International Infinity Day Date in the current year: August 8, 2024

Infinity is a philosophical and mathematical concept that refers to something that is endless, boundless, or larger than any natural number. The nature of infinity has been the subject of many philosophical debates since ancient times (Zeno’s paradox of Achilles and the tortoise, for example, has to do with the concept of infinity).

The infinity symbol was introduced by English mathematician John Wallis. Originally restricted to mathematical use, it has come to represent the concept of infinity in general. The symbol of infinity is so well-known and easily recognized that is has become a common element used in graphic design.

International Infinity Day was created in 1987 by Jean-Pierre Ady Fenyo, a philosophical poet and writer who gave out free advice in the streets of New York City and eventually came to become known as the Free Advice Man. According to him, Infinity Day is a day for thinking about the concept of infinity and other philosophical concepts and questions, ranging from “Are we alone in the Universe?” to “Does anything really matter?”

International Infinity Day is a celebration of philosophy for everyone, not just academics. It is a day when everyone is welcome to think freely, engage in deep philosophical conversations, participate in peaceful demonstrations for freedom of speech and freedom of expression, and encourage others to get interested in philosophy and stop being afraid to ask questions and look for answers.

Infinity Day also is a day when you can celebrate the number 8 because it resembles the infinity symbol and has a significance in many fields of science:

• 8 planets in the Solar System (alas, Pluto, you’re just a dwarf planet now, so you don’t count anymore)
• 8 is the atomic number the most abundant chemical element on the Earth – oxygen
• 8 is the maximum possible number of electrons in the valence shell of an atom of a main-group element (the so-called octet rule)
• 8 is the basis of the octal numeral system
• 8 bits make up one byte (octet), a basic unit of digital information
• 8 is the number of legs that spiders have
• 8 is the number of arms (tentacles) that octopuses have
• 8 fluid ounces in a cup and 8 pints in a gallon in the US customary system of units

The number 8 also has a significance in many religions: eight forms of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, eight spokes of the wheel of dharma in Buddhism, the religious male circumcision ceremony in Judaism is held on the eighth day of life, eight people were saved from the flood on Noah’s Ark, eight angels carry the throne of Allah in heaven in Islam, etc.

Regardless of whether you want to celebrate philosophy or the number eight (or both), observe International Infinity Day on August 8 and encourage others to celebrate it too by spreading awareness on the social media with the hashtag #InternationalInfinityDay.