Famous Events For December 18 – Today In History

What Happened on December 18 in World History?

Early Centuries – December 18 Historic Events – Before 1700

1. 218 BC 2nd war of Punic: Battle of Trebia; The army led by Hannibal Carthaginian were victorious causing heavy causalities over the Roman army on the Italian soil
2. December 18, 1118 – Saragossa was seized by Alfonso van Aragon
3. December 18, 1271 – The renaming of the kingdom as Yuan by Kublai Khan coinciding with the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty of China
4. December 18, 1352 – election of Etienne Aubert as Pope Innocentius VI
5. December 18, 1385 – agreement of peace between Burgundian Duke Philip II and the defiant city of Ghent – Peace of Tournai
6. December 18, 1406 – Anton of Burgundy made Duke of Brabant
7. December 18, 1603 – The first navy of the Dutch East India Company guided by Admiral Steven van der Hagen left for the East Indies

8. December 18, 1621 – All the members of the English parliament accept the protestation
9. December 18, 1642 – Navigator Abel Tasman takes his excursion around the Farewell Spit in Golden Bay, first discovering Maori in New Zealand

18th Century – What Happened on December 18 – The 1700s

10. December 18, 1719 – publication of “Mother Goose’s Melodies For Children” by Thomas Fleet
11. December 18, 1773 – combat at Grass Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound leads to the loss of two Maori and nine members of the voyage by Cook, New Zealand
12. December 18, 1774 – Banishment of Jews by Queen Maria Theresa from Prague, Bohemia and Moravia
13. December 18, 1777 – 1st Thanksgiving Day celebration at a National level to coincide with the submission by Burgoyne
14. December 18, 1783 – The government headed by the Duke of Portland was sacked by British King George III
15. December 18, 1787 – New Jersey accepts the US Constitution and it was the 3rd state to accept the constitution
16. December 18, 1793 – The warship La Lutine was handed over to Lord Hood by the French royalists; changed the name HMS Lutine and is now known as a famous treasure wreck
17. December 18, 1796 – publication of the 1st US newspaper on Sunday (Baltimore Monitor)
18. December 18, 1799 – The body of George Washington buried at Mount Vernon

19th Century – December 18 This Day That Year – The 1800s

19. December 18, 1813 – Fort Niagara won in the War of 1812 and was taken over by the British
20. December 18, 1832 – Charles Darwin on board HMS Beagle arrives in Tierra del Fuego during its first trip
21. December 18, 1839 – the image of the Moon, 1st made in the US by John Draper in New York City
22. December 18, 1849 – 1st image of the Moon through a telescope by William Bond
23. December 18, 1852 – Edward Smith-Stanley, from the Conservative party, resigns making way for George Hamilton-Gordon as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
24. December 18, 1858 – Passy, is a part of Paris: first “Samedi soir” villa of lovers Rossini
25. December 18, 1860 – “independent commonwealth” status for South Carolina announced
26. December 18, 1862 -War at Lexington, Tennessee
27. December 18, 1865 – Law on import of cattle comes into effect in the US
28. December 18, 1867 – Burning of 49 dead in the train accident, “Angola Horror” in New York
29. December 18, 1869 – the first play of the football club in Canada, Hamilton Foot Ball Club
30. December 18, 1878 – 210 people lost their lives when a French ship SS Byzantine submerged after an accident in Dardanelles
31. December 18, 1878 – execution of John Kehoe, the last of Molly Maguire’s society, in Pennsylvania
32. December 18, 1888 – the discovery of prehistoric Anasazi remains of Mesa Verde, Colorado Richard Wetherill, and his brother-in-law
33. December 18, 1890 – voyage by Lugards to Meng and Kampala, Uganda
34. December 18, 1892 – first performance of the dance troupe, “Nutcracker Suite” by Petr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

35. December 18, 1892 – first performance of the 8th musical by Anton Bruckner
36. December 18, 1894 – in the 4th day of the 1st cricket, Australia Vs England, with follow on by England at 4-268, with 7 players in the front position
37. December 18, 1898 – a maximum speed of 63 kph (39 mph) reached in an automobile
38. December 18, 1899 – appointment of Field Marshal Lord Roberts as supreme commander of the British in South Africa

