On This Day — October 18

🕰️ Notable Events on October 18

• 2007 — Karachi bombing: A suicide attack on a motorcade carrying former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto kills 139 and wounds 450 more. Bhutto herself was uninjured. Wikipedia ↗
• 2003 — Bolivian gas conflict: Bolivian President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, is forced to resign and leave Bolivia. Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — The Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopts a declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) begins allowing people to have home satellite earth stations without a federal government license. Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — German Autumn: a set of events revolving around the kidnapping of Hanns Martin Schleyer and the hijacking of a Lufthansa flight by the Red Army Faction (RAF) comes to an end when Schleyer is murdered and various RAF members allegedly commit suicide. Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — The Soviet probe Venera 4 reaches Venus and becomes the first spacecraft to measure the atmosphere of another planet. Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Félicette, a black and white female Parisian stray cat becomes the first cat launched into space. Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Texas Instruments announces the first transistor radio. Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — The Studio for Electronic Music was established at the West German Broadcasting facility in Cologne, Germany, making the first modern music studio. Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — The USSR's nuclear program receives plans for the United States plutonium bomb from Klaus Fuchs at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — A group of the Venezuelan Armed Forces, led by Mario Vargas, Marcos Pérez Jiménez and Carlos Delgado Chalbaud, stages a coup d'état against president Isaías Medina Angarita, who is overthrown by the end of the day. Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Argentine military officer and politician Juan Perón marries actress Eva Duarte. Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — World War II: Soviet Union begins the liberation of Czechoslovakia from Nazi Germany. Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — World War II: The state funeral of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel takes place in Ulm, Germany. Wikipedia ↗
• 1929 — The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council overrules the Supreme Court of Canada in Edwards v. Canada when it declares that women are considered "Persons" under Canadian law. Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — The British Broadcasting Company (later Corporation) is founded by a consortium, to establish a nationwide network of radio transmitters to provide a national broadcasting service. Wikipedia ↗
• 1921 — The Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic is formed as part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Wikipedia ↗
• 1914 — The Schoenstatt Movement is founded in Germany. Wikipedia ↗
• 1912 — First Balkan War: King Peter I of Serbia issues a declaration "To the Serbian People", as his country joins the war. Wikipedia ↗
• 1898 — The United States takes possession of Puerto Rico from Spain. Wikipedia ↗
• 1867 — United States takes possession of Alaska after purchasing it from Russia for $7.2 million. Celebrated annually in the state as Alaska Day. Wikipedia ↗
• 1860 — The Second Opium War finally ends at the Convention of Peking with the ratification of the Treaty of Tientsin, an unequal treaty. Wikipedia ↗
• 1851 — Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is first published as The Whale by Richard Bentley of London. Wikipedia ↗
• 1797 — Treaty of Campo Formio is signed between France and Austria Wikipedia ↗
• 1779 — American Revolutionary War: The Franco-American Siege of Savannah is lifted. Wikipedia ↗
• 1775 — African-American poet Phillis Wheatley is freed from slavery. Wikipedia ↗
• 1775 — American Revolutionary War: The Burning of Falmouth (now Portland, Maine). Wikipedia ↗
• 1748 — Signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ends the War of the Austrian Succession. Wikipedia ↗
• 1648 — Boston Shoemakers form first American labor organization. Wikipedia ↗
• 1599 — Michael the Brave, Prince of Wallachia, defeats the Army of Andrew Báthory in the Battle of Șelimbăr, leading to the first recorded unification of the Romanian people. Wikipedia ↗
• 1565 — Ships belonging to the Matsura clan of Japan fail to capture the Portuguese trading carrack in the Battle of Fukuda Bay, the first recorded naval battle between Japan and the West. Wikipedia ↗
• 1561 — In Japan the fourth Battle of Kawanakajima was fought between the forces of Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen; resulting in a draw. Wikipedia ↗
• 1540 — Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto's forces destroy the fortified town of Mabila in present-day Alabama, killing Tuskaloosa. Wikipedia ↗
• 1356 — Basel earthquake, the most significant historic seismological event north of the Alps, destroys the town of Basel, Switzerland. Wikipedia ↗
• 1081 — The Normans defeat the Byzantine Empire in the Battle of Dyrrhachium. Wikipedia ↗
• 1016 — The Danes defeat the English in the Battle of Assandun. Wikipedia ↗
• 1009 — The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who hacks the Church's foundations down to bedrock. Wikipedia ↗
• 629 — Dagobert I is crowned King of the Franks. Wikipedia ↗
• 614 — King Chlothar II promulgates the Edict of Paris (Edictum Chlotacharii), a sort of Frankish Magna Carta that defend the rights of the Frankish nobles while it excludes Jews from all civil employment in the Frankish Kingdom. Wikipedia ↗
• 320 — Pappus of Alexandria, Greek philosopher, observes an eclipse of the Sun and writes a commentary on The Great Astronomer (Almagest). Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on October 18

