of American folklore, though many experts have questioned the legitimacy of his origins as a folklore hero, arguing that he was simply a hero of “fakelore”, being a literary invention passed off as an older character whose origins lie in the oral tradition of storytelling.
Either way, what a day to dress up like a lumberjack and paint the local cows blue.
You could attempt to imitate some of his exploits today, but skating on a hot skillet with pats of butter on your feet is quite dangerous.
We suggest getting to know some of the stories of this American icon.
29th June – Waffle Iron Day.
Does your waffle iron sit dejected in your cupboard? Do you even own a waffle iron? Well today is the day to remedy that.
Waffle irons have been around since the 14th Century, originating in the Netherlands and Belgium.
While there have been a lot of days this June dedicated to stuffing yourself with delicacies or adding cheese to everything, today is different, you can have waffles as part of a healthy breakfast, safe in the knowledge that if it was good enough for the Vikings, then it’s good enough for you.
30th June – Meteor Day.
The word meteor comes from the Greek word “meteoros”, which means “high in the sky”.
Since most meteors occur from between 42 and 77 miles from the surface of the earth, this name is very fitting.
Meteors shed glowing material once they come into contact with heated air particles in our atmosphere, creating the famous “tail”, and they come in orange, yellow, blue, red, and purple.
The middle of summer is approaching and what better way to make the most of the warm evenings than by placing a blanket somewhere grassy and watching for a shooting star?
