Holidays Calendar for August 8, 2020
Tanzania annually celebrates Farmer's Day on August 8. The local name of this holiday is Nane Nane, that in Swahili, the national language in Tanzania, means “eight eight”.
Eid al-Ghadeer is an Islamic holiday observed by Shia Muslims on the 18th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah. It celebrates the appointment of Ali ibn Abi Talib as the successor of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
International Infinity Day, also referred to as Infinity Day, Global Infinity Day or Universal Infinity Day, is celebrated annually on August 8 (the eighth day of the eighth month). Such a date was chosen because the infinity symbol resembles a horizontal figure eight.
Signal and Cyber Security Forces Day is a professional holiday observed in the Ukrainian Armed Forces on August 8. It was originally established by President Leonid Kuchma in 2000 and received its current name in 2022, shortly before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ophthalmologist Day, also known as World Ophthalmologist Day or International Ophthalmology Day, is an unofficial professional holiday of all specialists in medical and surgical eye disease. It is celebrated on August 8.
National Reporter’s Day (also known as National Journalist’s Day) in Iran is observed on August 8, which corresponds to the 17th of Mordad in the Iranian calendar. It was established to honor the memory of Iranian reporter Mahmoud Saremi who was assassinated in Afghanistan in 1998.
Tarantulas are becoming increasingly popular as exotic pets, but a lot of people are still afraid of these large and hairy spiders. National Tarantula Appreciation Day was created to eliminate the stigma associated with these often misunderstood creatures.
Scottish Wildcat Day is observed in the United Kingdom on August 8. It was created to raise awareness of the plight of a critically endangered feline that is threatened by habitat loss, hunting, hybridization with domestic cats, and infectious diseases.
The annual Augsburg Peace Festival (Augsburger Hohes Friedenfest) takes place on August 8 in the German city of Augsburg, Bavaria. It is a legal holiday in this city. This makes Augsburg the only city in Germany with its own legal holiday.
Sweden has its own flag days when the flag is flown on all public buildings and flagpoles. One of such days is Name Day of Queen Silvia that falls on August 8.
Ceasefire Day is an Iraqi observance held on August 8 that commemorates the end of the Iran—Iraq War. On this day in 1988, Resolution 598 became effective, ending all combat operations between Iraq and Iran.
In addition to Juneteenth National Independence Day, a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of African-American slaves, some states and counties have their own Emancipation Day celebrations. For example, some communities in eastern Tennessee and western Kentucky traditionally celebrate Emancipation Day on August 8.
National Frozen Custard Day is celebrated on August 8 across the United States. Frozen custard is a type of frozen dessert that was invented by ice cream vendors Elton and Archie Kohr from Coney Island, New-York.
If your a fan of Japanese cuisine, don’t forget to celebrate National Mochi Day on August 8. This unofficial food holiday celebrates glutinous rice cakes that are popular both in Japan and abroad.
National Dollar Day is unofficially observed in the United States on August 8. It commemorates the establishment of the country’s monetary system in 1786.
The second Saturday of August is the perfect day to hit up a bowling alley with your friends and family since it is National Bowling Day. This unofficial holiday was created to celebrate the amazing sport and pastime that is bowling.
The second Saturday of August is a perfect day to get rid of old stuff by having a garage sale since it is National Garage Sale Day. This amazing holiday was created to promote neighborhood garage sales.
Taiwan celebrates Father's Day twice a year. Officially this holiday falls on the third Sunday in June, but unofficial celebration is on August 8.
International Cat Day is observed annually on August 8. The celebration was initiated in 2002 by the International Fund For Animal Welfare (IFAW), one of the world’s largest animal welfare and conservation charities.
Happiness Happens Day is an annual holiday celebrated on August 8. It was initiated by the Secret Society of Happy People. The main goal of the holiday is to remind people that they are happier than they think because happiness is hidden in the small things.
If you’re tired of badminton, tennis, squash and ping-pong, try pickleball! It is a fun racket sport that combines elements of several other racket sports. There’s even a National Pickleball Day, celebrated on August 8 in the United States and on the second Saturday of August in Canada.
Festivals on August 8, 2020
- Warsaw Beer Festival in Warsaw, Poland
- Créances Carrot Festival in Créances, France
- Caribbean Carnival of Manchester in Manchester, United Kingdom
- Melbourne Writers Festival in Melbourne, Australia
- Bienal de Flamenco in Seville, Spain
- Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in Manila, Philippines
- GEM Fest in Zakynthos, Greece
- Yaga Gathering in Valkininkai, Lithuania
- Melbourne International Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia
- Locarno Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland
- Kyiv International Short Film Festival in Kyiv, Ukraine
- Salzburg Festival in Salzburg, Austria
- Spicemas (Grenada Carnival) in St. George’s, Grenada
- Beat Film Festival in Moscow, Russia
- Qingdao International Beer Festival in Qingdao, China
This Day in History
- 2022 The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, the residence of former U.S. president Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida.
