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On This Day in History — February 18
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Highlights of February 18
- 2014 — A series of violent events (pictured) involving protesters, riot police, and unknown shooters began in Kyiv that culminated in the ousting of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych five days later. Read more
- 2013 — Eight gunmen stole US$50,000,000 worth of diamonds from a Swiss-bound aircraft at Brussels Airport. Read more
- 2010 — In a coup d'état, military rebels attacked the presidential palace in Niamey, Niger, and replaced President Mamadou Tandja with a ruling junta, the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy. Read more
- 2010 — WikiLeaks published the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by Chelsea Manning. Read more
- 2001 — Inter-ethnic violence between the Dayak and the Madurese broke out in Sampit, Indonesia, ultimately causing more than 500 deaths and the displacement of 100,000 Madurese from their homes. Read more
- 2001 — American FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested for having spied for the KGB and GRU over a 22-year period. Read more
- 1977 — NASA's first Space Shuttle, Enterprise, made its first test flight on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (both pictured). Read more
- 1977 — The Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm fire started during Chinese New Year when a firecracker ignited the wreaths of late Mao Zedong, killing 694 personnel. Read more
- 1946 — President Harry S. Truman signed the Rescission Act, annulling benefits payable to Filipino troops who fought for the U.S. during World War II. Read more
- 1943 — The core members of the White Rose, an anti-Nazi resistance group, were arrested by the Gestapo. Read more
- 1878 — Competition between two American merchants in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, turned into a range war when a member of one faction was murdered by the other. Read more
- 1873 — Vasil Levski, a national hero of Bulgaria, was executed in Sofia by the Ottoman authorities for his efforts to establish an independent Bulgarian republic. Read more
- 1814 — War of the Sixth Coalition: French troops led by Napoleon forced the Army of Bohemia to retreat after it advanced dangerously close to Paris. Read more
- 1766 — Enslaved Malagasy captives on the Dutch East India Company slave ship Meermin began a mutiny that led to the ship's destruction on Cape Agulhas in present-day South Africa and the recapture of the instigators. Read more
- 1637 — Eighty Years' War: Off the coast of Cornwall, a Spanish fleet intercepted an Anglo-Dutch merchant convoy of forty-four vessels escorted by six men-of-war, destroying or capturing twenty ships. Read more
- 1268 — Northern Crusades: The Battle of Wesenberg (depicted) took place between Novgorodian and Pskovian forces against the Livonian Order and its allies, ending with Russian forces retreating from Danish Estonia. Read more
- 3102 BC — According to Hindu scriptures, Kali Yuga, the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas, began. Read more
Events
- 2021 — Perseverance, a Mars rover designed to explore Jezero crater on Mars, as part of NASA's Mars 2020 mission, lands successfully. Read more
- 2018 — Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 3704 crashes in the Dena sub-range in the Zagros Mountains of Iran, Resulting in 66 Deaths Read more
- 2014 — Revolution of Dignity: At least 76 people are killed and hundreds are injured in clashes between riot police and demonstrators in Kyiv, Ukraine. Read more
- 2013 — Armed robbers steal a haul of diamonds worth $50 million during a raid at Brussels Airport in Belgium. Read more
- 2010 — WikiLeaks publishes the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by the soldier now known as Chelsea Manning. Read more
- 2004 — Up to 295 people, 182 of which being rescue workers, die near Nishapur, Iran, when a runaway freight train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer catches fire and explodes. Read more
- 2003 — 192 people die when an arsonist sets fire to a subway train in Daegu, South Korea. Read more
- 2001 — FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. He is ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1991 — The IRA explodes bombs in the early morning at Paddington station and Victoria station in London. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1979 — Richard Petty wins a then-record sixth Daytona 500 after leaders Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crash on the final lap of the first NASCAR race televised live flag-to-flag. Read more
- 1977 — The Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm fire started during Chinese New Year when a firecracker ignited memorial wreaths of the late Mao Zedong, killing 694 personnel. It remains the deadliest fireworks accident in the world. Read more
- 1977 — A thousand armed soldiers raid Kalakuta Republic, the commune of Nigerian singer Fela Kuti, leading to the death of Funmilayo Anikulapo Kuti. Read more