• 1994 — Pascal Wehrlein, German-Mauritian Formula One driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1993 — Ivan Cavaleiro, Portuguese professional footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — Roly Bonevacia, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — Tyler Posey, American actor and musician Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Bristol Palin, American public speaker and reality television personality Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Brittney Griner, American professional basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Drew Crawford, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Laci Green, American YouTube personality, video blogger, sex educator, and activist Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Riisa Naka, Japanese model and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — Tessa Schram, Dutch director and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Zac Efron, American actor and singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Freja Beha Erichsen, Danish model Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Wilma Elles, German actress and fashion designer Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Yoenis Céspedes, Cuban baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Andrew Garcia, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Robert Harting, German discus thrower Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Freida Pinto, Indian actress and model Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Esperanza Spalding, American singer-songwriter and bassist Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Lindsey Vonn, American skier Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Milo Yiannopoulos, British journalist and public speaker Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Dante, Brazilian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Thierry Amiel, French singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Michael Dingsdag, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Mark Sampson, Welsh footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Simon Gotch, American wrestler Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Nathan Hauritz, Australian cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Tina Hergold, Slovenian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Greg Warren, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Josh Gracin, American country music singer and former member of the United States Marine Corps Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Birsen Yavuz, Turkish sprinter and hurdler Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Damon Scott, British entertainer Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Jaroslav Drobný, Czech footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Hikaru Kawamura, Japanese model Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Ne-Yo, American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Kunal Kapoor, Indian actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Mike Tindall, English rugby player Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Kenji Wu, Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Flavia Colgan, Brazilian-American journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Ryan Nelsen, New Zealand-American soccer player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — David Vuillemin, French motorcycle racer Wikipedia ↗
• 1975 — Alex Cora, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1975 — Josh Sawyer, American video game designer Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Robbie Savage, Welsh footballer and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Peter Svensson, Swedish guitarist and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Zhou Xun, Chinese actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Amish Tripathi, Indian author Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Stephen Allan, Australian golfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — James Foley, American photographer and journalist (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Michalis Kapsis, Greek footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Rachel Nichols, American journalist and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Sarah Winckless, English rower Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Mark Morrison, West German-born British hip hop and R&B musician Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Mika Ninagawa, Japanese photographer and director Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Alex Tagliani, Canadian race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Nick O'Hern, Australian golfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Doug Mirabelli, American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Mike Starink, Dutch television host and actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Volker Neumüller, German talent manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Nelson Vivas, Argentinian footballer, coach, and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Rhod Gilbert, Welsh comedian Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Stuart Law, Australian cricketer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Michael Stich, German tennis player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Eric Stuart, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and voice actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Dave Price, American journalist and game show host Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Curtis Stigers, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Zakir Naik, an Indian Islamic preacher; founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Dan Lilker, American singer-songwriter and bass player Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Charles Stross, English journalist, author, and programmer Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Sigvart Dagsland, Norwegian singer, pianist and composer Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — Min Ko Naing, Burmese activist Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — Vincent Spano, American actor, director, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Wynton Marsalis, American trumpet player, composer, and educator Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Rick Moody, American author and composer Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Gladstone Small, Barbadian-English cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — Erin Moran, American actress (d. 2017) Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — Jean-Claude Van Damme, Belgian martial artist, actor, and producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Kirby Chambliss, American pilot Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Mauricio Funes, Salvadoran politician, former President of El Salvador Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Milcho Manchevski, Macedonian-American director and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — John Nord, American wrestler Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Thomas Hearns, American boxer Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Megumi Ishii, Japanese actress and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Kjell Samuelsson, Swedish ice hockey