December 18 in recent years
2009 (Friday)
2008 (Thursday)
2007 (Tuesday)
2006 (Monday)
2005 (Sunday)
2004 (Saturday)
2003 (Thursday)
2002 (Wednesday)
2001 (Tuesday)
2000 (Monday)
December 18 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are 12 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events [ ]
218 BC - Second Punic War : Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Roman Republic .
1271 - Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan" (元 yuán), officially marking the start of the Yuan Dynasty of China .
1642 - Abel Tasman becomes first European to land in New Zealand
1793 - Surrender of the frigate La Lutine by French royalists to Lord Hood ; renamed HMS Lutine , she later becomes a famous treasure wreck.
1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified by Georgia, fulfilling the two-thirds requirement for ratification, and banning slavery in the United States .
1892 - The first performance of Tchaikovsky 's ballet The Nutcracker is held at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg .
1900 - The Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook Narrow-gauge (2 ft 6 in or 762 mm ) Railway (now the Puffing Billy Railway ) in Victoria , Australia opened for traffic.
1926 - The first performance of Leoš Janáček 's opera The Makropulos Affair is held in Brno , Czechoslovakia .
1932 - The Chicago Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans 9-0 in the first ever NFL Championship Game . Due to a blizzard , the game was moved from Wrigley Field to the Chicago Stadium , the field measuring 60 yards long.
1935 - The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is founded in Sri Lanka .
1944 - World War II : 77 B-29 Superfortress and 200 other aircraft of U.S. Fourteenth Air Force bomb Hankow , a Japanese supply base.
1961 - Indonesia invades Netherlands New Guinea .
1966 - Saturn 's moon Epimetheus is discovered by Richard L. Walker .
1969 - Capital punishment in the United Kingdom : Home Secretary James Callaghan 's motion to make permanent the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965 , which had temporarily suspended capital punishment in England , Wales and Scotland for murder (but not for all crimes) for a period of five years, is carried by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords .
1973 - Soviet Soyuz Programme : Soyuz 13 , crewed by cosmonauts Valentin Lebedev and Pyotr Klimuk , is launched from Baikonur in the Soviet Union .
1987 - Larry Wall releases the first version of the Perl programming language .
1996 - The Oakland school board passes a resolution officially declaring "Ebonics " a language or dialect.
1997 - HTML 4.0 is published by the World Wide Web Consortium .
1999 - NASA launches into orbit the Terra platform carrying five Earth Observation instruments, including ASTER , CERES , MISR , MODIS and MOPITT .
2002 - 2003 California recall : 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.
2006 - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld resigns, Robert Gates is sworn in as the new Secretary of Defense.
Births [ ]
1507 - Ōuchi Yoshitaka , Japanese warlord (d. 1551 )
1602 - Simonds d'Ewes , English antiquarian and politician (d. 1650 )
1610 - Charles du Fresne , French philologist (d. 1688 )
1620 - Heinrich Roth , German Sanskrit scholar (d. 1668 )
1626 - Queen Christina of Sweden (d. 1689 )
1661 - Christopher Polhem , Swedish scientist and inventor (d. 1751 )
1662 - James Douglas , Scottish politician (d. 1711 )
1707 - Charles Wesley , English Methodist hymnist (d. 1788 )
1724 - Louise of Great Britain , wife of Frederick V of Denmark (d. 1751 )
1725 - Johann Salomo Semler , German historian and Bible commentator (d. 1791 )
1825 - Charles Griffin , American general (d. 1876 )
1835 - Lyman Abbott , American author (d. 1922 )
1847 - Augusta Holmès , French composer (d. 1903 )
1851 - Graciano Lopez Jaena , Filipino hero, orator and satirist (d. 1896 )
1856 - Sir J.J. Thomson , British physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1940 )
1860 - Edward MacDowell , American composer and pianist (d. 1908 )
1863 - Franz Ferdinand (d. 1914 )
1870 - Saki , British writer (d. 1916 )
