August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 135 days remaining until the end of the year.
Today in history
293 BC – The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded, starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica.
1201 – The city of Riga is founded.
1541 – A Portuguese ship drifts ashore in the ancient Japanese province of Higo (modern day Kumamoto Prefecture). (Traditional Japanese date: July 27, 1541)
1572 – Marriage in Paris of the future Huguenot King Henry IV of Navarre to Marguerite de Valois, in a supposed attempt to reconcile Protestants and Catholics.
1587 – Virginia Dare, granddaughter of governor John White of the Colony of Roanoke, becomes the first English child born in the Americas.
1590 – John White, the governor of the Colony of Roanoke, returns from a supply trip to England and finds his settlement deserted.
1634 – Urbain Grandier, accused and convicted of sorcery, is burned alive in Loudun, France.
1636 – The Covenant of the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts is first signed.
1838 – The Wilkes Expedition, which would explore the Puget Sound and Antarctica, weighs anchor at Hampton Roads in 1838
1848 – Camila O'Gorman and Ladislao Gutierrez are executed on the orders of Argentine dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas.
1862 – Minnesota trader Andrew Myrick is killed and has his mouth stuffed with grass.
1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Globe Tavern – Union forces try to cut a vital Confederate supply-line into Petersburg, Virginia, by attacking the Weldon Railroad.
1868 – French astronomer Pierre Jules César Janssen discovers helium.
1870 – Franco-Prussian War: Battle of Gravelotte is fought.
1877 – Asaph Hall discovers Martian moon Phobos.
1891 – Major hurricane strikes Martinique, leaving 700 dead.
1903 – German engineer Karl Jatho allegedly flies his self-made, motored gliding airplane four months before the first flight of the Wright Brothers.
1909 – Mayor of Tokyo Yukio Ozaki presents Washington, D.C. with 2,000 cherry trees, which President Taft decides to plant near the Potomac River.
1917 – A Great Fire in Thessaloniki, Greece destroys 32% of the city leaving 70,000 individuals homeless.
1920 – The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing women's suffrage.
1938 – The Thousand Islands Bridge, connecting New York State, United States with Ontario, Canada over the St. Lawrence River, is dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
1941 – Adolf Hitler orders a temporary halt to Nazi Germany's systematic euthanasia of the mentally ill and the handicapped due to protests.
1950 – Julien Lahaut, the chairman of the Communist Party of Belgium is assassinated by far-right elements.
1958 – Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in the United States.
1963 – American civil rights movement: James Meredith becomes the first black person to graduate from the University of Mississippi.
1965 – Vietnam War: Operation Starlite begins – United States Marines destroy a Viet Cong stronghold on the Van Tuong peninsula in the first major American ground battle of the war.
1966 – Vietnam War: the Battle of Long Tan occurs, when a patrol of 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment encounter the Viet Cong.
1969 – Jimi Hendrix plays the unofficial last day of Woodstock.
1971 – Vietnam War: Australia and New Zealand decide to withdraw their troops from Vietnam.
1976 – In the Korean Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjeom, the Axe Murder Incident results in the death of two US soldiers.
1977 – Steve Biko is arrested at a police roadblock under the Terrorism Act No 83 of 1967 in King William's Town, South Africa. He would later die of the injuries sustained during this arrest bringing attention to South Africa's apartheid policies.
1982 – Japanese election law is amended to allow for proportional representation.
1983 – Hurricane Alicia hits the Texas coast, killing 22 people and causing over USD $1 billion in damage (1983 dollars).
1989 – Leading presidential hopeful Luis Carlos Galán is assassinated near Bogotá in Colombia.
1992 – Wang Laboratories files for bankruptcy.
2000 – A Federal jury finds the US EPA guilty of discrimination against Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, later inspiring passage of the No FEAR Act.
2005 – Dennis Rader is sentenced to 175 years in prison for the BTK serial killings.
2005 – Massive power blackout hits the Indonesian island of Java, affecting almost 100 million people.
2008 – President Of Pakistan Pervez Musharaf resigned due to pressure from opposition.
