Today's Holidays, National Days & Public Holidays
Discover what's happening today, Tuesday, August 18, 2026, or tomorrow.
What is Calendar.cx?
Calendar.cx is your complete guide to holidays, national days, and observances around the world. We track 2,000+ events every year — from quirky fun days like National Pizza Day and National Dog Day, to major public holidays like Christmas and New Year's Day.
Every day of the year gets its own page, packed with national days, public holidays from dozens of countries, religious observances, historical events, notable births and deaths, and sports fixtures. Whether you're a teacher planning a classroom theme, a brand manager building a content calendar, or just curious what today's quirky celebration is — Calendar.cx has it all.
Browse by month, search for a specific day, or check out the FAQ for answers about any holiday. New events and observances are added regularly to keep the calendar accurate and complete.
Today is Tuesday, August 18
National Days & Fun Holidays Today
On This Day in History — August 18
- 2017 — 2 people are killed and 8 injured in Turku in the first terrorist attack in Finland in over 70 years.
- 2008 — President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf resigns under threat of impeachment.
- 2008 — War of Afghanistan: Uzbin Valley ambush occurs.
- 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.
- 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.
- 1989 — Leading presidential hopeful Luis Carlos Galán is assassinated near Bogotá in Colombia.
Notable Births on August 18
Notable Deaths on August 18
- 2017 — Bruce Forsyth, English television presenter and entertainer (b. 1928)
- 2017 — Zoe Laskari, Greek actress and beauty pageant winner (b. 1944)
- 2016 — Ernst Nolte, German historian (b. 1923)
- 2015 — Khaled al-Asaad, Syrian archaeologist and author (b. 1932)
- 2015 — Roger Smalley, English-Australian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1943)
- 2015 — Louis Stokes, American lawyer and politician (b. 1925)
Tomorrow is Wednesday, August 19
National Days & Fun Holidays Tomorrow
Religious Observances on August 19
- Islamic: Birth of Mawlāna Jalāluddīn Rūmi ق
- Hindu: Raksha Bandhan
- Chinese: Qixi Festival
On This Day in History — August 19
- 2013 — The Dhamara Ghat train accident kills at least 37 people in the Indian state of Bihar.
- 2010 — Operation Iraqi Freedom ends, with the last of the United States brigade combat teams crossing the border to Kuwait.
- 2009 — A series of bombings in Baghdad, Iraq, kills 101 and injures 565 others.
- 2005 — The first-ever joint military exercise between Russia and China, called Peace Mission 2005 begins.
- 2003 — A car-bomb attack on United Nations headquarters in Iraq kills the agency's top envoy Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 21 other employees.
- 2003 — A suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem, Israel, planned by Hamas, kills 23 Israelis, seven of them children, in the Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing.
Notable Births on August 19
- 1996 — Hsu Ching-wen, Taiwanese tennis player
- 1995 — Dylan Phythian, Australian rugby league player
- 1994 — Guadalupe Pérez Rojas, Argentinian tennis player
- 1994 — Nafissatou Thiam, Belgian pentathlete
- 1990 — Danny Galbraith, Scottish footballer
- 1989 — Romeo Miller, American basketball player, rapper, actor
Notable Deaths on August 19
- 2016 — Jack Riley, American actor and voice artist (b. 1935)
- 2015 — George Houser, American minister and activist (b. 1916)
- 2015 — Sanat Mehta, Indian activist and politician (b. 1935)
- 2014 — Samih al-Qasim, Palestinian poet and journalist (b. 1939)
- 2014 — Simin Behbahani, Iranian poet and activist (b. 1927)
- 2014 — James Foley, American photographer and journalist (b. 1973)