On This Day — February 18

🕰️ Notable Events on February 18

• 2014 — At least 76 people are killed and hundreds are injured in clashes between riot police and demonstrators in Kiev, Ukraine. Wikipedia ↗
• 2013 — Armed robbers steal a haul of diamonds worth $50 million during a raid at Brussels Airport in Belgium. Wikipedia ↗
• 2007 — WikiLeaks publishes the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by the soldier now known as Chelsea Manning. Wikipedia ↗
• 2004 — Up to 295 people, including nearly 200 rescue workers, die near Nishapur, Iran when a runaway freight train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer catches fire and explodes. Wikipedia ↗
• 2003 — Nearly 200 people die in the Daegu subway fire in South Korea. Wikipedia ↗
• 2001 — FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. He is ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Wikipedia ↗
• 2001 — Seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt dies in an accident during the Daytona 500. Wikipedia ↗
• 2001 — Sampit conflict: Inter-ethnic violence between Dayaks and Madurese breaks out in Sampit, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, ultimately resulting in more than 500 deaths and 100,000 Madurese displaced from their homes. Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — The IRA explodes bombs in the early morning at Paddington station and Victoria station in London. Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Thirteen people die and one is seriously injured in the Wah Mee massacre in Seattle. It is said to be the largest robbery-motivated mass-murder in U.S. history. Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — The Space Shuttle Enterprise test vehicle is carried on its maiden "flight" on top of a Boeing 747. Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — The California Supreme Court in the case of People v. Anderson, (6 Cal.3d 628) invalidates the state's death penalty and commutes the sentences of all death row inmates to life imprisonment. Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — The Chicago Seven are found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom. Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Kenyan rebel leader Dedan Kimathi is executed by the British colonial government. Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Walter James Bolton becomes the last person legally executed in New Zealand. Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Operation Teapot: Teapot test shot "Wasp" is successfully detonated at the Nevada Test Site with a yield of 1.2 kilotons. Wasp is the first of fourteen shots in the Teapot series. Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — The first Church of Scientology is established in Los Angeles. Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — First Indochina War: The French gain complete control of Hanoi after forcing the Viet Minh to withdraw to mountains. Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Sailors of the Royal Indian Navy mutiny in Bombay harbour, from where the action spreads throughout the Provinces of British India, involving 78 ships, twenty shore establishments and 20,000 sailors Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — World War II: The Nazis arrest the members of the White Rose movement. Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — World War II: Joseph Goebbels delivers his Sportpalast speech. Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army begins the systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore. Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Second Sino-Japanese War: During the Nanking Massacre the Nanking Safety Zone International Committee is renamed "Nanking International Rescue Committee" and the safety zone in place for refugees falls apart. Wikipedia ↗
• 1932 — The Empire of Japan declares a puppet state of Manzhouguo (the obsolete Chinese name for Manchuria) independent from the Republic of China and installed former Chinese Emperor Aisin Gioro Puyi as Chief Executive of the State. Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — While studying photographs taken in January, Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto. Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Elm Farm Ollie becomes the first cow to fly in a fixed-wing aircraft and also the first cow to be milked in an aircraft. Wikipedia ↗
• 1911 — The first official flight with airmail takes place from Allahabad, United Provinces, British India (now India), when Henri Pequet, a 23-year-old pilot, delivers 6,500 letters to Naini, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away. Wikipedia ↗
• 1906 — Édouard de Laveleye forms the Belgian Olympic Committee in Brussels. Wikipedia ↗
• 1900 — Second Boer War: Imperial forces suffer their worst single-day loss of life on Bloody Sunday, the first day of the Battle of Paardeberg. Wikipedia ↗
• 1885 — Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is published in the United States. Wikipedia ↗
• 1878 — John Tunstall is murdered by outlaw Jesse Evans, sparking the Lincoln County War in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Wikipedia ↗
• 1873 — Bulgarian revolutionary leader Vasil Levski is executed by hanging in Sofia by the Ottoman authorities. Wikipedia ↗
• 1865 — American Civil War: Union forces under Major General William T. Sherman set the South Carolina State House on fire during the burning of Columbia. Wikipedia ↗
• 1861 — In Montgomery, Alabama, Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America. Wikipedia ↗
• 1861 — With Italian unification almost complete, Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia assumes the title of King of Italy. Wikipedia ↗
• 1814 — Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Montereau. Wikipedia ↗
• 1797 — French Revolutionary Wars: Sir Ralph Abercromby and a fleet of 18 British warships invade Trinidad. Wikipedia ↗
• 1791 — Congress passes a law admitting the state of Vermont to the Union, effective 4 March, after that state had existed for 14 years as a de facto independent largely unrecognized state. Wikipedia ↗
• 1781 — Fourth Anglo-Dutch War: Captain Thomas Shirley opens his expedition against Dutch colonial outposts on the Gold Coast of Africa (present-day Ghana). Wikipedia ↗
• 1766 — A mutiny by captive Malagasy begins at sea on the slave ship Meermin, leading to the ship's destruction on Cape Agulhas in present-day South Africa and the recapture of the instigators. Wikipedia ↗
• 1745 — The city of Surakarta, Central Java is founded on the banks of Bengawan Solo River, and becomes the capital of the Sunanate of Surakarta Hadiningrat. Wikipedia ↗
• 1637 — Eighty Years' War: Off the coast of Cornwall, England, a Spanish fleet intercepts an important Anglo-Dutch merchant convoy of 44 vessels escorted by six warships, destroying or capturing 20 of them. Wikipedia ↗
• 1478 — George, Duke of Clarence, convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England, is executed in private at the Tower of London. Wikipedia ↗
• 1332 — Amda Seyon I, Emperor of Ethiopia begins his campaigns in the southern Muslim provinces. Wikipedia ↗
• 1268 — The Livonian Order is defeated by Dovmont of Pskov in the Battle of Rakvere. Wikipedia ↗
• 1229 — The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on February 18