- 1977 — The Space Shuttle Enterprise test vehicle is carried on its maiden "flight" on top of a Boeing 747. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1970 — The Chicago Seven are found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Read more
- 1965 — The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom. Read more
- 1957 — Kenyan rebel leader Dedan Kimathi is executed by the British colonial government. Read more
- 1957 — Walter James Bolton becomes the last person legally executed in New Zealand. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1954 — The first Church of Scientology is established in Los Angeles. Read more
- 1947 — First Indochina War: The French gain complete control of Hanoi after forcing the Viet Minh to withdraw to the mountains. Read more
- 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 Read more
- 1945 — World War II: American and Brazilian troops kick off Operation Encore in Northern Italy, a successful limited action in the Northern Apennines that prepares for the western portion of the Allied Spring offensive. Read more
- 1943 — World War II: The Nazis arrest the members of the White Rose movement. Read more
- 1943 — World War II: Joseph Goebbels delivers his Sportpalast speech. Read more
- 1942 — World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army begins the systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1932 — The Empire of Japan creates the independent state of Manzhouguo (the obsolete Chinese name for Manchuria) free from the Republic of China and installed former Chinese Emperor Puyi as Chief Executive of the State. Read more
- 1930 — While studying photographs taken in January, Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1915 — U-boat Campaign: The Imperial German Navy institutes unrestricted submarine warfare in the waters around Great Britain and Ireland. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1906 — Édouard de Laveleye forms the Belgian Olympic Committee in Brussels. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1885 — Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is published in the United States. Read more
- 1878 — John Tunstall is murdered by outlaw Jesse Evans, sparking the Lincoln County War in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Read more
- 1873 — Bulgarian revolutionary leader Vasil Levski is executed by hanging in Sofia by the Ottoman authorities. Read more
- 1861 — In Montgomery, Alabama, Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America. Read more
- 1861 — With Italian unification almost complete, Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia assumes the title of King of Italy. Read more
- 1814 — Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Montereau. Read more
- 1797 — French Revolutionary Wars: Sir Ralph Abercromby and a fleet of 18 British warships invade Trinidad. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1781 — Fourth Anglo-Dutch War: Captain Thomas Shirley opens his expedition against Dutch colonial outposts on the Gold Coast of Africa (present-day Ghana). Read more
- 1735 — The ballad opera called Flora, or Hob in the Well went down in history as the first opera of any kind to be produced in North America (Charleston, S.C.)
- 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. Read more
- 1332 — Amda Seyon I, Emperor of Ethiopia begins his campaigns in the southern Muslim provinces. Read more
- 1268 — The Battle of Wesenberg is fought between the Livonian Order and Dovmont of Pskov. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 3102 BC — Kali Yuga, the fourth and final yuga of Hinduism, starts with the death of Krishna. Read more
Born on February 18
- 2002 — Manu Bhaker, Indian sports shooter Read more
- 2001 — Tanguy Coulibaly, French footballer Read more
- 2001 — Jaime Jaquez Jr., American basketball player Read more
- 2000 — Zakaria Aboukhlal, Moroccan footballer Read more
- 2000 — Giacomo Raspadori, Italian footballer Read more
- 1998 — Vernon, South Korean and American rapper, singer and songwriter Read more
- 1997 — DK, South Korean singer Read more
- 1997 — Odysseas Adam, Greek volleyball player Read more
- 1997 — Brandon Jones, American racing driver Read more
- 1996 — Tyler Dorsey, American-Greek basketball player Read more
- 1995 — Nathan Aké, Dutch footballer Read more
- 1994 — J-Hope, South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer Read more
- 1994 — Paul Zipser, German basketball player Read more
- 1993 — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, American basketball player Read more
- 1992 — Le'Veon Bell, American football player Read more
- 1992 — Martin Marinčin, Slovak ice hockey player Read more
- 1992 — Logan Miller, American actor Read more
- 1991 — Sebastian Neumann, German footballer Read more
- 1990 — Monica Aksamit, American saber fencer Read more
- 1990 — Didi Gregorius, Dutch baseball player Read more
- 1990 — Cody Hodgson, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1990 — Bryan Oviedo, Costa Rican footballer Read more
- 1989 — Sonja Vasić, Serbian basketball player Read more
- 1988 — Roman Neustädter, German-Russian footballer Read more
- 1988 — Sarah Sutherland, American actress Read more
- 1988 — Maiara Walsh, American-Brazilian actress Read more
- 1986 — Kyle Weaver, American basketball player Read more
