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On This Day in History — December 18
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Highlights of December 18
- 2023 — A series of mass protests began in Belgrade, Serbia, alleging electoral irregularities in the Serbian parliament and Belgrade city assembly elections. Read more
- 2017 — An Amtrak Cascades passenger train derailed near DuPont, Washington, killing three people and injuring sixty-five others. Read more
- 1996 — The school board of Oakland, California, passed a controversial resolution officially declaring African-American Vernacular English to be a separate language or dialect. Read more
- 1979 — Mohammad Mofatteh, an Iranian philosopher, was assassinated by the Furqan Group. Read more
- 1969 — On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the sixth James Bond film and the only one to star George Lazenby, premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. Read more
- 1966 — Epimetheus, one of the moons of Saturn, was discovered, but was mistaken for Janus; it took twelve years to determine that they are two distinct objects sharing the same orbit. Read more
- 1963 — Ghanaian and other African students organized a protest in Moscow's Red Square in response to the alleged murder of medical student Edmund Assare-Addo. Read more
- 1958 — The United States launched SCORE (rocket pictured), the world's first communications satellite. Read more
- 1939 — Second World War: The Luftwaffe won a victory over the Royal Air Force in the Battle of the Heligoland Bight, greatly influencing both sides' future aerial warfare strategy. Read more
- 1932 — Playing indoors at Chicago Stadium on a modified American football field, the Chicago Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans in the first playoff game of the National Football League. Read more
- 1913 — The Jew's Christmas, the first American film to include a rabbi as a character, was released. Read more
- 1867 — In Angola, New York, the last coach of a Lake Shore Railway train derailed, plunged 40 feet (12 m) down a gully, and caught fire, resulting in approximately 49 deaths. Read more
- 1792 — Thomas Paine (depicted) was found guilty of seditious libel for the publication of the second part of his book Rights of Man. Read more
- 1622 — Portuguese forces and their Imbangala allies defeated the Kongo army at the Battle of Mbumbi. Read more
- 1499 — Muslims in Granada began a rebellion against their Castilian rulers in response to forced conversions to Catholicism. Read more
Events
- 2022 — Argentina win the FIFA World Cup final, defeating title holders France 4–2 on penalties following a 3–3 draw after extra time. Read more
- 2019 — The United States House of Representatives impeaches Donald Trump for the first time. Read more
- 2017 — Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501, derailed near DuPont, Washington, a city in United States near Olympia, Washington killing six people, and injuring 70 others. Read more
- 2015 — Kellingley Colliery, the last deep coal mine in Great Britain, closes. Read more
- 2006 — The first of a series of floods strikes Malaysia. The death toll of all flooding is at least 118, with over 400,000 people displaced. Read more
- 2006 — United Arab Emirates holds its first-ever elections. Read more
- 2005 — The Chadian Civil War begins when rebel groups, allegedly backed by neighbouring Sudan, launch an attack in Adré. Read more
- 2002 — California gubernatorial recall: Then Governor of California Gray Davis announces that the state would face a record budget deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign one month earlier. Read more
- 1999 — NASA launches into orbit the Terra platform carrying five Earth Observation instruments, including ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS and MOPITT. Read more
- 1995 — A Lockheed L-188 Electra crashes in Jamba, Cuando, Angola, killing 141 people. Read more
- 1981 — First flight of the Russian heavy strategic bomber Tu-160, the world's largest combat aircraft, largest supersonic aircraft and largest variable-sweep wing aircraft built. Read more
- 1977 — United Airlines Flight 2860 crashes near Kaysville, Utah, killing all three crew members on board. Read more
- 1977 — SA de Transport Aérien Flight 730 crashes near Madeira Airport in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, killing 36. Read more
- 1973 — Soviet Soyuz Programme: Soyuz 13, crewed by cosmonauts Valentin Lebedev and Pyotr Klimuk, is launched from Baikonur in the Soviet Union. Read more
- 1972 — Vietnam War: President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will engage North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, a series of Christmas bombings, after peace talks collapsed with North Vietnam on the 13th. Read more
- 1966 — Saturn's moon Epimetheus is discovered by astronomer Richard Walker. Read more
