June marks the official start of summer in the northern hemisphere, and it’s the month when summer vacation begins for millions of schoolchildren. Those two things make the month of June especially popular in many households. But June is about more than summer and the end of the school year. The following are five fun facts about the beloved month of June that anyone can use as a great ice breaker at backyard barbecues this summer.

1. June is named after Juno, the Roman goddess of childbirth and fertility.

2. The day with the potentially longest hours of sunlight of any day all year is in June. When the sun is out on the summer solstice, which marks the official start of summer and in 2023 is celebrated on Wednesday, June 21, people in the northern hemisphere can anticipate more hours of sunlight than any other day during the calendar year.

3. According to the American Gem Society, June is one of only two months that is associated with three birthstones: alexandrite, moonstone, and pearl. Pearls are especially unique among gemstones, as they are the only ones made by living creatures.

4. In both common and leap years, no other month begins on the same day of the week as June.

5. New York Yankee Lou Gehrig began his streak of playing in 2,130 consecutive games on June 1, 1925. The streak ended on April 20, 1939. Gehrig held the record for consecutive games played until Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., surpassed the man known as “The Iron Horse” on September 6, 1995.