What are the important events that happened on August 18? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
August 18: Facts & Myths About This Day
August 18 is the 230th day of the year 2019 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 135 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Sunday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is August 5, 2019 – a Sunday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 1,566,086,400 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 ‘dihectatriacontagon’ day.
Hey! How’s your lovelife today? Get a free love reading
with the most frank answers. Start to seize love opportunities in your life! Did I mention it’s F-R-E-E?
(Sponsored link; 18+ only)
Leo is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Peridot is the modern birthstone for this month. Diamond is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 160 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 2,431 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
Do people and celebrities interest you? Discover all the August 18 famous birthdays who share your special day. Learn some fun facts about your birthday! (Sponsored link)
August 18 Historical Events
- 1201 –The city of Riga is founded.
- 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.
- 1868 –French astronomer Pierre Jules César Janssen discovers helium.
- 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.
- 1948 –The Australian cricket team completed a 4–0 Ashes series win over England during their undefeated Invincibles tour.
- 1958 –Brojen Das from Bangladesh swims across the English Channel in a competition, as the first Bangali as well as the first Asian to ever do it. He became first among 39 competitors.
- 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.
- 2008 –President of Pakistan Pervez Musharaf resigns due to the threat of impeachment.
Who were born on August 18?
- 1870 –Hugh Bromley-Davenport, England cricketer (d. 1954)
- 1920 –Bob Kennedy, baseball player (d. 2005)
- 1932 –William R. Bennett, Premier of British Columbia
- 1939 –Harald Heide-Steen Jr., Norwegian actor and comedian (d. 2008)
- 1954 –Umberto Guidoni, Italian NASA astronaut
- 1961 –Glenn Plummer, American actor
- 1967 –Brian Michael Bendis, American comic-book writer
- 1969 –Mark Kuhlmann, German rugby player
- 1978 –Luke Williams, Welsh musician
- 1981 –Jon Schneck, American musician (Relient K)
Who died on August 18?
- 849 –Walafrid Strabo, German monk and theologian
- 1559 –Pope Paul IV (b. 1476)
- 1707 –William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, English soldier and statesman (b. 1640)
- 1815 –Chauncey Goodrich, American politician (b. 1759)
- 1943 –Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Russian-Azerbaijani general (b. 1865)
- 1970 –Soledad Miranda, Spanish actress (b. 1943)
- 1983 –Nikolaus Pevsner, German-born art historian (b. 1902)
- 1990 –Grethe Ingmann, Danish singer (b. 1938)
- 2006 –Jamie Astaphan, Caribbean-born physician (b. 1946)
- 2007 –Michael Deaver, Reagan Administration Deputy White House Chief of Staff (b. 1938)
What no one tells you about your first name’s personality. Are there hidden powers in your moniker? Check out Daniela’s personality and get smart about names today. (Sponsored links)