Awarenesses MONTH
Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. It is a time to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and to have conversations about your own or your friends and loved one’s cognitive health.
Pride Month
Pride Month is when the world’s LGBTQ+ communities come together and celebrate the freedom to be themselves. Chosen for the month of the Stonewall uprising in June 1969, the first pride parade was held in New York City on June 28, 1970.
PTSD Awareness Month PTSD Awareness Month is observed in June, highlighting the struggles of those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which occurs in those who have experienced traumatic events such as war, violent assault, and accidents. First declared as an awareness day by the U.S. Senate in 2010, it was expanded to the entire month of June in 2014.
Gun Violence Awareness Month Wearing orange in June is a sign of support for Gun Violence Awareness Month. The United States has already experienced more than 250 shootings in which four or more people have been shot so far this year. Gun violence has risen to become the leading cause of death in those 18 and younger.
Immigrant Heritage Month June has been proclaimed as Immigrant Heritage Month to honor the men and women who have enriched American society, economy, and culture through immigration to the United States. It serves as a reminder of the diverse heritage that has formed the United States since its founding, from the earliest refugees who traveled across the Atlantic on the Mayflower, the millions who arrived at Ellis Island, and those now fleeing savage conditions in their counties to join the melting pot this country is known for. WEEKS
Pet Appreciation Week The first week in June is Pet Appreciation Week, which is proudly known by the acronym PAW. It is a celebration raising the need for pet care and pet-related health issues and encourages us to show our appreciation for our pets in all the love they give to us.
Lightning Safety Awareness Week
The third week of June is Lightning Safety Awareness Week. There are about 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in the United States each year, resulting in an average of about 500 people struck by lightning and more than 50 lightning fatalities each year. Learn lightning safety guidelines and stay safe.
Mosquito Control Awareness Week
National Mosquito Control Awareness Week takes place from June 20-26 each year, and strives to educate on the importance of avoiding mosquito bites because of the diseases they spread.
Helen Keller Deaf-blind Awareness Week
Helen Keller Deaf-blind Awareness Week sets aside the last week of June to honor Helen Keller (whose birthday was June 27) and to advocate for making everyday life easier for those deaf-blind persons. First proclaimed in 1984, it has become a time to encourage employers to recruit deaf-blind individuals and for businesses to ensure their establishments are deaf-blind friendly.
DAYS
World Oceans Day - June 8
World Oceans Day was proclaimed by the United Nations to recognize the role oceans have in our lives, from the weather to being a source of food and medicine, and to commit to keeping our oceans healthy.
World Day Against Child Labor - June 12 World Day Against Child Labor hopes to eliminate child labor worldwide. While progress has been made, recent years have seen the beginnings of a re-emergence of child labor, even in the United States. The United Nations calls for an end to this practice.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day - June 15 The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 1 in 6 people 60 years old or older have experienced some form of abuse during the past year. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15 is a call to raise awareness of this injustice and calls for effective solutions to combat ageism and stop the abuse of older people. World Refugee Day - June 20 June 20 is World Refugee Day and is dedicated to honoring those who have been forced to flee their homes to seek safety for themselves and their families. It calls us to work for solutions to help their plight to become economically and socially included in their new communities.
