Historical Events on August 18, Facts & Special Events On This Day

684

Battle of Marj Rahit: Umayyad partisans defeat the supporters of Ibn al-Zubayr and cement Umayyad control of Syria.

1304

The Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle is fought to a draw between the French army and the Flemish militias.

1487

The Siege of Málaga ends with the taking of the city by Castilian and Aragonese forces.

1572

Marriage in Paris, France, of the Huguenot King Henry III of Navarre to Margaret of Valois, in a supposed attempt to reconcile Protestants and Catholics.

1587

Virginia Dare, granddaughter of Governor John White of the Colony of Roanoke, becomes the first English child born in the Americas.

1590

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

1612

The trial of the Pendle witches, one of England's most famous witch trials, begins at Lancaster Assizes.

1634

Urbain Grandier, accused and convicted of sorcery, is burned alive in Loudun, France.

1783

A huge fireball meteor is seen across Great Britain as it passes over the east coast.

1838

The Wilkes Expedition, which would explore the Puget Sound and Antarctica, weighs anchor at Hampton Roads.

1848

Camila O'Gorman and Ladislao Gutierrez are executed on the orders of Argentine dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas.

1864

American Civil War: Battle of Globe Tavern: Union forces try to cut a vital Confederate supply-line into Petersburg, Virginia, by attacking the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.

1868

German engineer Karl Jatho allegedly flies his self-made, motored gliding airplane four months before the first flight of the Wright brothers.

1917

A Great Fire in Thessaloniki, Greece destroys 32% of the city leaving 70,000 individuals homeless.

1920

The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing women's suffrage.

1938

The Thousand Islands Bridge, connecting New York, United States with Ontario, Canada over the Saint Lawrence River, is dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1940

World War II: The Hardest Day air battle, part of the Battle of Britain. At that point, the largest aerial engagement in history with heavy losses sustained on both sides.

1945

Sukarno takes office as the first president of Indonesia, following the country's declaration of independence the previous day.

1950

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

1958

Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in the United States.

1958

Brojen Das from Bangladesh swims across the English Channel in a competition, as the first Bengali and the first Asian to do so. He came first among 39 competitors.

1963

Civil Rights Movement: James Meredith becomes the first African American to graduate from the University of Mississippi.

1965

Vietnam War: Operation Starlite begins: United States Marines destroy a Viet Cong stronghold on the Van Tuong peninsula in the first major American ground battle of the war.

1966

Vietnam War: The Battle of Long Tan ensues after a patrol from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment clashes with a Viet Cong force in Phước Tuy Province.

1971

Vietnam War: Australia and New Zealand decide to withdraw their troops from Vietnam.

1976

In the Korean Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjom, the Axe murder incident results in the death of two US soldiers.

1977

Steve Biko is arrested at a police roadblock under the Terrorism Act No. 83 of 1967 in King William's Town, South Africa. He later dies from injuries sustained during this arrest bringing attention to South Africa's apartheid policies.

1983

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

1989

Leading presidential hopeful Luis Carlos Galán is assassinated near Bogotá in Colombia.

2003

One year old Zachary Tuner is murdered in Newfoundland by his mother who was awarded custody despite facing trial for the murder of Zachary's father. The case led to reform of Canada's bail laws.

2005

A massive power blackout hits the Indonesian island of Java, affecting almost 100 million people, one of the largest and most widespread power outages in history.

2008

President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf resigns under threat of impeachment.

2008

War of Afghanistan: Uzbin Valley ambush occurs.

2017

August 18 in History

Historical Events on August 18

Battle of Marj Rahit: Umayyad partisans defeat the supporters of Ibn al-Zubayr and cement Umayyad control of Syria.

The Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle is fought to a draw between the French army and the Flemish militias.

The Siege of Málaga ends with the taking of the city by Castilian and Aragonese forces.

Marriage in Paris, France, of the Huguenot King Henry III of Navarre to Margaret of Valois, in a supposed attempt to reconcile Protestants and Catholics.

Virginia Dare, granddaughter of Governor John White of the Colony of Roanoke, becomes the first English child born in the Americas.

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

The trial of the Pendle witches, one of England's most famous witch trials, begins at Lancaster Assizes.

Urbain Grandier, accused and convicted of sorcery, is burned alive in Loudun, France.

A huge fireball meteor is seen across Great Britain as it passes over the east coast.

The Wilkes Expedition, which would explore the Puget Sound and Antarctica, weighs anchor at Hampton Roads.

Camila O'Gorman and Ladislao Gutierrez are executed on the orders of Argentine dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas.

American Civil War: Battle of Globe Tavern: Union forces try to cut a vital Confederate supply-line into Petersburg, Virginia, by attacking the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.

French astronomer Pierre Janssen discovers helium.

Franco-Prussian War: Battle of Gravelotte is fought.

Major hurricane strikes Martinique, leaving 700 dead.

German engineer Karl Jatho allegedly flies his self-made, motored gliding airplane four months before the first flight of the Wright brothers.

A Great Fire in Thessaloniki, Greece destroys 32% of the city leaving 70,000 individuals homeless.

The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing women's suffrage.

The Thousand Islands Bridge, connecting New York, United States with Ontario, Canada over the Saint Lawrence River, is dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

World War II: The Hardest Day air battle, part of the Battle of Britain. At that point, the largest aerial engagement in history with heavy losses sustained on both sides.

Sukarno takes office as the first president of Indonesia, following the country's declaration of independence the previous day.

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

Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in the United States.

Brojen Das from Bangladesh swims across the English Channel in a competition, as the first Bengali and the first Asian to do so. He came first among 39 competitors.

Civil Rights Movement: James Meredith becomes the first African American to graduate from the University of Mississippi.

Vietnam War: Operation Starlite begins: United States Marines destroy a Viet Cong stronghold on the Van Tuong peninsula in the first major American ground battle of the war.

Vietnam War: The Battle of Long Tan ensues after a patrol from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment clashes with a Viet Cong force in Phước Tuy Province.

Vietnam War: Australia and New Zealand decide to withdraw their troops from Vietnam.

In the Korean Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjom, the Axe murder incident results in the death of two US soldiers.

Steve Biko is arrested at a police roadblock under the Terrorism Act No. 83 of 1967 in King William's Town, South Africa. He later dies from injuries sustained during this arrest bringing attention to South Africa's apartheid policies.

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

Leading presidential hopeful Luis Carlos Galán is assassinated near Bogotá in Colombia.

One year old Zachary Tuner is murdered in Newfoundland by his mother who was awarded custody despite facing trial for the murder of Zachary's father. The case led to reform of Canada's bail laws.

A massive power blackout hits the Indonesian island of Java, affecting almost 100 million people, one of the largest and most widespread power outages in history.

President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf resigns under threat of impeachment.

War of Afghanistan: Uzbin Valley ambush occurs.

2 people are killed and 8 injured in Turku in the first terrorist attack in Finland in over 70 years.

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