World History

You are here: / Jazz Players & Historic Jazz Clubs / Media / Get Jazzed

Get Jazzed

History of Jazz

Jazz great Billie Taylor explains the origin of jazz in the United States.

CLASSROOM EXTRAtedgioia_thehistoryofjazz_cm

Written by: Robin Wallace, New York Post June 1, 2011

June marks the start of summer in New York City.

More daylight, less school, and a celebration of African American music arrives with June. In June, school ends, summer arrives, the weather warms up and the days get nice and long.

In fact, June has the more daylight hours than any other month. The first official day of summer, the summer solstice on June 21, is the longest day of the year.

June is one of the four months on the calendar the others being April, September and November that has only 30 days. No other month of the year begins on the same day as June. It ends on the same day that March ends.

Entertaiment_Music_History-of-Jazz-MusicJune is believed to be named for the Roman Goddess Juno, who in Greek mythology was known as Hera. Juno was the wife of the king of the gods, Jupiter, (Zeus in Greek mythology.) Juno was the goddess of women and marriage.  In Iceland, people believe that bathing naked in the morning dew on June 24 will prevent aging and promote a long life. But, you wont find many people without their clothes on in the southern hemisphere, where June is the equivalent of December and has all the coldness and darkness of deep winter.

In the United States, June is recognized as Caribbean American Heritage Month and Black Music Month. It is also when Americans celebrate Fathers Day.

If your birthday falls in June, you were born under the astrological sign of either Gemini or Cancer and your birthstone is the pearl. Other fun facts about June:

The Allied forces, led by the Americans, stormed the beaches of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, during World War II, known as D-Day. It was the largest amphibious military invasion in history. The ensuing Battle of Normandy lasted three months and resulted in the liberation of Europe from Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany, and led to the Allied victory.

jazz_1Juneteenth, a holiday recognized in 37 states, celebrates the abolition of slavery in the United States. Specifically, it recognizes June 19, 1865, the day that slaves in Texas were informed of their freedom, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation outlawed slavery.

June 1 is International Childrens Day, a day for raising awareness about issues, such as poverty, hunger, disease and human rights, which affect children. Although not widely recognized in the United States, it is recognized by many nations to raise awareness about these and other issues. Several countries celebrate Childrens Day at other times of year.

June is considered to be the most popular month for weddings in the United States. While its true that there are more June brides than there are for other months, August comes in at a very close second.

JazzRock MontageThe term June bug refers to a type of beetle, but is also a term of affection for people born in June.

Famous June birthdays: Poet Allen Ginsburg; the African-American entertainer Josephine Baker; Confederacy leader Jefferson Davis; architect Frank Lloyd Wright; Holocaust victim Anne Frank; activist F. Lee Bailey; ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau; author Harriet Beecher Stowe; Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; Helen Keller; Henry VIII.

PureHistory.org ℗ is your source to learn about the broad and beautiful spectrum of our shared History.