Thursday Thirteen

As we are part way through the month of April, I thought that today, we would look at some fun facts and trivia associated with this month.

1.The two Zodiac signs for the month of April are Aries (February 18 to April 19) and Taurus (April 19 to May 20).

2.Aries is symbolized by a ram and starts the Zodiac circle as the first astrological sign. Those whose birthdays fall under this fire sign are said to be adventurous, resilient, courageous and sometimes moody.

3.A bull is the icon for the Earth sign Taurus. Patience, reliability, and determination are some of the virtues bestowed upon those born under the sign along with a jealous streak and perhaps a bit of self-indulgence and greed.

4.April Fools' Day is April 1stt! Before the 1560s, April 1st was New Years Day throughout Europe. The calendar changed to what we now use, but those who still celebrated New Years Day on April 1 were dubbed "April Fools." The "fools" were teased and a target for practical jokes, hence the pranks that are played on April 1st in modern times like putting salt in the sugar bowl and similar Tomfoolery!

5.April 1 kicks off the Japanese fiscal year with some companies hosting Nyushashiki, a new employee entry ceremony of sorts for recent graduates joining the company.

6.April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar, before January and February were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC.

7.The Anglo-Saxons called April Oster-monath or Eostur-monath.

8.Thai New Year in Thailand - April 13.

9.April 1st 1956 - Elvis Presley was given a screen test at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, acting the role of Jimmy Curry in a scene from 'The Rainmaker.'

10.April 2nd 1997 - Singer Joni Mitchell is reunited with Kilauren Gibb, the daughter she gave up for adoption 32 years earlier.

11.April 5th 1967 - Monkees fans walked from London's Marble Arch to the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square to protest Davy Jone's planned call-up. (Jones was exempted because he was deemed responsible for supporting his father).

12.April 13th 1640: Charles I's eleven years of personal rule end with the calling of the 'Short Parliament' at Westminster.

13.April 15th 1912: The 'unsinkable' liner SS 'Titanic' strikes an iceberg in the Atlantic and sinks, killing 1,503 people.