Births
1414 – Jami, Persian poet (d. 1492)
1450 – Marko Marulić, Croatian poet (d. 1524)
1579 – Charlotte Flandrina of Nassau, Roman Catholic nun (d. 1640)
1587 – Virginia Dare, first English child born in North America
1596 – Jean Bolland, Flemish Jesuit writer (d. 1665)
1605 – Henry Hammond, English churchman (d. 1660)
1606 – Maria Anna of Spain, Holy Roman Empire Empress and Queen of Hungary (d. 1646)
1611 – Ludwika Maria Gonzaga, queen of Poland (d. 1650)
1657 – Ferdinando Galli Bibiena, Italian architect/designer (d. 1743)
1685 – Brook Taylor, English mathematician (d. 1731)
1692 – Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon, Prime Minister of France (d. 1740)
1720 – Laurence Shirley, 4th Earl Ferrers, English murderer (d. 1760)
1750 – Antonio Salieri, Italian composer (d. 1825)
1754 – François, marquis de Chasseloup-Laubat, French general (d. 1833)
1774 – Meriwether Lewis, American explorer (d. 1809)
1792 – John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1878)
1803 – Nathan Clifford, American statesman, diplomat, and Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (d. 1881)
1819 – Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna, Duchess of Leuchtenberg (d. 1876)
1822 – Isaac P. Rodman, American Union general (d. 1862)
1830 – Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria (d. 1916)
1841 – William Halford, American naval officer (d. 1919)
1855 – Alfred Wallis, English artist and mariner (d. 1942)
1857 – Libert H. Boeynaems, Belgian Catholic prelate (d. 1926)
1870 – Lavr Georgevich Kornilov, Russian general (d. 1918)
1870 – Hugh Bromley-Davenport, England cricketer (d. 1954)
1879 – Aleksandr Rodzyanko, Russian general (d. 1970)
1885 – Nettie Palmer, Australian poet and essayist (d. 1964)
1890 – Walther Funk, German Nazi politician (d. 1960)
1893 – Ernest MacMillan, Canadian musician (d. 1973)
1893 – Burleigh Grimes, American baseball player (d. 1985)
1896 – Jack Pickford, Canadian-born actor (d. 1933)
1900 – Glenn Albert Black, American archaeologist (d. 1964)
1902 – Adamson-Eric, Estonian painter (d. 1968)
1902 – Margaret Murie, American conservationist, naturalist, and author (d. 2003)
1903 – Lucienne Boyer, French singer (d. 1983)
1904 – Max Factor, Polish-born cosmetics entrepreneur (d. 1996)
1906 – Marcel Carné, French film director (d. 1996)
1908 – Edgar Faure, French politician and historian (d. 1988)
1908 – Bill Merritt, New Zealand cricketer (d. 1977)
1909 – Gérard Filion, French Canadian businessman and journalist (d. 2005)
1913 – Romain Maes, Belgian cyclist (d. 1983)
1915 – Max Lanier, baseball player (d. 2007)
1916 – Dame Moura Lympany, British pianist (d. 2005)
1916 – Don Keefer, American actor
1916 – Neagu Djuvara, Romanian diplomat
1917 – Caspar Weinberger, American politician (d. 2006)
1918 – Cisco Houston, American folk singer (d. 1961)
1919 – Walter Joseph Hickel, 2nd and 8th Governor of Alaska
1920 – Bob Kennedy, baseball player (d. 2005)
1920 – Shelley Winters, American actress (d. 2006)
1920 – Godfrey Evans, England cricketer (d. 1999)
1921 – Lydia Litvyak, Soviet pilot, one of only two female flying aces (d. 1943)
1921 – Zdzisław Żygulski, Jr., Polish art historian
1922 – Alain Robbe-Grillet, French writer (d. 2008)
1923 – Jenni Irani, Indian cricketer (d. 1982)
1923 – Sadashiv Shinde, Indian cricketer (d. 1955)
1925 – Brian Aldiss, English writer
1925 – Pierre Grondin, French Canadian cardiac surgeon (d. 2006)
1927 – Rosalynn Carter, First Lady of the United States
1928 – Marge Schott, baseball team owner (d. 2004)
1929 – Hugues Aufray, French singer
1930 – Liviu Librescu, Israeli professor, killed in the Virginia Tech massacre (d. 2007)
