August, 18th in History

[Spiritus Temporis]

Events

Thursday 18, 2005:
A Massive power blackout hits the Indonesian island of Java, affecting almost 100 million people.

Wednesday 18, 2004:
In Dublin, Ireland the Dublin Port Tunnel excavation works are completed.

Tuesday 18, 1992:
NBA basketball player Larry Bird announces his retirement after winning an Olympic gold medal as a member of the U.S. Dream Team.

Sunday 18, 1991:
Collapse of the Soviet Union: Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev is put under house arrest while on holiday in the Crimea.

Friday 18, 1989:
Leading presidential hopeful Luis Carlos Galán is assassinated near Bogotá in Colombia.

Thursday 18, 1983:
Hurricane Alicia hits the Texas coast, killing 22 people and causing over USD $1 billion in damage (1983 dollars).

Wednesday 18, 1982:
Japanese election law is amended to allow for proportional representation.

Wednesday 18, 1976:
In North Korea at Panmunjom, two US soldiers are killed while trying to chop down part of a tree in the DMZ which had obscured their view.

Wednesday 18, 1971:
Vietnam War: Australia and New Zealand decide to withdraw their troops from Vietnam.

Monday 18, 1969:
Jimi Hendrix plays the unofficial last day of Woodstock.

Thursday 18, 1966:
Vietnam War: The Battle of Long Tan occurs, when a patrol of Royal Australian Regiment encounter the Viet Cong.

Wednesday 18, 1965:
United States Marines destroy a Viet Cong stronghold on the Van Tuong peninsula in the first major American ground battle of the war.

Sunday 18, 1963:
American civil rights movement: James Meredith becomes the first black person to graduate from the University of Mississippi.

Monday 18, 1958:
Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in the United States.

Friday 18, 1950:
Julien Lahaut, the chairman of the Communist Party of Belgium is assassinated by far-right elements.

Monday 18, 1941:
Adolf Hitler orders a temporary halt to Nazi Germany's systematic euthanasia of mentally ill and handicapped due to protests.

Thursday 18, 1938:
The Thousand Islands Bridge, connecting New York State, United States with Ontario, Canada over the St. Lawrence River, is dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Wednesday 18, 1920:
19th Amendment to US constitution passes, guaranteeing women's suffrage.

Wednesday 18, 1909:
Tokyo mayor Yukio Ozaki presents Washington, D.C. with 2,000 cherry trees, which President Taft decides to plant near the Potomac River.

Thursday 18, 1904:
Chris Watson resigns as Prime Minister of Australia and is succeded by George Reid.

Tuesday 18, 1903:
German engineer Karl Jatho allegedly flies his self-made, motored gliding airplane four months before the first flight of the Wright Brothers.

Saturday 18, 1877:
Asaph Hall discovers Martian moon Phobos.

Tuesday 18, 1868:
French astronomer Pierre Jules César Janssen discovers helium.

Thursday 18, 1864:
Union forces try to cut a vital Confederate supply-line into Petersburg, Virginia, by attacking the Weldon Railroad.

Saturday 18, 1590:
John White, the governor of the Colony of Roanoke, returns from a supply-trip to England and finds his settlement deserted.

Tuesday 18, 1587:
Virginia Dare, granddaughter of Gov. John White of the Colony of Roanoke, becomes the first English child born in the Americas.

Friday 18, 1572:
Wedding in Paris of the Huguenot King Henry III of Navarre with Marguerite de Valois, in a supposed attempt to reconcile Protestants and Catholics.

Monday 18, 1541:
A Portuguese ship drifts ashore in the ancient Japanese province of Higo (modern day Kumamoto Prefecture). (Traditional Japanese date: July 27, 1541)

Source: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/18-august/on-this-day.html


People born on August 18

1974:
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, West Indian cricketer (b: August 18, 1974) (Biography of Shivnarine Chanderpaul)

1971:
Richard D James, Irish-born musician (b: August 18, 1971) (Biography of Richard D James)

1970:
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, American actor (b: August 18, 1970) (Biography of Malcolm-Jamal Warner)

1969:
Edward Norton, American actor (b: August 18, 1969) (Biography of Edward Norton)
Christian Slater, American actor (b: August 18, 1969) (Biography of Christian Slater)
Masta Killa, American rapper (b: August 18, 1969) (Biography of Masta Killa)

1965:
Koji Kikkawa, Japanese singer (b: August 18, 1965) (Biography of Koji Kikkawa)

1960:
Fat Lever, American basketball player (b: August 18, 1960) (Biography of Fat Lever)

1958:
Madeleine Stowe, American actress (b: August 18, 1958) (Biography of Madeleine Stowe)