20th Century – Important Events On This Day December 18 – The 1900s

39. December 18, 1900 – The narrow-gauge railway line (2 ft 8 in or 762 mm) from Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook in Victoria, Australia opened for a commercial run
40. December 18, 1902 – The legislation– Education Act – brought about by Arthur Balfour, Prime Minister of Britain, on Education, approved by the Parliament regarded as the most important act
41. December 18, 1905 – In the first cricket play, H V Hordern, achieves 8 wickets for 81 in the 2nd innings of the first-class cricket (NSW V Qld)
42. December 18, 1912 – the skeleton of a Piltdown Man found in the Piltdown Gravel Pit was proved to be false and its perpetrator was Charles Dawson
43. December 18, 1913 – commencement of the hearings by the Indian Inquiry Commission, also known as Solomon Commission in Pretoria
44. December 18, 1916 – end of War of Verdun, the longest of WWI, by the surrender of Germans after fighting for 9 months with 1 million victims
45. December 18, 1917 – The freedom declared by Finland was accepted by the Soviet government by issuing a declaration

46. December 18, 1917 – The US approves the 18th Amendment for prohibition of alcohol and circulated to different states for authorization
47. December 18, 1920 – The words United States or US were missing in the 1st US postage stamp issued
48. December 18, 1923 – setting up of the international zone of Tangier in Morocco
49. December 18, 1932 – Chicago Bears defeat Portsmouth Spartans, 9-0 at the NatioFootballball League Championship final at Chicago Stadium
50. December 18, 1935 – Broadman achieves 117 runs in the domestic Sheffield Shield cricket match for South Australia
51. December 18, 1935 – installation of Edward Banes as President of Czechoslovakia
52. December 18, 1935 – inauguration of Lanka Sama Samaja Party in Ceylon
53. December 18, 1936 – Queensland cricket scored 49 runs for 10 against Cricket Victoria; Fleetwood-Smith 7-17
54. December 18, 1936 -the arrival of 1st giant panda, Su-Lin, to the US from China in San Francisco
55. December 18, 1939 – Aglajarvi was recovered by the Finnish army
56. December 18, 1941 – submarine U-434 belonging to Germans submerged
57. December 18, 1941 – Japanese army arrives in Hong Kong
58. December 18, 1944 – A hurricane sinks US Destroyers Hull, Spence & Monaghan
59. December 18, 1944 – Electricity plants in Amsterdam demolished by Nazis
60. December 18, 1945 – Uruguay becomes a member of the United Nations
61. December 18, 1946 – A TV serial drama, “Faraway Hill” terminated after 2 months in the US
62. December 18, 1947 – Pope Pius XII issues a circular letter om Optissima Pax
63. December 18, 1948 – 2nd political election in Indonesia commenced
64. December 18, 1948 – TV transmission chnnel6 in New Orleans, LA started
65. December 18, 1949 – Philadelphia Eagles defeat Los Angeles Rams, 14-0; the game was played in a driving rain and made the playground a mud pit at the National Football League Championship
66. December 18, 1952 – stepping down of Ellis W Ryan as President of Cleveland Indians
67. December 18, 1953 – the airing of programs from TV transmission channel 7 in Little Rock, AR on ABC
68. December 18, 1953 – airing of programs from TV transmission channel 2 in Midland and Odessa, T on ABC
69. December 18, 1956 – first performance of “To Tell the Truth” on CBS-TV
70. December 18, 1956 – the unfurling of the Israeli flag on Mount Sinai
71. December 18, 1956 – Japan becomes a member of the UN

72. December 18, 1956 – Phil Rizzuto accepts the assignment as NY Yankee radio-TV announcer
73. December 18, 1956 – award of best football player status in Europe to Blackpool & England winder Stanley Mathews; defeats Real Madrid duo Alfredo Di Stefano & Raymond Kopa
74. December 18, 1957 – under the program nuclear power for peacetime use, the first atomic power plant produces electricity at the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania
75. December 18, 1958 – first communication satellite TV sent from Cape Canaveral, under the SCORE program
76. December 18, 1958 – self-rule for Niger within the French Community
77. December 18, 1959 – appointment of Sammy Baugh as the 1st coach of NY Titans (AFL)
78. December 18, 1960 – censure of segregated ons of race at the General Meeting of the United Nations
79. December 18, 1961 – The musical record company in Britain did not accept the Beatles
80. December 18, 1961 – The Associated Press identifies Wilma Rudolph as the female athlete of the year successively for the 2nd year
81. December 18, 1961 – The Portuguese settlement of Goa, Damao and Diu comes under India
82. December 18, 1961 – commencement of TV transmission channel 53 in Fresno, CA (IND)
83. December 18, 1961 – Wilt Chamberlain of the NBA Philadelphia Warriors achieves 78 points against LA
84. December 18, 1962 – first performance of the 13th Concerto by Dimitri Shostakovich in Moscow
85. December 18, 1962 – atomic test by USSR at Novaya Zemlya USSR
86. December 18, 1962 – commencement of TV transmission chnnel26 in Montgomery, AL on PBS
87. December 18, 1962 – Josef Masopusst, midfielder of Dukler Prague adjudged the best European football player; defeats Benfica striker Eusebio and FC Koln defense Karl Heinz Schnellinger
88. December 18, 1963 – World’s best in 10k created by Clarke (28:15.6)
89. December 18, 1963 – Muskegon in Michigan recorded a snowfall of 3 ft
90. December 18, 1963 – the first show of the movie, “The Pink Panther”, guided by Blake Edwards and featuring Petr Sellers and David Niven with music by Henry Mancini
91. December 18, 1964 – The musical, “I Had a Ball” performs for the first time at Martin Beck Theater NYC to give 199 presentations