- 1958 — Project SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, is launched. Read more
- 1957 — A violent F5 tornado wipes out the entire community of Sunfield, Illinois. Read more
- 1944 — World War II: XX Bomber Command responds to the Japanese Operation Ichi-Go offensive by dropping five hundred tons of incendiary bombs on a supply base in Hankow, China. Read more
- 1944 — The Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in Korematsu v. United States supporting Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 which cleared the way for the incarceration of nearly all 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens, born and raised in the United States. Read more
- 1939 — World War II: The Battle of the Heligoland Bight, the first major air battle of the war, takes place. Read more
- 1935 — The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is founded in Ceylon. Read more
- 1932 — The Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth Spartans in the first NFL playoff game to win the NFL Championship. Read more
- 1917 — The resolution containing the language of the Eighteenth Amendment to enact Prohibition is passed by the United States Congress. Read more
- 1916 — World War I: The Battle of Verdun ends when the second French offensive pushes the Germans back two or three kilometres, causing them to cease their attacks. Read more
- 1898 — Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat sets the first officially recognized land speed record of 63.159 km/h (39.245 mph) in a Jeantaud electric car. Read more
- 1892 — The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky premiers in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Read more
- 1878 — The Al-Thani family become the rulers of the state of Qatar. Read more
- 1867 — A magnitude 7.0 earthquakes strikes off the coast of Taiwan, triggering a tsunami and killing at least 580 people. Read more
- 1865 — US Secretary of State William Seward proclaims the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment, prohibiting slavery throughout the United States. Read more
- 1854 — The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada abolishes the seigneurial system. Read more
- 1833 — The national anthem of the Russian Empire, "God Save the Tsar!", is first performed. Read more
- 1787 — New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Read more
- 1777 — The United States celebrates its first Thanksgiving, marking the recent victory by the American rebels over British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga in October. Read more
- 1655 — The Whitehall Conference ends with the determination that there was no law preventing Jews from re-entering England after the Edict of Expulsion of 1290. Read more
- 1622 — Portuguese forces score a military victory over the Kingdom of Kongo at the Battle of Mbumbi in present-day Angola. Read more
- 1499 — A rebellion breaks out in Alpujarras in response to the forced conversions of Muslims in Spain. Read more
- 1271 — Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan" (元 yuán), officially marking the start of the Yuan dynasty of Mongolia and China. Read more
- 1118 — The city of Zaragoza is conquered by king Alfonso I of Aragon from the Almoravid. Read more
Born on December 18
- 2002 — Syd Hartha, Filipino singer-songwriter Read more
- 2002 — Giuliano Simeone, Argentine footballer Read more
- 2001 — Billie Eilish, American singer Read more
- 2001 — Jalen Johnson, American basketball player Read more
- 2000 — Jayden Daniels, American football player Read more
- 2000 — Korapat Kirdpan, Thai actor and singer Read more
- 2000 — Travon Walker, American football player Read more
- 1999 — Dorka Juhász, Hungarian basketball player Read more
- 1998 — Paola Egonu, Italian volleyball player Read more
- 1998 — Simona Quadarella, Italian swimmer Read more
- 1998 — Klaudia Zwolińska, Polish slalom canoeist Read more
- 1997 — Ronald Acuña Jr., Venezuelan baseball player Read more
- 1997 — Alex DeBrincat, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1996 — Caileigh Filmer, Canadian rower Read more
- 1995 — Barbora Krejčíková, Czech tennis player Read more
- 1995 — Lim Na-young, South Korean singer and actress Read more
- 1995 — Mads Pedersen, Danish road cyclist Read more
- 1994 — Gerard Gumbau, Spanish footballer Read more
- 1994 — Natália Kelly, American-Austrian singer Read more
- 1993 — Byron Buxton, American baseball player Read more
- 1993 — Thomas Lam, Finnish footballer Read more
- 1992 — Ryan Crouser, American shot putter Read more
- 1992 — Kristen Faulkner, American road cyclist Read more
- 1992 — Bridgit Mendler, American singer-songwriter and actress Read more
- 1991 — Marcus Butler, English model and YouTuber Read more
- 1990 — Victor Hedman, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