1873 - Francis Burton Harrison , American political figure (d. 1957 )
1878 - Josef Stalin , leader of the Soviet Union (d. 1953 )
1879 - Paul Klee , Swiss-born painter (d. 1940 )
1886 - Ty Cobb , American baseball player (d. 1961 )
1888 - Robert Moses , American public works official (d. 1981 )
1888 - Dame Gladys Cooper , British actress (d. 1971 )
1890 - Edwin Armstrong , American inventor (d. 1954 )
1897 - Fletcher Henderson , American arranger and composer (d. 1952 )
1904 - George Stevens , American film director (d. 1975 )
1907 - Bill Holland , American auto racer (d. 1984 )
1908 - Paul Siple , American Antarctic explorer (d. 1969 )
1910 - Abe Burrows , American playwright (d. 1985 )
1911 - Jules Dassin , American film director
1912 - Benjamin O. Davis Jr. , American General (d. 2002 )
1913 - Alfred Bester , American author (d. 1987 )
1913 - Willy Brandt , Chancellor of Germany and Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1992 )
1913 - Ray Meyer , former head coach of DePaul University men's basketball team (d. 2006 )
1916 - Betty Grable , American actress (d. 1973 )
1916 - Douglas Fraser , British-born trade unionist
1917 - Ossie Davis , American actor (d. 2005 )
1927 - Ramsey Clark , U.S. Attorney General
1927 - Romeo LeBlanc , 25th Governor General of Canada
1928 - Józef Glemp , Polish cardinal
1929 - Gino Cimoli , American baseball player
1930 - Moose Skowron , American baseball player
1931 - Allen Klein , American rock and roll business manager
1931 - Alison Plowden , British historian (d. 2007 )
1933 - Arthur Leigh Allen , Suspected Zodiac serial killer (d. 1992 )
1934 - Boris Volynov , Soviet cosmonaut
1935 - Jacques Pépin , French chef
1936 - Malcolm Kirk , wrestler (d. 1987 )
1938 - Roger E. Mosley , American actor
1938 - Joel Hirschhorn , American songwriter and composer (d. 2005 )
1938 - Chas Chandler , English musician (The Animals ) (d. 1996 )
1939 - Michael Moorcock , British author
1939 - Harold E. Varmus , American scientist and Nobel Prize laureate
1940 - Bramwell Morrison , member of Sharon
1941 - Wadada Leo Smith , American trumper and composer
1943 - Keith Richards , English guitarist (The Rolling Stones )
1945 - Jean Pronovost , Canadian ice hockey player
1946 - Steven Spielberg , American film director
1946 - Steve Biko , South African anti-apartheid activist (d. 1977 )
1948 - Bill Nelson , British musician (Be Bop Deluxe)
1948 - Laurent Voulzy , French singer and composer
1949 - David A. Johnston , USGS volcanoligist first to report mt StHelens 1980 eruption
1950 - Gillian Armstrong , Australian film director
1950 - Leonard Maltin , American film critic
1950 - Randy Castillo , American drummer (Ozzy Osbourne ) (d.2002 )
1953 - Elliot Easton , American guitarist (The Cars )
1953 - Khas-Magomed Hadjimuradov , Chechen bard
1955 - Ray Liotta , American actor
1956 - Ron White , American comedian
1960 - Kazuhide Uekusa , Japanese economist
1961 - Brian Orser , Canadian figure skater
1963 - Karl Dorrell , American football coach
1963 - Brad Pitt , American actor
1963 - Charles Oakley , American basketball player
1964 - Stone Cold Steve Austin , American professional wrestler
1964 - Don Beebe , American football player
1964 - Robson Green , British actor and singer
1965 - Mick Collins , American musician (The Gories , The Dirtbombs )
1965 - Tommy Davidson , American actor
1966 - Mille Petrozza , German singer (Kreator )
1967 - Toine van Peperstraten , Dutch sports journalist
1968 - Rachel Griffiths , Australian actress
1968 - Casper Van Dien , American actor
1968 - Alejandro Sanz , Spanish singer
1969 - Santiago Cañizares , Spanish footballer
1969 - Akira Iida , Japanese racing driver
1970 - DMX , American rapper and actor
1970 - Miles Marshall Lewis , American author
1970 - Rob Van Dam , American professional wrestler
1970 - Cowboy Troy , American rapper
1970 - Anthony Catanzaro , American fitness model
1970 - Victoria Pratt , Canadian actress and fitness model
1970 - Johnny Yeo , British artist
1971 - Arantxa Sánchez Vicario , Spanish tennis player
1971 - Barkha Dutt , Indian journalist
1971 - Noriko Matsueda , Japanese composer
1972 - DJ Lethal , Latvian DJ (House of Pain & Limp Bizkit )