• 1994 — Jake Trbojevic, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — Sebastian Neumann, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — Henry Surtees, English race car driver (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Didi Gregorius, Dutch baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Cody Hodgson, Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — Changmin, South Korean singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Cristian Tănase, Romanian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Robert DeLong, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Marc Torrejón, Spanish footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Anton Ferdinand, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Lee Boyd Malvo, Jamaican-American murderer Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Jos van Emden, Dutch cyclist Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Carlos Kameni, Cameroonian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Jermaine Jenas, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Jason Maxiell, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Juelz Santana, American rapper and actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Christian Tiffert, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Andrei Kirilenko, Russian basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Alex Ríos, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Ivan Sproule, Northern Irish footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Larry Sweeney, American wrestler and manager (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Aivar Anniste, Estonian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Nik Antropov, Kazakhstani-Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Regina Spektor, Russian-American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Tinu Yohannan, Indian cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Josip Šimunić, Croatian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Ike Barinholtz, American actor and comedian Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Sean Watkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Chrissie Wellington, English triathlete Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Leilani Munter, American race car driver and environmentalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Chanda Rubin, American tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Bernadette Sembrano, Filipino journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1975 — Gary Neville, English footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Carrie Ann Baade, American painter and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Jamey Carroll, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Radek Černý, Czech footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Ruby Dhalla, Canadian chiropractor and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Julia Butterfly Hill, American environmentalist and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Russian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Jillian Michaels, American fitness trainer and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Shawn Estes, American baseball player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Claude Makélélé, French footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Fabian Picardo, Gibraltarian lawyer and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Gibraltar Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Thomas Bjorn, Danish golfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Merritt Gant, American guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Susan Egan, American actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — James H. Fowler, American political scientist and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Raine Maida, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Tomaž Humar, Slovenian mountaineer (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Alexander Mogilny, Russian-American ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Molly Ringwald, American actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Roberto Baggio, Italian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Colin Jackson, Welsh sprinter and hurdler Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — John Valentin, American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Phillip DeFreitas, Dominican-English cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Dr. Dre, American rapper, producer, and actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Matt Dillon, American actor and director Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Paul Hanley, English drummer and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Rob Andrew, English rugby player and cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — Andy Moog, Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — Greta Scacchi, Italian-Australian actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Jayne Atkinson, English-American actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — James Metzger, American businessman and philanthropist Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Marita Koch, German sprinter Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Vanna White, American model and game show host Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Ted Gärdestad, Swedish singer-songwriter (d. 1997) Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian businessman and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Georgia Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Cheetah Chrome, American musician Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Miles Tredinnick, English singer-songwriter and playwright Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Charlie Fowler, American mountaineer, author, and photographer (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Paul Rendall, English rugby player Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — John Travolta, American actor and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Robbie Bachman, Canadian rock drummer Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Derek Pellicci, English-Australian drummer Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Randy Crawford, American jazz and R&B singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Maurice Lucas, American basketball player and coach (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Juice Newton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Bernard Valcourt, Canadian lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Queen Komal of Nepal Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Isabel Preysler, Filipino-Spanish journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Cristina Ferrare, American model, actress, author, and television host Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — John Hughes, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Cybill Shepherd, American actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Gary Ridgway, American criminal, Green River Killer Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Sinéad Cusack, Irish actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Bruce Francis, Australian cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Keith Knudsen, American singer-songwriter and drummer (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Dennis DeYoung, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Eliot Engel, American educator and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Michael Buerk, English journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Judy Rankin, American golfer and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Pat Bowlen, American businessman Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Graeme Garden, Scottish comedian, actor, and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Herman Santiago, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Irma Thomas, American singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1940 — Fabrizio De André, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Claude Ake, Nigerian political scientist and academic (d. 1996) Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Bobby Hart, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Marlos Nobre, Brazilian composer Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Peter Dimond, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Manny Mota, Dominican baseball player, coach, and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Sadanoyama Shinmatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 50th Yokozuna Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — István Szabó, Hungarian director and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1936 — Jean M. Auel, American author Wikipedia ↗
• 1934 — Skip Battin, American singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2003) Wikipedia ↗
• 1934 — Audre Lorde, American poet, essayist, memoirist, and activist (d. 1992) Wikipedia ↗
• 1934 — Paco Rabanne, Spanish-French fashion designer Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Yoko Ono, Japanese-American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Bobby Robson, English footballer and manager (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Mary Ure, Scottish-English actress (d. 1975) Wikipedia ↗
• 1932 — Miloš Forman, Czech-American actor, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1931 — Johnny Hart, American cartoonist, co-created The Wizard of Id (d. 2007) Wikipedia ↗
• 1931 — Toni Morrison, American novelist and editor, Nobel Prize laureate Wikipedia ↗
• 1931 — Swraj Paul, Baron Paul, Indian-English businessman and philanthropist Wikipedia ↗
• 1931 — Bob St. Clair, American football player (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1929 — Len Deighton, English historian and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1929 — André Mathieu, Canadian pianist and composer (d. 1968) Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Rex Mossop, Australian rugby player and sportscaster (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
• 1927 — Luis Arroyo, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, manager, and scout (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
• 1927 — Fazal Mahmood, Pakistani cricketer (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
• 1927 — John Warner, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 61st United States Secretary of the Navy Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — A. R. Ammons, American poet and critic (d. 2001) Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — Wallace Berman, American painter and illustrator (d. 1976) Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — Len Ford, American football player (d. 1972) Wikipedia ↗
• 1925 — George Kennedy, American actor (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
• 1925 — Halit Kıvanç, Turkish journalist and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — Eric Gairy, Grenadan politician, 1st Prime Minister of Grenada (d. 1997) Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — Helen Gurley Brown, American journalist and author (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — Allan Melvin, American actor (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — Joe Tipton, American baseball player and soldier (d. 1994) Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — Connie Wisniewski, American baseball player (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
• 1921 — Mary Amdur, American toxicologist and public health researcher (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
• 1921 — Oscar Feltsman, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1920 — Bill Cullen, American game show panelist and host (d. 1990) Wikipedia ↗
• 1920 — Rolande Falcinelli, French organist, pianist, composer, and pedagogue. (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
• 1919 — Jack Palance, American boxer and actor (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
• 1916 — Jean Drapeau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 37th Mayor of Montreal (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
• 1915 — Phyllis Calvert, English actress (d. 2002) Wikipedia ↗
• 1914 — Pee Wee King, American singer-songwriter and fiddler (d. 2000) Wikipedia ↗
• 1909 — Wallace Stegner, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (d. 1993) Wikipedia ↗
• 1906 — Hans Asperger, Austrian pediatrician and academic (d. 1980) Wikipedia ↗
• 1905 — Queenie Leonard, English actress (d. 2002) Wikipedia ↗
• 1903 — Nikolai Podgorny, Ukrainian engineer and politician (d. 1983) Wikipedia ↗
• 1899 — Arthur Bryant, English historian and journalist (d. 1985) Wikipedia ↗
• 1898 — Enzo Ferrari, Italian race car driver and businessman, founded Ferrari (d. 1988) Wikipedia ↗
• 1898 — Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rican poet and politician, 1st Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (d. 1980) Wikipedia ↗
• 1893 — Maksim Haretski, Belarusian prose writer, journalist and activist (d. 1938) Wikipedia ↗
• 1892 — Wendell Willkie, American captain, lawyer, and politician (d. 1944) Wikipedia ↗
• 1890 — Edward Arnold, American actor (d. 1956) Wikipedia ↗
• 1890 — Adolphe Menjou, American actor (d. 1963) Wikipedia ↗
• 1885 — Henri Laurens, French sculptor and illustrator (d. 1954) Wikipedia ↗
• 1883 — Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek philosopher, author, and playwright (d. 1957) Wikipedia ↗
• 1871 — Harry Brearley, English inventor (d. 1948) Wikipedia ↗

📅 National Days on February 18 (Calendar.cx)

Also observed on February 18

🏛️ Public Holidays

Also in: Chinese New Year (SG) · Lunar New Year (KR) · Mùng hai Tết Nguyên Đán (VN) · Second day of Lunar New Year (HK) · Tahun Baharu Cina (Hari Kedua) (MY) · 春節 (TW) · 春节 (CN) · 農曆年初二 (HK) · 설날 다음날 (KR)

✡️ Religious Observances

• Jewish: Rosh Chodesh Adar
• Islamic: 1st Day of Ramadan
• Buddhist: Losar (Tibetan New Year)
• Christian: Ash Wednesday