Date·Lore

On This Day · The 342nd day of the year

December 8

December 8 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1504 and 2013. Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah writes his Oran fatwa, arguing for the relaxation of Islamic law requirements for the forcibly converted Muslims in Spain.

♐ZodiacSagittarius ◈BirthstoneTurquoise ❀Birth flowerHolly

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on December 8?

December 8 is the 342nd day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1504 and 2013. Famous people born on December 8 include Horace, Kateryna Yushchenko (scientist) and Kotono Mitsuishi.

The shape of the day

From 1504 to 2013, December 8 gathers 509 years of history. Most of the weight falls in the 20th century, where conflict is a recurring thread.

Sagittarius is the sign for December 8 — read more on the Sagittarius page, or see December's birthstone & birth flower.

Released on December 8

Movies, games, albums & shows

2025

  • Game Skate Story

2023

  • Game Against the Storm
  • TV Sapne vs Everyone

2022

  • Game Chained Echoes

2021

  • Game Halo Infinite

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1504

    Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah

    Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah writes his Oran fatwa, arguing for the relaxation of Islamic law requirements for the forcibly converted Muslims in Spain.

  2. 1660

    Margaret Hughes

    A woman (either Margaret Hughes or Anne Marshall) appears on an English public stage for the first time, in the role of Desdemona in a production of Shakespeare's play Othello.

  3. 1864

    Pope Pius IX

    Pope Pius IX promulgates the encyclical Quanta cura and its appendix, the Syllabus of Errors, outlining the authority of the Catholic Church and condemning various liberal ideas.

  4. 1914

    World War I

    World War I: A squadron of Britain's Royal Navy defeats the Imperial German East Asia Squadron in the Battle of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.

  5. 1941

    World War II

    World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares December 7 to be "a date which will live in infamy", after which the U.S. declares war on Japan.

  6. 1980

    John Lennon

    John Lennon is murdered by Mark David Chapman in front of The Dakota in New York City.

  7. 1987

    Cold War

    Cold War: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the White House.

  8. 1991

    Belarus

    The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sign an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States.

  9. 2009

    December 2009 Baghdad bombings

    Bombings in Baghdad, Iraq kill 127 people and injure 448 others.

  10. 2013

    Metallica

    Metallica performs a show in Antarctica, making them the first musical act to perform on all seven continents.

Famous birthday twins

Born on December 8

Horace

b. -65

Roman poet (died 8 BC)

Kateryna Yushchenko (scientist)

b. 1919

Ukrainian computer scientist and academic

Kotono Mitsuishi

b. 1967

Japanese voice actress and singer

Dwight Howard

b. 1985

American basketball player

Claus Luthe

b. 1932

German automotive designer

Hamit Altıntop

b. 1982

Turkish footballer

Jim Morrison

b. 1943

American singer-songwriter and poet

Jean Sibelius

b. 1865

Finnish violinist and composer

Deaths

  • 2001Betty Holberton
  • 1980John Lennon
  • 1978Golda Meir
  • 1914Maximilian von Spee
  • 1907Oscar II
  • 1722Elizabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine

Holidays & observances

  • —Battle Day (Falkland Islands)
  • —Bodhi Day (Japan)
  • —CARICOM–Cuba Day (Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Cuba)
  • —Christian feast day: Budoc (Beuzec) of Dol
  • —Christian feast day: Clement of Ohrid (Julian Calendar), and its related observances: Student's Day (Bulgaria)
  • —Christian feast day: Eucharius
  • —Christian feast day: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances: Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Anglican Communion), lesser commemoration
  • —Christian feast day: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances: Festa da Conceição da Praia, celebrating Yemanjá, Queen of the Ocean in Umbanda (Salvador, Bahia)

Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

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