United Nations Public Service Day - June 23 June 23 is not only Royal Arcanum Day but also United Nations Public Service Day. The United Nations designated the first Public Service Day to take place in 2003. It highlights the value of public service, recognizes the work of public servants, and encourages people to pursue careers in the public sector. Holidays and Observances On June 6, 1944, troops from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom landed on the beaches of Normandy to begin the liberation of Europe. Named D-Day (“D” being a placeholder for the then-unknown date the invasion would actually begin), the largest naval, air, and land assault in history. June 6 honors the 156,000 soldiers who landed that day, the more than 4,000 who gave their lives, and the hundreds of thousands who followed to begin to end World War II. National Children’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of June - June 11 this year. It focuses our attention on the importance of children in our society, and the challenges they face as they grow into adulthood. Flag Day is celebrated annually on June 14, commemorating the date in 1777 when the United States approved the design for the first national flag. It is honored by flying the flag on that day. Father’s Day, celebrated in the United States on the third Sunday of June (June 18), honors fatherhood and the contributions of fathers and father figures in their children’s lives. While its origin is attributed to Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, it did not become a national holiday until 1972. The Civil War officially ended on April 9, 1865, with the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee to Union General Ulysses S. Grant; but the news of the end of the war, and with it, the end of slavery, didn’t reach everyone immediately. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Grander proclaimed the freedom for slaves in Texas that all former slaves knew of their emancipation. Juneteenth has been celebrated unofficially on June 19 in local celebrations ever since in the African-American community, sometimes moving the celebration to the third Saturday of June. It wasn’t until 2021 that it was first proclaimed as a federal holiday. The amount of time of sunlight each day has been growing longer every day since the vernal equinox, and will continue to lengthen our days until the Summer Solstice on June 21, when the Earth reaches its maximum tilt toward the sun. The Arctic Circle will see continuous daylight around the time of the solstice, and the Antarctic Circle will see continuous darkness. It traditionally marks the official start of Summer. Fun Days Flip a Coin Day on June 1 celebrates the importance and history of making a decision through coin flips, which have been used to make vital decisions for centuries. National Ice Cream Soda Day is celebrated on June 20. The ice cream soda’s history reaches back to 1874 (or 1875? Or 1862?) and is eagerly celebrated on many warm summer days. National Detroit-Style Pizza Day, a day that it seems is never celebrated in New York or Chicago, falls on June 23. Detroit-Style pizza was first created in 1946 when Gus Guerra pressed pizza dough into a thick steel pan and topped it with cheese and tomato sauce. The resulting soft, airy, square crust with crunchy end pieces became a hit and a legend. Looking for the perfect summertime dessert? National Ice Cream Cake Dayon June 27 gives you the opportunity to enjoy a frosted cake with alternating layers of cake and ice cream. Take the time to enjoy making, or at least, eating one to celebrate.
Historical Events
This month, instead of focusing on June history, we’ll look at what first happened the year that the Royal Arcanum was founded. February 12, 1877: The first news dispatch by telephone was sent between Boston & Salem, Massachusetts February 20, 1877: The first cantilever bridge in the United States was completed in Harrodsburg, Kentucky March 2, 1887: The first (and only) congressionally-appointed Electoral Commission declares Rutherford B. Hayes as the winner of the presidential election March 4, 1877: The first performance of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, in Moscow March 13, 1877: The first earmuffs are patented by Chester Greenwood April 2, 1877: The first Easter egg roll was held on the White House lawn April 2, 1877: The first human cannonball act is performed April 12, 1877: A catcher’s mask is first used in a baseball game April 15, 1877: The first regular telephone line, from Boston to Somerville, was completed May 7, 1877: The term “bullpen” is first used to indicate baseball field foul territory, due to the way late-arriving spectators were herded like cattle May 8, 1877: The first Westminster Dog Show was held May 10, 1877: The first White House telephone is installed June 15, 1877: Henry Ossian Flipper becomes the first African American to graduate from West Point July 11, 1877: Kate Edger becomes the first woman in the British Empire to earn a Bachelor of Arts July 19, 1877: Spencer Gore becomes the first Wimbledon men’s tennis champion July 23, 1877: The first telephone line in Hawaii is completed July 23, 1877: The first municipal railroad, the Cincinnati Southern, begins operations July 24, 1877: The first time federal troops are used to combat strikers August 2, 1877: The San Francisco Public Library first opens August 11, 1877: Mar’s moon Deimos is first discovered, by Asaph Hall August 12, 1877: Thomas Edison completes the first model for the phonograph August 17, 1877: Mar’s moon Phobos is discovered, also by Asaph Hall September 20, 1877: Chase National Bank first opens, in New York City October 9, 1877: The first humane organization in the country is founded as the American Humane Association in Cleveland, Ohio October 20, 1877: Schubert’s 2nd Symphony in B is first performed in London November 17, 1877: Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera The Sorcerer premieres in London November 29, 1877: Thomas Edison demonstrates his phonograph for the first time December 6, 1877: The Washington Post publishes its first edition | 
