If you were born in June, your birthstone is the pearl. Pearls are found in clams and oysters.  However,  in ancient Greece, people thought  pearls came from Aphrodite’s tears.  These translucent gems are typically milky white or cream,  but they can also come in lavender, green, black, blue, and silver.  It all depends on the oyster or clam  The pearl came from and the environment in which it was produced.

June is known for weddings, but do you know why? In Ancient Rome, the Romans celebrated Juno, the goddess of marriage, around the month of June. In the 15th and 16th centuries, June was the month when people first bathed after the long winter. Both traditions lead to an increase in marriages during the month. Today, over 10 percent of all weddings each year are held during the month of June.

On June 26, 1989, President Dwight Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The seaway is the world’s largest inland waterway. Ships are able to travel the seaway from Duluth, Minnisota, to the Atlantic Ocean, which is a total distance of more than 2,000 miles. More than 50 million tons of cargo moves along the seaway each year. Ships carry steel, wood, coal, and much more.

Every June, the third Sunday of the month is all about fathers. That’s because the third Sunday of June is when many people celebrate Father’s Day. On this day, people often give cards or gifts to their fathers, grandfathers, and other special men in their lives. The first official Father’s Day was held in 1910 after a women named Sonora Smart Dodd pushed for a day to honour her father who raised six children on his own.

Every June, the best tennis players in the world head to London for the world’s oldest tennis tournament. Wimbledon, as the tournament is known, is played at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club. It is one of the few tennis matches to be played on a real grass court, which was also how it was played in 1877 during the very first Wimbledon. That first tournament was won by Spencer Gore.

Since 2004, skateboarders around the world have celebrated June 21 as Go Skateboarding Day. On Go Skateboarding Day, skateboarders use this day as an excuse to spend their time focusing on something they love- skateboarding! They skateboard all day long. According to the International Association of Skateboarding Companies, the motto of the day is,” have fun, go skateboarding!”

On June 19, 1865, the Union soldiers brought good news to Gaveston, Texas, that the war was over and all slaves were now free. Today, this occasion is celebrated as Juneteenth. It is also sometimes called Black Independance Day or Emancipation Day. Even though Juneteenth is only recognized as a leagal holiday in Texas and Oklahoma, it is celebrated across the United States with festivals and speeches.

One of America’s best-known architects is Frank Lloyd Wright. Born on June 8, 1867, Wright went on to design many unique homes and buildings. He loved nature and wanted his designs to fit in with their surroundings. His most famous design is called Fallingwater. Wright built the home so that a river flowed under it and used rocks from the river to help it blend into the scenery, making it look more like a waterfall than a house.

When she was 19 months old, Hellen Keller was stricken with an illness that caused her to lose her hearing and sight. In her younger years, Keller communicated with her family by using sign language under the tutelage of Anne Sullivan. The amazing story of her formal education was depicted in the play The Miracle Worker, which was later adapted into a film. In 1904, Keller graduated from Radcliffe College, becoming the first deaf and blind person to receive a Bachelor’s degree. Later in life, Keller helped found the ACLU and became an advocate for a number of social causes, including women’s sufferage and labor rights.

Donald Duck first appeared in a cartoon called “The Wise Little Hen“ on June 9, 1934. He became such a popular character that more cartoons were made with him than were made with Mickey Mouse! Donald’s original voice was provided by Clarence “Ducky” Nash. Nash played the plucky duck for 50 years. Known for his temper tantrums, Donald became the subject of a daily comic strip in 1928.