1973 - Raymond Herrera , American drummer (Fear Factory )
1974 - Kari Byron , artist and television personality
1974 - Peter Boulware , American football player
1974 - Euroboy , Norwegian musician (Turbonegro )
1975 - Trish Stratus , Canadian professional wrestler
1975 - Masaki Sumitani , Japanese comedian
1976 - Koyuki , Japanese actress and model
1977 - José Acevedo , Dominican baseball player
1978 - Katie Holmes , American actress
1978 - Ali Curtis , American footballer
1978 - Daniel Cleary , Canadian ice hockey player
1979 - Carlos Fernandes , Portuguese footballer
1980 - Christina Aguilera , American singer
1982 - Dave Luetkenhoelter , American bassist (Kutless )
1983 - Darren Carter , English footballer
1985 - Hana Soukupová , Czech supermodel
1985 - Tara Conner , 2006 Miss USA
1985 - Chris Christensen American born in Moses Lake,WA
1987 - Ayaka , Japanese singer
1987 - Miki Ando , Japanese figure skater
1987 - Fernando Jara , Panamanian-American jockey
1989 - Ashley Benson , American actress
Deaths [ ]
821 - Theodulf , Bishop of Orléans
1133 - Hildebert , French writer
1290 - King Magnus I of Sweden (b. 1240 )
1442 - Pierre Cauchon , French Catholic bishop (b. 1371 )
1495 - King Alphonso II of Naples (b. 1448 )
1692 - Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff , German statesman (b. 1626 )
1737 - Antonio Stradivari , Italian violin maker (b. 1644 )
1787 - Francis William Drake , British Admiral and Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1724 )
1787 - Soame Jenyns , English writer (b. 1704 )
1799 - Jean-Étienne Montucla , French mathematician (b. 1725 )
1803 - Johann Gottfried Herder , German writer (b. 1744 )
1829 - Jean-Baptiste Lamarck , French scientist (b. 1744 )
1843 - Thomas Graham , British Viceroy of India (b. 1748 )
1848 - Bernard Bolzano , Bohemian mathematician and philosopher (b. 1781 )
1869 - Louis Moreau Gottschalk , American composer and pianist (b. 1829 )
1880 - Michel Chasles , French mathematician (b. 1793 )
1936 - Andrija Mohorovičić , Austro-Hungarian-born Yugoslav seismologist (b. 1857 )
1966 - Tara Browne , British socialite (b. 1945 )
1971 - Bobby Jones , American golfer (b. 1902 )
1971 - Diana Lynn , American actress (b. 1926 )
1973 - Allama Rasheed Turabi , Pakistani scholar, orator and philosopher (b. 1908 )
1974 - Harry Hooper , American baseball player (b. 1887 )
1975 - Theodosius Dobzhansky , Ukrainian geneticist (b. 1900 )
1980 - Alexei Kosygin , Premier of the USSR (b. 1904 )
1982 - Hans-Ulrich Rudel , German pilot (b. 1916 )
1985 - Xuân Diệu , Vietnamese poet (b. 1916 )
1987 - Konrad "Conny" Plank , German record producer and musician (b. 1940 )
1990 - Paul Tortelier , French cellist and composer (b. 1914 )
1990 - Anne Revere , American actress (b. 1903 )
1991 - George Abecassis , British Formula 1 driver (b. 1913 )
1992 - Mark Goodson , American game show producer (b. 1915 )
1993 - Charizma , American rapper (b. 1973 )
1993 - Sam Wanamaker , American actor (b. 1919 )
1994 - Roger Apéry , Greek-French mathematician (b. 1916 )
1995 - Konrad Zuse , German engineer and computing pioneer (b. 1910 )
1996 - Yulii Borisovich Khariton , Russian physicist (b. 1904 )
1997 - Chris Farley , American actor and comedian (b. 1964 )
1998 - Lev Demin , cosmonaut (b. 1926 )
1999 - Robert Bresson , French film director (b. 1907 )
2000 - Kirsty MacColl , British singer and songwriter (b. 1959 )
2001 - Gilbert Bécaud , French singer (b. 1927 )
2001 - Dimitris Dragatakis , Greek composer (b. 1914 )
2002 - Ray Hnatyshyn , Governor-General of Canada (b. 1934 )
2002 - Wayne Owens , former U.S. Congressman (D-UT) (b. 1937 )
2004 - Anthony Sampson , British journalist and biographer (b. 1926 )
2005 - Alan Voorhees , American engineer and urban planner (b. 1922 )
2006 - Joseph Barbera , American cartoonist (b. 1911 )
2006 - Ruth Bernhard , American photographer (1905 )
2006 - Mike Dickin , British radio broadcaster (b. 1943 )
2006 - Shaukat Siddiqui , Pakistani author, journalist and political activist (b. 1923 )
Holidays and observances [ ]
External links [ ]
118 Familypedia people were born on December 18
131 Familypedia people died on December 18
103 Familypedia people were first married on December 18