January 8
January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 358 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Capricorn.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On January 8 the Sun's declination is approximately -22.3°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a January 8.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1815 — Battle of New Orleans: U.S. forces under Andrew Jackson defeated the British (after the War of 1812 had technically ended). ↗(211 years ago)more
The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815, between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the French Quarter of New Orleans, in the current suburb of Chalmette, Louisiana.
1835 — The U.S. national debt was reduced to zero for the only time in history. ↗(191 years ago)more
The history of the United States public debt began with federal government debt incurred during the American Revolutionary War by the first U.S treasurer, Michael Hillegas, after the country's formation in 1776. The United States has continuously experienced fluctuating public debt, except for about a year during 1835–1836.
1889 — Herman Hollerith received a patent for his electric tabulating machine — a precursor to IBM. ↗(137 years ago)more
Herman Hollerith was a German-American statistician, inventor, and businessman who developed an electromechanical tabulating machine for punched cards to assist in summarizing information and, later, in accounting.
1962 — Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa went on display at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. ↗(64 years ago)more
The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait painting by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, [and] the most parodied work of art in the world." The painting's novel qualities include the sub...
Notable births
1935 — Elvis Presley, American singer and "King of Rock and Roll". ↗(91 years ago)more
Elvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century. Presley's energetic and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, br...
1942 — Stephen Hawking, English theoretical physicist and cosmologist. ↗(84 years ago)more
Stephen William Hawking was an English theoretical astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Between 1979 and 2009, he was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, widely viewed as one of the most prestigious academic posts in the world.
1947 — David Bowie, English singer-songwriter. ↗(79 years ago)more
David Robert Jones, known as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as among the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie received particular acclaim for his work in the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft have had a significant impact on popular music.
Notable deaths
1642 — Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer and physicist. ↗(384 years ago)more
Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei, commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei, was an Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. He was born in the city of Pisa, then part of the Duchy of Florence.
1976 — Zhou Enlai, first Premier of the People's Republic of China. ↗(50 years ago)more
Zhou Enlai was a Chinese statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from October 1949 until his death in January 1976. Zhou served under Chairman Mao Zedong and aided the Communist Party in rising to power, later helping consolidate its control, form its foreign policy, and develop the Chinese ...
- 2016 — David Bowie (died on the day of his birthday — Jan 10 by some accounts). ↗(10 years ago)
more
David Robert Jones, known as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as among the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie received particular acclaim for his work in the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft have had a significant impact on popular music.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (8) | 2^3 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (358) | 2 × 179 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 08012026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -22.29° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 19 days |