92. December 18, 1964 – commencement of the animation series, “The Pink Panther”
93. December 18, 1964 – The fans attending the cremation of soul singer Sam Cooke damaged the funeral home
94. December 18, 1964 – Atomic test by the US at Nevada Test Site
95. December 18, 1965 – last show of “La Grusse Valise” at the 54th St Theater NYC after 7 presentations
96. December 18, 1965 – astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell touch down in the Atlantic after spending two weeks on Gemini VII mission
97. December 18, 1965 – in a barrel skate jumping on ice, Kenneth LeBel clears 17 barrels
98. December 18, 1966 – premiere of the TV show “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss on CBS
99. December 18, 1966 – atomic test by USSR at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
100. December 18, 1966 – Richard L Walker discovers Epimetheus, a moon orbiting Saturn
101. December 18, 1968 – Atomic test by USSR at Eastern Kazakh, Semipalitinsk USSR
102. December 18, 1969 – premiere of “Coco” at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC to give 333 presentations
103. December 18, 1969 – abolition of capital punishment in England, Wales, and Scotland by an act of the House of Lords voting against the death penalty
104. December 18, 1969 – Atomic test by the US at Nevada Test Site
105. December 18, 1969 – debut performance of the movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” 6th James Bond Film featuring George Lazenby and Diana Rigg in London
106. December 18, 1970 – debut of the film “Me Nobody Knows” at Helen Hayes Theater NYV to give 578 shows
107. December 18, 1970 – rebellion in Poland failed
108. December 18, 1970 – Atomic test by the US at Nevada Test Site
109. December 18, 1971 – EPCOT Center, Disney World celebrate the 1st Candlelight Processional
110. December 18, 1971 – Saturday morning band music cancelled by CBS radio
111. December 18, 1971 – Jesse Jackson in Chicago founded the “People United to Save Humanity”
112. December 18, 1971 – value of US$ revised to 7.9% in Holland ($1=Y3,245
113. December 18, 1971 – an untimely detonation on a bomb in King Street, Magherafelt, County Derry transported by the Irish Republican Army kills three members
114. December 18, 1972 – As a result of the failure of the negotiations to close the Vietnam War, the US attacked North Vietnam by launching Operation Linebacker II, the heaviest bombing
115. December 18, 1973 – Soyuz 13 was sent into space to orbit Earth for 8 days
116. December 18, 1973 – Yanks contracts with Dick Williams as manager but later turned by AL Pres