- 1990 — Sierra Kay, American singer-songwriter Read more
- 1989 — Ashley Benson, American actress and singer Read more
- 1988 — Lizzie Deignan, English cyclist Read more
- 1988 — Seth Doege, American football player Read more
- 1988 — Brianne Theisen-Eaton, Canadian heptathlete Read more
- 1988 — Imad Wasim, Pakistani cricketer Read more
- 1987 — Miki Ando, Japanese figure skater Read more
- 1986 — Chris Carter, American baseball player Read more
- 1986 — François Hamelin, Canadian speed skater Read more
- 1986 — Usman Khawaja, Pakistani-Australian cricketer Read more
- 1984 — Brian Boyle, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1984 — Paul Harrison, English footballer Read more
- 1984 — Giuliano Razzoli, Italian skier Read more
- 1984 — Derrick Tribbett, American bass player and singer Read more
Died on December 18
- 2025 — Jim Hunt, American politician, 69th and 71st Governor of North Carolina (born 1937) Read more
- 2025 — Osman Hadi, Bangladeshi politician and activist (born 1993) Read more
- 2024 — Slim Dunlap, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1951) Read more
- 2024 — John Marsden, Australian writer (born 1950) Read more
- 2021 — Sayaka Kanda, Japanese actress and singer (born 1986) Read more
- 2020 — Jerry Relph, American politician and member of the Minnesota Senate (born 1944) Read more
- 2017 — Kim Jong-hyun, South Korean singer (born 1990) Read more
- 2016 — Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-American actress and socialite (born 1917) Read more
- 2015 — Luc Brewaeys, Belgian pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1959) Read more
- 2015 — Helge Solum Larsen, Norwegian businessman and politician (born 1969) Read more
- 2014 — Donald J. Albosta, American soldier and politician (born 1925) Read more
- 2014 — Gideon Ben-Yisrael, Israeli soldier and politician (born 1923) Read more
- 2014 — Larry Henley, American singer-songwriter (born 1937) Read more
- 2014 — Virna Lisi, Italian actress (born 1936) Read more
- 2014 — Mandy Rice-Davies, English model and actress, central figure in the Profumo affair (born 1944) Read more
- 2014 — Robert Simpson, American meteorologist and author (born 1912) Read more
- 2013 — Ken Hutcherson, American football player (born 1952) Read more
- 2013 — Graham Mackay, South African-English businessman (born 1949) Read more
- 2012 — Frank Macchiarola, American lawyer and academic (born 1941) Read more
- 2012 — Mustafa Ould Salek, Mauritanian colonel and politician, President of Mauritania (born 1936) Read more
- 2012 — Jim Whalen, American football player (born 1943) Read more
- 2012 — Anatoliy Zayaev, Ukrainian footballer, coach, and manager (born 1931) Read more
- 2011 — Václav Havel, Czech poet, playwright, and politician, 1st President of the Czech Republic (born 1936) Read more
- 2010 — Phil Cavarretta, American baseball player and manager (born 1916) Read more
- 2010 — Jacqueline de Romilly, French philologist, author, and scholar (born 1913) Read more
- 2010 — Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Italian economist and politician, Italian Minister of Economy and Finances (born 1940) Read more
- 2010 — James Pickles, English judge and journalist (born 1925) Read more
- 2008 — Majel Barrett, American actress and producer (born 1932) Read more
- 2008 — Mark Felt, American FBI agent, "Deep Throat" informant in the Watergate scandal (born 1913) Read more
- 2007 — Hans Billian, Polish-German actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1918) Read more
- 2007 — Gerald Le Dain, Canadian lawyer and judge (born 1924) Read more
- 2007 — William Strauss, American author and playwright (born 1947) Read more
- 2007 — Alan Wagner, American businessman and critic (born 1931) Read more
- 2006 — Joseph Barbera, American animator, director, and producer, co-founded Hanna-Barbera (born 1911) Read more
- 2006 — Ruth Bernhard, German-American photographer (born 1905) Read more
- 2006 — Shaukat Siddiqui, Pakistani author and activist (born 1923) Read more
- 2005 — Alan Voorhees, American engineer and urban planner (born 1922) Read more
- 2004 — Anthony Sampson, English journalist and author (born 1926) Read more
- 2002 — Necip Hablemitoğlu, Turkish historian and academic (born 1954) Read more
- 2002 — Ray Hnatyshyn, Canadian lawyer and politician, 24th Governor General of Canada (born 1934) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Christian feast day:
Flannán; Christian feast day:
Gatianus of Tours; Christian feast day:
O Adonai; Christian feast day:
Sebastian (Eastern Orthodox Church); Christian feast day:
Winibald; Christian feast day:
December 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); International Migrants Day; National Day (Qatar); Republic Day (Niger); UN Arabic Language Day (United Nations)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “December 18”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.