1957:
Carole Bouquet, French actress (b: August 18, 1957) (Biography of Carole Bouquet)
Denis Leary, American comedian and actor (b: August 18, 1957) (Biography of Denis Leary)

1955:
Dr. Taher ElGamal, Egyptian scientist (b: August 18, 1955) (Biography of Taher ElGamal)

1953:
Louie Gohmert, American politician (b: August 18, 1953) (Biography of Louie Gohmert)

1952:
Patrick Swayze, American actor (b: August 18, 1952) (Biography of Patrick Swayze)

1945:
Barbara Harris, American singer (Toys) (b: August 18, 1945) (Biography of Barbara Harris (singer))

1943:
Martin Mull, American comedian and actor (b: August 18, 1943) (Biography of Martin Mull)
Carl Wayne, English singer (b: August 18, 1943 ; d: August 31, 2004) (Biography of Carl Wayne)

1939:
Sir Robert Horton, UK businessman (b: August 18, 1939) (Biography of Robert Horton)

1937:
Robert Redford, American actor and director (b: August 18, 1937) (Biography of Robert Redford)

1935:
Rafer Johnson, American athlete (b: August 18, 1935) (Biography of Rafer Johnson)
Sir Howard Morrison, New Zealand entertainer (b: August 18, 1935) (Biography of Howard Morrison)

1934:
Vincent Bugliosi, American attorney (b: August 18, 1934) (Biography of Vincent Bugliosi)
Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player (b: August 18, 1934 ; d: December 31, 1972) (Biography of Roberto Clemente)

1933:
Roman Polanski, French director and actor (b: August 18, 1933) (Biography of Roman Polanski)

1932:
William R. Bennett, Premier of British Columbia (b: August 18, 1932) (Biography of William R. Bennett)

1928:
Marge Schott, baseball team owner (b: August 18, 1928 ; d: March 2, 2004) (Biography of Marge Schott)

1927:
Rosalynn Carter, First Lady of the United States (b: August 18, 1927) (Biography of Rosalynn Carter)

1925:
Brian Aldiss, English writer (b: August 18, 1925) (Biography of Brian Aldiss)

1922:
Shelley Winters, American actress (b: August 18, 1922) (Biography of Shelley Winters)

1920:
Bob Kennedy, baseball player and manager (b: August 18, 1920 ; d: April 7, 2005) (Biography of Bob Kennedy)

1918:
Walter Joseph Hickel, Governor of Alaska and US Secretary of the Interior (b: August 18, 1918) (Biography of Walter Joseph Hickel)

1917:
Caspar Weinberger, United States Secretary of Defense (b: August 18, 1917) (Biography of Caspar Weinberger)

1904:
Max Factor, Polish-born cosmetics entrepreneur (b: August 18, 1904) (Biography of Max Factor)

1896:
Jack Pickford, Canadian-born actor (b: August 18, 1896 ; d: January 3, 1933) (Biography of Jack Pickford)

1890:
Walther Funk, German Nazi politician (b: August 18, 1890 ; d: May 31, 1960) (Biography of Walther Funk)

1857:
Libert H. Boeynaems, Belgian Catholic prelate (b: August 18, 1857 ; d: May 13, 1926) (Biography of Libert H. Boeynaems)

1830:
Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria (b: August 18, 1830 ; d: November 21, 1916) (Biography of Franz Josef I of Austria)

1774:
Meriwether Lewis, American explorer (b: August 18, 1774 ; d: October 11, 1809) (Biography of Meriwether Lewis)

1750:
Antonio Salieri, Italian composer (b: August 18, 1750 ; d: May 7, 1825) (Biography of Antonio Salieri)

1692:
Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon, Prime Minister of France (b: August 18, 1692 ; d: January 27, 1740) (Biography of Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon)

1685:
Brook Taylor, English mathematician (b: August 18, 1685 ; d: December 29, 1731) (Biography of Brook Taylor)

1605:
Henry Hammond, English churchman (b: August 18, 1605) (Biography of Henry Hammond)

1596:
Jean Bolland, Flemish Jesuit writer (b: August 18, 1596 ; d: September 12, 1665) (Biography of Jean Bolland)

1587:
Virginia Dare, first English child born in North America (b: August 18, 1587) (Biography of Virginia Dare)

1450:
Marko Maruli?, Croatian poet (b: August 18, 1450 ; d: January 5, 1524) (Biography of Marko Maruli?)

1414:
Jami, Persian poet (b: August 18, 1414 ; d: November 19, 1492) (Biography of Jami)

Source: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/18-august/births.html