117. December 18, 1974 – the inauguration of the San Francisco Visitor Center at City Hall opens
118. December 18, 1976 – debut performance of the movie, Startart is Born” guided by Frank Pierson with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson,
119. December 18, 1976 – premiere of “Wonder Woman” on ABC
120. December 18, 1976 – Viktor Soviet dissident Viktor Bukovski was given to ChCP leader Corvalan in exchange
121. December 18, 1977 – stepping down of Nate Thurmond, (jersey No.42)
122. December 18, 1978 – Atomic test by France at MuruAtolltoll
123. December 18, 1978 – Atomic test, below the ground level, by uSSR
124. December 18, 1979 – Stanley Barrett was the 1st to achieve the sonic speed (739.666)
125. December 18, 1980 – musical concert by Bruce Springsteen at MadiSquareuare Garden
126. December 18, 1980 – The Abortion Act by Van Agents, minister, was accepted by the 2nd Chamber
127. December 18, 1980 – The hunger strike by IRA’s Sean McKenna was called off due to his critical illness
128. December 18, 1980 – The constitution of Vietnam was approved
129. December 18, 1982 -The readiness for the firing of Challenger’s main engine, was 20 seconds
130. December 18, 1983 – the 29-play losing streak by the San Diego Clippers of the NBA ended
131. December 18, 1984 – Sweden defeats USA in Gothenburg (4-1) during the 73rd Davis Cup
132. December 18, 1984 – the first show of the film, “A Christmas Carol” guided by Clive Donner featuring George C Scott in the US
133. December 18, 1985 – premiere of “Jerry’s Girls” at St James Theater NYC to give 139 presentations
134. December 18, 1985 – The “acts of hostage-taking” was censured by the UN Security Council, with no vote against
135. December 18, 1987 – Ivan F Boesky was awarded a 3-year jail for guilty of inside trading
136. December 18, 1988 – first division championship for Seattle Seahawks with 9-7 best score
137. December 18, 1988 – Australia beats England by 8 wickets t the Cricket Women’s World Cup
138. December 18, 1989 – A Christmas event, “I Love Lucy” exhibited for the 1st time in 30 years
139. December 18, 1989 – debut performance of “My Children, My Africa” by Athol Fugard in NYC
140. December 18, 1990 – The finalists for 1993 list was finalized by NL: Buffalo, Denver, Miami, Orlando, Tampa-St Petersburg, and Washington, DC
141. December 18, 1990 – No Concessions for Iraq repeats President Bush
142. December 18, 1991 – award of a “star” for De Forest Kelly (Dr. McCoy on Star Trek) in Hollywood
143. December 18, 1991 – shutting down of 21 plants by General Motors
144. December 18, 1992 – Federal Communications approves, 4-1, to permit Infinity to acquire Cook Inlet stations
145. December 18, 199Skating World created by Kevin Scott (1K 1:12.54)
146. December 18, 1994 – premiere of “Comedy Tonight” at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC to give 8 presentations
147. December 18, 1994 – last show of “What’s Wrong With This Pic? At Circle in Sq NYC after 12 shows

148. December 18, 1994 – Darryl Strawberry refuses to accept charges of tax evasion
149. December 18, 1994 – The former communist party, the Socialist Party in Bulgaria was victorious in the parliamentary election
150. December 18, 1996 – Day one of the test Cricket match between Zimbabwe and England
151. December 18, 1996 – The rating system in the US TV industry-accepted
152. December 18, 1996 – Ebonics” was accepted as a language or dialect by an official resolution of the Oakland, California school board
153. December 18, 1996 – The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Maleki announces during a press conference that it will permit unrestricted flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz keeping its right to close the shipping path if endangered
154. December 18, 1997 – publication of HTML 4.0 by the Association of World Wide Web
155. December 18, 1999 – The five Terra platform carrying five Earth Observation Instruments together with ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS, and MOPITT is hurled into space by NASA

21st Century – December 18 This Day In History – The 2000s

156. December 18, 2001 – Michal Owen, Liverpool forward, is declared the best football player in Europe earlier than Real Madrid striker Raul and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn
157. December 18, 2002 – A maximum shortfall of $35 billion was foreseen by Governor of California Gray Davis as against his announced budget figure during the election movement at the time of his re-election a month earlier

158. December 18, 2002 – The premiere of the 2nd movie by Lord of Rings, “The Two Towers” earned USD 62 million during the opening weekend and $926 million in total worldwide
159. December 18, 2002 – Debut show of “The Hours” based on the theme of the US-based novel by Michael Cunningham and featuring Meryl Streep, Julianne More, and Nicole Kidman
160. December 18, 2002 – Calvin Klein, the Fashion designer, proposes to sell his business establishment to shirt-maker Philips-Van Heusen for $430 million
161. December 18, 2009 – The highest-money-earning film, “Avatar” by James Cameron, featuring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver premieres
162. December 18, 2011 – The US officially closes the Iraq War by withdrawing its troops from Iraq
163. December 18, 2012 – An apartment caves in, in Palermo, Italy killing 4 people and wounding 11 persons
164. December 18, 2012 – six staff administering polio vaccinations were shot down in Pakistan
165. December 18, 2012 – The radicals belonging to the Seleka alliance group killed 15 people while seizing Bria, the Central African Republic
166. December 18, 2017 – Australia reclaims its Ashes by defeating England by an innings to take a lead of 3 games at the Wacca in Perth
167. December 18, 2018 – The dismissal of Portuguese manager, a position attracting much attention, Jose Mourinho by Manchester United; United gained 6th place in EPL but lagged behind 19 points league leaders Liverpool; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appointed as the new temporary manager
168. December 18, 2018 – Women majority reaches 51% in the Nevada State Legislature in the US for the first time

169. December 18, 2018 – inferno wipe-out 600 stilt houses in Manaus, northwestern Brazil
170. December 18, 2018 – a shooting star bursts with a massive ball of fire over the Bering Sea releasing energy equivalent to 10 times that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, is considered the 2nd largest during the previous 30 years

See Also:

Sun Signs Everything Under The Sun!