- 1984 — Carlos Kameni, Cameroonian footballer Read more
- 1983 — Kara Braxton, American basketball player (died 2026) Read more
- 1983 — Jermaine Jenas, English footballer Read more
- 1983 — Jason Maxiell, American basketball player Read more
- 1982 — Christian Tiffert, German footballer Read more
- 1981 — Andrei Kirilenko, Russian-American basketball player Read more
- 1981 — Alex Ríos, American baseball player Read more
- 1980 — Nik Antropov, Kazakhstani-Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1980 — Regina Spektor, Russian-American musician and songwriter Read more
- 1977 — Ike Barinholtz, American actor and comedian Read more
- 1977 — Kristoffer Polaha, American actor Read more
- 1975 — Gary Neville, English footballer Read more
- 1974 — Carrie Ann Baade, American painter and academic Read more
Died on February 18
- 2026 — Borislav Paravac, Bosnian Serb politician, 8th Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (born 1943) Read more
- 2025 — Gene Hackman, award-winning American actor (born 1930) Read more
- 2025 — Gerald Ridsdale, Australian laicised Catholic priest and sex offender (born 1934) Read more
- 2025 — Hurricane, American secret service canine (born 2009) Read more
- 2020 — Flavio Bucci, Italian actor and voice actor (born 1947) Read more
- 2019 — Alessandro Mendini, Italian designer and architect (born 1931) Read more
- 2015 — Elchanan Heilprin, Slovak-born English rabbi (born 1920 or 1922) Read more
- 2014 — Mavis Gallant, Canadian-French author and playwright (born 1922) Read more
- 2014 — Maria Franziska von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (born 1914) Read more
- 2001 — Balthus, Polish-Swiss painter and illustrator (born 1908) Read more
- 2001 — Dale Earnhardt, American racer and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (born 1951) Read more
- 1982 — Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand author (born 1895) Read more
- 1981 — Jack Northrop, American engineer and businessman, founded the Northrop Corporation (born 1895) Read more
- 1977 — Andy Devine, American actor (born 1905) Read more
- 1969 — Dragiša Cvetković, Serbian lawyer and politician, 17th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (born 1893) Read more
- 1967 — J. Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist and academic (born 1904) Read more
- 1966 — Grigory Nelyubov, Soviet pilot and military officer (born 1934) Read more
- 1960 — Gertrude Vanderbilt, American stage actress (born c. 1885) Read more
- 1956 — Gustave Charpentier, French composer (born 1860) Read more
- 1938 — David King Udall, American missionary and politician (born 1851) Read more
- 1933 — James J. Corbett, American boxer and actor (born 1866) Read more
- 1915 — Frank James, American soldier and criminal (born 1843) Read more
- 1910 — Lucy Stanton, American activist (born 1831) Read more
- 1902 — Charles Lewis Tiffany, American businessman, founded Tiffany & Co. (born 1812) Read more
- 1893 — Serranus Clinton Hastings, American lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Justice of California (born 1814) Read more
- 1880 — Nikolay Zinin, Russian organic chemist (born 1812) Read more
- 1873 — Vasil Levski, Bulgarian activist, founded the Internal Revolutionary Organization (born 1837) Read more
- 1851 — Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi, German mathematician and academic (born 1804) Read more
- 1803 — Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, German poet and educator (born 1719) Read more
- 1788 — John Whitehurst, English geologist and clockmaker (born 1713) Read more
- 1780 — Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian pastor and poet (born 1714) Read more
- 1778 — Joseph Marie Terray, French economist and politician, Controller-General of Finances (born 1715) Read more
- 1772 — Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, Danish politician (born 1712) Read more
- 1748 — Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun, Austrian field marshal (born 1677) Read more
- 1743 — Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, Italian noble (born 1667) Read more
- 1712 — Louis, Dauphin of France, (born 1682) Read more
- 1695 — William Phips, governor of Massachusetts (born 1650) Read more
- 1683 — Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, Dutch painter (born 1620) Read more
- 1658 — John Villiers, Viscount Purbeck, English courtier (born c. 1591) Read more
- 1654 — Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac, French author (born 1594) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Bernadette Soubirous (France); Christian feast day:
Colmán of Lindisfarne; Christian feast day:
Flavian of Constantinople; Christian feast day:
Geltrude Comensoli; Christian feast day:
Simeon of Jerusalem (Western Christianity); Christian feast day:
February 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Dialect Day (Amami Islands, Japan); Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Gambia from the United Kingdom in 1965; Kurdish Students Union Day (Iraqi Kurdistan); National Democracy Day, celebrates the 1951 overthrow of the Rana dynasty (Nepal)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “February 18”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.