Ripped from the Headlines: August 2025: August Words

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, a strike that resulted in Japan's surrender and the end of World War II. The destructive weapons, powered by nuclear reactions, killed about 200,000 Japanese civilians. It was the only use of an atomic weapon during a war. Fiction writer H.G. Wells coined atomic bomb, which he imagined as exploding indefinitely.

In 8 BCE, the month previously known as Sextilus, or "sixth month," was renamed August in honor of the first Roman emperor, Augustus Caesar. It had already become the eighth month of the year in 700 BCE, when January and February were added to the calendar, so Sextilus didn’t make much sense anyway. In Latin, augustus means "majestic, magnificent, or noble."

The first U.S. census began on August 2, 1790, one year after President George Washington was inaugurated, and it's been happening each decade ever since. The U.S. Constitution mandates the census, which tallies up the number of people in the country and records their age, race, and gender. Among other things, the information is used to determine how many U.S. Representatives each state has. In Latin, census means "to assess."

During the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave one of the most famous speeches of the 20th century. Known today as the "I Have a Dream" speech, it called for an end to racial discrimination. King spoke of his fervent dream that his children would "one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." A year later, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law.

The catastrophic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius on August 24 in 79 CE sent hot ash, molten lava, and deadly gases spewing into the air, and it destroyed several Roman cities. The volcanic blast was so violent it inspired a new scientific adjective, Vesuvian, used to describe eruptions that propel gas and debris into the stratosphere. Eruption has a Latin root, erumpere , "burst forth."

During a solar eclipse on August 18, 1868, the French astronomer Jules Janssen observed a bright yellow line in the sun's atmosphere, which he assumed was sodium. Further study by British astronomer Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer determined that what Janssen had seen was actually a previously unknown element, which Lockyer named helium, from the Greek hēlios, or "sun." Helium is used to inflate balloons, which float because helium is lighter than air.

In many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, August brings summer sunshine, high temperatures, and humidity. This word comes from the Latin humidus, "moist," and a root meaning "wet." That’s the thing about humid weather: it’s damp and sticky, and it makes a hot day feel even hotter. Humidity is defined as the percentage of water vapor in the air, sometimes in the form of rain or fog. If a weather report says it’s 95 degrees with 70% humidity, it's officially a scorcher.

August 4, 1901, is the birthday of one of history's most influential jazz musicians, Louis Armstrong. Also known as "Pops" or "Satchmo," Armstrong was known for his distinctive, gravelly vocals and the rhythmic swing of his trumpet playing. His voice remains familiar today, from popular songs like "What a Wonderful World" and "Blueberry Hill." Etymologists suspect that jazz comes from an old slang term, jasm, "energy or spirit."

If you know a five- or six-year-old, they're probably pretty excited about Get Ready for Kindergarten Month. This is the chance for brand new kindergarteners to prep for their first forays into the world of elementary school. Kindergarten means "garden of children" in German; it was named by the 17th-century educator Friedrich Fröbel, who is credited with inventing many of the concepts still used in early education today.

When India gained independence in August 1947 after more than 300 years of British rule, the continent was divided into two self-governing countries, India and Pakistan. This process was known as Partition. The split, intended to peacefully separate Hindus and Muslims into their own nation-states, resulted in more than 10 million people losing their homes and spurred violence that caused as many as two million deaths. The word's Latin root, partire, means "to divide."

Put on your eye patch and tricorn hat, and grab your parrot — aye, matey, it's International Pirate Month! Arr-gust is the perfect time to hold a pirate-themed party, make your siblings walk the plank (into the pool), or practice your best pirate lingo. It’s also a great opportunity to learn some history about Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and other free-wheeling thieves of the sea. The Greek root of pirate is peiratēs, "one who plunders ships."

In a speech on August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation. He stepped down from his position as president in the wake of the Watergate scandal, when members of his reelection campaign illegally wiretapped the Democratic National Committee. Rather than face impeachment for the role he and his administration played, Nixon became the only U.S. president ever to give up the job. Resignation derives from a Latin root meaning "cancel or annul."

From early motion pictures like The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes to later thrillers like Rear Window and The Birds, British filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was adept at keeping movie viewers on the edge of their seats. In fact, he was widely known as "The Master of Suspense." You can celebrate Hitchcock's birthday on August 13 by viewing one of his psychologically thrilling films — just look out for that plot twist at the end!

Hawaii officially became a state when it joined the Union on August 21, 1959, after almost 60 years as a U.S. territory. Before Hawaii’s last queen was overthrown in 1893 with the help of the United States, Hawaii was an independent monarchy. The newest of the 50 states, Hawaii also has the distinction of being the only state that’s completely made up of islands. The Latin root of union means "oneness."