1931 – Bramwell Tillsley, Canadian Salvation Army general
1931 – Dick White, English footballer
1932 – William R. Bennett, Premier of British Columbia
1933 – Roman Polanski, French-born director and actor
1933 – Just Fontaine, French footballer
1934 – Vincent Bugliosi, American attorney
1934 – Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rican baseball player and humanitarian (d. 1972)
1934 – Ronnie Carroll, British singer
1935 – Rafer Johnson, American athlete
1935 – Howard Morrison, New Zealand entertainer
1936 – Robert Redford, American actor
1938 – Joe Frank, American radio personality
1939 – Harald Heide-Steen Jr., Norwegian actor and comedian (d. 2008)
1939 – Robert Horton, British businessman
1939 – Johnny Preston, American singer
1943 – Martin Mull, American comedian
1943 – Gianni Rivera, Italian footballer and politician
1943 – Carl Wayne, English singer (d. 2004)
1945 – Barbara Harris, American singer (Toys)
1948 – Joseph Marcell, British actor
1949 – Rudy Hartono, Indonesian badminton player
1952 – Elayne Boosler, American comedian
1952 – Patrick Swayze, American actor
1952 – Ricky Villa, Argentine former footballer
1953 – Louie Gohmert, American politician
1955 – Taher ElGamal, Egyptian scientist
1956 – John Debney, American composer
1956 – Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, American musician
1956 – Sandeep Patil, Indian cricketer
1957 – Carole Bouquet, French actress
1957 – Denis Leary, American comedian and actor
1958 – Madeleine Stowe, American actress
1959 – Tom Prichard, American wrestler
1960 – Fat Lever, American basketball player
1960 – Mike LaValliere, baseball player
1961 – Bob Woodruff, American journalist, anchor
1962 – Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico
1962 – Geoff Courtnall, Canadian ice hockey player
1964 – Edith Frost, American singer/songwriter
1964 – Craig Bierko, American actor
1964 – Kenny Walker, American basketball player
1965 – Koji Kikkawa, Japanese singer
1965 – Jim Florentine, American comedian
1966 – Gustavo Charif, Argentine artist
1966 – Kang Soo-yeon, South Korean actress
1967 – Brian Michael Bendis, American comic-book writer
1967 – Dan Peters, American musician
1967 – Daler Mehndi, Indian bhangra/pop singer
1968 – Lee Seung-yeon, South Korean actress
1969 – Masta Killa, American rapper
1969 – Everlast, American musician
1969 – Edward Norton, American actor
1969 – Christian Slater, American actor
1969 – Isaac Austin, American basketball player
1970 – Jessica Hsuan, Hong Kong actress
1970 – Greg Dean Schmitz, American online film journalist
1970 – Malcolm-Jamal Warner, American actor
1971 – Richard D James, Irish-born musician (Aphex Twin)
1971 – Jacob Vargas, American actor
1972 – Keiko Yamada, Japanese singer
1972 – Leo Ku, Hong Kong singer
1972 – Shaun Wilson, Australian artist
1976 – Daphnee Duplaix Samuel, American actress, Playboy Playmate
1976 – Bryan Volpenhein, American rower
1977 – Régine Chassagne, Canadian musician Arcade Fire
1978 – Andy Samberg, American comedian
1978 – James Corden, British actor
1978 – Luke Williams, Welsh musician (Quinoline Yellow)
1979 – Stuart Dew, Australian rules footballer
1979 – Selena Silver, pornographic actress
1980 – Esteban Cambiasso, Argentine footballer
1980 – Preeti Jhangiani, Indian actress
1980 – Rob Nguyen, Australian racing driver
1980 – Athina Papayianni, Greek race walker
1980 – Jeremy Shockey, American football player
1980 – Bart Scott, American football player
1981 – César Delgado, Argentine footballer
1981 – Dimitris Salpigidis, Greek footballer
1981 – Jon Schneck, American musician (Relient K, Audio Adrenaline)
1983 – Kris Boyd, Scottish Football Player
1983 – Michael Montgomery, American football player
