By Glenn Dromgoole

I’m kind of biased when it comes to August, it being the month I was born in. It’s also the month when school and church start back up (used to be September), when football season actually kicks off, when families try to cram in last-minute summer vacation weekends, and when we count down how many more days until the Fair when surely it will finally rain.

August is National Dog Month (the dog days of August), and other special days to celebrate, including International Beer Day, National Girlfriend Day, National Watermelon Day, Ice Cream Sandwich Day, National Oyster Day (yum!), Wiggle Your Toes Day (whatever that is), World Mosquito Day (swat’em), World Lion Day, World Elephant Day, and World Lizard Day.

And don’t forget International Left Handers Day (one of my faves — August 13.) It seems kind of late, but August 30 is National Beach Day. Ah, August 11 is National Presidential Joke Day, probably not declared by a presidential executive order but enthusiastically celebrated nonetheless.

A number of important things have happened in August. To cite a few:

The 19^th Amendment was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920, giving women the right to vote.

The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, leading to the end of World War II eight days later on V-J Day.

Hawaii was admitted to the Union in 1959 as the 50th state.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by LBJ.

President Nixon resigned, in the fallout from the Watergate scandal, on Aug. 9, 1974.

Marilyn Monroe died at age 36 on Aug. 5, 1962, Elvis Presley died at age 42 on Aug. 16, 1977, and Princess Diana died at age 36 on Aug. 31, 1997.

Noted August births: Napoleon Bonaparte (1769), Francis Scott Key (1779), Davy Crockett (1786), Annie Oakley (1860), Herbert Hoover (1874), Alfred Hitchcock (1899), Louis Armstrong (1901), Lyndon Johnson (1908), Mother Teresa (1910), Fidel Castro (1927), Bill Clinton (1946), Barack Obama (1961).

And, according to Jay Moore in his book Abilene Daily, the Westgate Shopping Capital opened on Aug. 9, 1962, and the very first Taco Bueno opened in Abilene on Aug. 15, 1967.

Enjoy the month. Oh, yeah, it’s also National Sandwich Month, National Catfish Month, and National Golf Month. 

I’m especially partial to August 12. 

Glenn Dromgoole has a new book coming out this fall – The Christmas Spirit: A Celebration in Word and Song. Contact him at gdromgoole44@gmail.com for more information or visit Texas Star Trading Company downtown.