- 2022 Died: Olivia Newton-John, British and Australian singer and actress. One of the best-selling music artists of all time, she is known for her role as Sandy in the musical film Grease.
- 2013 Died: Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler), American film actress, screenwriter, singer and songwriter who won two Golden Globe Awards.
- 2010 A mudslide occurred in Gansu, China, killing over 1,470 people. It was caused by heavy rainfall and flooding that began in early May 2010.
- 2008 The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, China. It was directed by Zhang Yimou.
- 2007 Died: Melville Shavelson, American film director, producer and screenwriter. He worked with some of Hollywood's biggest and brightest stars.
- 2005 Died: Ahmed Deedat, South African writer and Muslim missionary of Indian descent noted for his debates with evangelical Christians.
- 2004 Died: Fay Wray (born Vina Fay Wray), Canadian-American actress primarily remembered for her role as Ann Darrow in the 1933 film King Kong.
- 2001 Born: Bebe Wood, American actress. She is known for her roles on the series The New Normal, The Real O'Neals, and Love, Victor, and in the 2024 film Mean Girls.
- 1998 Born: Shawn Mendes, Canadian singer-songwriter. In 2018, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world on their annual list.
- 1996 Died: Nevill Francis Mott, English physicist who was awarded the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics, sharing it with two fellow scientists from the US.
- 1986 Born: Peyton List, American actress known for her roles in the television series Mad Men, FlashForward, The Tomorrow People, Frequency, and Gotham.
- 1981 Born: Rorger Federer, Swiss former professional tennis player. Federer was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks.
- 1976 Born: JC Chasez, American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actor. He was one of the lead vocalists of the boy band NSYNC.
- 1967 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was formed by Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
- 1963 The Great Train Robbery occurred at Bridego Railway Bridge in Buckinghamshire, England. A gang consisting of 15 robbers stole over £2.6 million.
- 1962 Died: Elizabeth Ann Duncan, also known as Ma Duncan, American murderer. She was the last woman to be executed in California.
- 1961 Died: Mei Lanfang, Chinese Peking opera artist in modern Chinese theater. He was exclusively known for his female lead roles (dan) and particularly his "verdant-robed girls" (qingyi).
- 1948 Born: Svetlana Savitskaya, Soviet aviator and cosmonaut. In 1984, she became the second woman in space and the first woman to perform a space walk.
- 1947 Died: Anton Denikin, Lieutenant General of the Imperial Russian Army and a leading general of the White movement in the Russian Civil War.
- 1937 Born: Dustin Hoffman, American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters.
- 1929 German-built and operated rigid airship LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin began its round-the-world flight at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey.
- 1925 Born: Alija Izetbegović, Bosnian politician, lawyer, author and activist, the 1st Chairman of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- 1922 Born: Rudi Gernreich, Austrian-born American fashion designer best known for introducing the single-piece topless monokini in 1962.
- 1918 The Battle of Amiens, also known as the Third Battle of Picardy, began during the First World War. It resulted in a decisive Allied victory.
- 1908 Wilbur Wright made the first official public flight at the Hunaudières horse racing track at Le Mans, France. It lasted for 1 minute 45 seconds.
- 1907 Born: Benny Carter, American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and arranger. He won the 1986 NEA Jazz Masters Award.
- 1902 Born: Paul Dirac, English theoretical physicist who was awarded the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physics, sharing it with Erwin Schrödinger.
- 1901 Born: Ernest Lawrence, American nuclear physicist who was awarded the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics for ins invention of the cyclotron.
- 1897 Died: Jacob Burckhardt, Swiss historian of art and culture. Burckhardt is considered to be one of the major progenitors of cultural history.
- 1879 Died: Immanuel Hermann Fichte, German philosopher. In his philosophy, he was a theist and strongly opposed to the Hegelian School.
- 1879 Born: Bob Smith, also known as Dr. Bob, American physician and surgeon primarily remembered as the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.
- 1870 The short-lived Republic of Ploiești was proclaimed by the Radical-Liberals in the city of Ploiești, Romania. It ceased to exist the next day.
- 1786 Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard became the first to ascend Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe outside of the Caucasus range.
- 1588 The Spanish Armada was defeated in the Battle of Gravelines. It was the largest engagement of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War.