1983 – Mica Penniman (Mika), Lebanese-born musician
1983 – Daniel Keith Swain (Danny!), American record producer/hip-hop artist
1983 – Cameron White, Australian cricketer
1984 – Robert Huth, German footballer
1986 – Ross McCormack, Scottish footballer
1987 – Mika Boorem, American actress
1988 – G-Dragon, Leader Of Korean Boyband, Big Bang
1992 – Rebecca Julia Brown, American actress
1992 – Frances Bean Cobain, daughter Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love
1992 – Riko Narumi, Japanese actress
1994 – Jessie Flower, American actress
1995 – Parker McKenna Posey, American actress
Deaths
353 – Decentius, Roman usurper
472 – Ricimer, Roman general
849 – Walafrid Strabo, German monk and theologian
1227 – Genghis Khan, Khagan of Mongol Empire
1258 – Theodore II Lascaris, Emperor of the Empire of Nicaea
1276 – Pope Adrian V
1318 – Clare of Montefalco, Italian Abbess and religious leader (b. c. 1268)
1430 – Thomas de Ros, 9th Baron de Ros, English soldier and politician (drowned) (b. 1406)
1503 – Pope Alexander VI (b. 1431)
1559 – Pope Paul IV (b. 1476)
1563 – Étienne de La Boétie, French judge and writer (b. 1530)
1613 – Giovanni Artusi, Italian composer
1620 – Wanli, Emperor of China (b. 1563)
1634 – Urbain Grandier, French priest (b. 1590)
1642 – Guido Reni, Italian painter (b. 1575)
1645 – Eudoxia Streshneva, Tsarina of Mikhail I of Russia (b. 1608)
1683 – Charles Hart, English actor (b. 1625)
1707 – William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, English soldier and statesman (b. 1640)
1712 – Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers, English soldier
1765 – Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1708)
1809 – Matthew Boulton, English manufacturer and engineer (b. 1728)
1815 – Chauncey Goodrich, American politician (b. 1759)
1842 – Louis de Freycinet, French explorer (b. 1779)
1850 – Honoré de Balzac, French writer (b. 1799)
1919 – Joseph E. Seagram, Canadian distillery founder (b. 1841)
1940 – Walter P. Chrysler, American automobile executive (b. 1875)
1942 – Rafaela Ottiano, Italian-born American actress (b. 1888)
1943 – Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Russian-Azerbaijani general (b. 1865)
1949 – Paul Mares, American musician (b. 1900)
1952 – Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, Chilean Jesuit saint (b. 1901)
1963 – Clifford Odets, American playwright (b. 1906)
1981 – Anita Loos, American screenwriter (b. 1889)
1983 – Nikolaus Pevsner, German-born art historian (b. 1902)
1990 – Grethe Ingmann, Danish singer (b. 1938)
1990 – B.F. Skinner, American psychological theorist (b. 1904)
1992 – Christopher McCandless, subject of the book Into the Wild (b. 1968)
1992 – John Sturges, American film director (b. 1911)
1994 – Martin Cahill, The General, infamous Dublin criminal (b. 1949)
1998 – Persis Khambatta, Indian actress (b. 1950)
1998 – Nelly's, Greek photographer (b. 1899)
2001 – David Peakall, British scientist (b. 1931)
2002 – Dean Riesner, American film and television writer (b. 1918)
2003 – Tony Jackson, English musician (The Searchers) (b. 1938)
2004 – Elmer Bernstein, American composer (b. 1922)
2004 – Hiram Fong, former U.S. Senator from Hawaii (b. 1906)
2005 – Christopher Bauman, American wrestler (b. 1982)
2005 – Gao Xiumin, Chinese comedy actress (b. 1959)
2006 – Fernand Gignac, Canadian singer and actor (b. 1934)
2006 – Jamie Astaphan, Caribbean-born physician (b. 1946)
2007 – Michael Deaver, Reagan Administration Deputy White House Chief of Staff (b. 1938)
2009 – Kim Dae-jung,15th President of South Korea (b. 1925)
Holidays and observances
Australia – Long Tan Day (also called Vietnam Veterans' Day) named after the Battle of Long Tan