player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Jon Lindstrom, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Catherine Ringer, French singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Craig Bartlett, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Martina Navratilova, Czech-American tennis player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Jim Talent, American lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Jean-Pierre Hautier, Belgian journalist and television host (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Vanessa Briscoe Hay, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Timmy Mallett, English radio and television host Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Stu Mead, American painter and illustrator Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — David Twohy, American director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Rita Verdonk, Dutch journalist and politician, Dutch Minister of Justice Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Denis Watson, Zimbabwean golfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Mark Welland, English physicist and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Nick Houghton, English general Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Arliss Howard, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Vickie Winans, American gospel music singer-songwriter and music producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Roy Dias, Sri Lankan cricketer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Paul Geroski, American-English economist and academic (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Chuck Lorre, American director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Patrick Morrow, Canadian mountaineer and photographer Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Bảo Ninh, Vietnamese soldier and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Allen Ripley, American baseball player (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Jerry Royster, American baseball player, coach, and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Mike Antonovich, American ice hockey player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Pam Dawber, American actress and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Terry McMillan, American author and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — David Normington, English civil servant and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Nic Potter, English bass player and songwriter (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Wendy Wasserstein, American playwright and author (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Joe Egan, Scottish singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — George Hendrick, American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Gary Richrath, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Hans Köchler, Austrian philosopher, author, and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Ntozake Shange, American author, poet, and playwright Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Paul Chuckle, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Job Cohen, Dutch scholar and politician, Mayor of Amsterdam Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Laura Nyro, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1997) Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Gary Sullivan, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Luc Jouret, Belgian religious cult leader in Switzerland (d. 1994) Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — James Robert Baker, American author and screenwriter (d. 1997) Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Frank Beamer, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Welsh academic and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Howard Shore, Canadian composer, conductor, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Huell Howser, American television host and actor (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Chris Shays, American politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Christine Charbonneau, Canadian singer-songwriter (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Birthe Rønn Hornbech, Danish police officer and politician, Danish Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Gianfranco Ravasi, Italian cardinal and scholar Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Timothy Bell, Baron Bell, English businessman Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Martha Burk, American psychologist and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1940 — Cynthia Weil, American songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1940 — Talitha Getty, actress and model of Dutch extraction (d. 1971) Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Flavio Cotti, Swiss lawyer and politician, 82nd President of the Swiss Confederation Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Mike Ditka, American football player, coach, and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Lee Harvey Oswald, American assassin of John F. Kennedy (d. 1963) Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Jan Erik Vold, Norwegian poet, author, and translator Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Ronnie Bright, American R&B and doo-wop singer (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Robert Dove, American lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Dawn Wells, American model and actress, Miss Nevada 1959 Wikipedia ↗
• 1936 — Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, Cuban cardinal Wikipedia ↗
• 1935 — Peter Boyle, American actor (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
• 1934 — Inger Stevens, Swedish-American actress (d. 1970) Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Forrest Gregg, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Irwin M. Jacobs, American electrical engineer, businessman, and entrepreneur Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Ludovico Scarfiotti, Italian race car driver (d. 1968) Wikipedia ↗
• 1932 — Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuanian musicologist and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1931 — Chris Albertson, Icelandic-American historian, journalist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1931 — Roger Climpson, English-Australian journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1931 — Ien Dales, Dutch civil servant and politician, Dutch Minister of the Interior (d. 1994) Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun, Scottish politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Esther Hautzig, Lithuanian-American author (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
• 1929 — Violeta Chamorro, Nicaraguan publisher and politician, President of Nicaragua Wikipedia ↗
• 1929 — Hillard Elkins, American producer and manager (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
• 1929 — Kees Fens, Dutch author and critic (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Keith Jackson, American sportscaster and actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Maurice El Mediouni, Algerian pianist and composer Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Dick Taverne, English lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗

📅 National Days on October 18 (Calendar.cx)

Also observed on October 18

🏛️ Public Holidays

Also in: 重陽節 (HK)