First Day of Summer

The solstice heralds the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
The timing of the solstice depends on when the Sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator.
The word solstice is from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the Sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice).
In temperate regions, we notice that the Sun is higher in the sky throughout the day, and its rays strike Earth at a more direct angle, causing the efficient warming we call summer.
This summer solstice is the day with the most hours of sunlight during the whole year.