What are the important events that happened on November 18? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

November 18: Facts & Myths About This Day

November 18 is the 322^nd day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 43 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Tuesday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is November 5, 2025 – a Tuesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 1,763,424,000 seconds has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘trihectaicosadigon’ day.

Scorpio is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Topaz is the modern birthstone for this month. Pearl is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 91 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,715 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

November 18 Historical Events

• 1809 –
  In a naval action during the Napoleonic Wars, French frigates defeat British East Indiamen in the Bay of Bengal.
• 1883 –
  American and Canadian railroads institute five standard continental time zones, ending the confusion of thousands of local times.
• 1926 –
  George Bernard Shaw refuses to accept the money for his Nobel Prize, saying, “I can forgive Alfred Nobel for inventing dynamite, but only a fiend in human form could have invented the Nobel Prize”.
• 1943 –
  World War II– Battle of Berlin: 440 Royal Air Force planes bomb Berlin causing only light damage and killing 131. The RAF loses nine aircraft and 53 air crew.
• 1970 –
  U.S. President Richard Nixon asks the U.S. Congress for $155 million USD in supplemental aid for the Cambodian government.
• 1987 –
  Iran-Contra Affair: the U.S. Congress issues its final report on the Iran-Contra Affair.
• 1988 –
  War on Drugs: U.S. President Ronald Reagan signs a bill into law allowing the death penalty for drug traffickers.
• 1991 –
  Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon release Anglican Church envoys Terry Waite and Thomas Sutherland.
• 1993 –
  In South Africa, 21 political parties approve a new constitution.
• 1999 –
  In College Station, Texas, 12 are killed and 27 injured at Texas A&M University when the 59 ft Aggie Bonfire, under construction for the annual football game against the University of Texas, collapses at 2:42am.

Who were born on November 18?

• 1922 –
  Luis Somoza Debayle, 70th President of Nicaragua (d. 1967)
• 1952 –
  Claudio Capone, Italian-born Scottish voice actor (d. 2008)
• 1953 –
  Alan Moore, British comic book writer and novelist
• 1958 –
  Daniel Brailovsky, Argentine football manager
• 1959 –
  Cindy Blackman, American jazz and rock drummer
• 1976 –
  Matt Welsh, Australian swimmer
• 1976 –
  Mona Zaki, Egyptian actress
• 1976 –
  Sage Francis, American musician
• 1980 –
  Dustin Kensrue, American singer (Thrice)
• 1980 –
  Mathew Baynton, English actor and writer

Who died on November 18?

• 1559 –
  Cuthbert Tunstall, English churchman (b. 1474)
• 1922 –
  Marcel Proust, French novelist (b. 1871)
• 1941 –
  Walther Nernst, German chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1864)
• 1977 –
  Victor Francen, Belgian actor (b. 1888)
• 1978 –
  Jim Jones, American cult figure (Peoples Temple) (b. 1931)
• 1978 –
  Leo Ryan, American politician (b. 1925)
• 1986 –
  Gia Carangi, American model (b. 1960)
• 1994 –
  Peter Ledger, Australian illustrator (b. 1945)
• 1999 –
  Paul Bowles, American novelist (b. 1910)
• 2005 –
  Harold J. Stone, American actor (b. 1911)