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 230^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 135 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Monday.

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

When this day started, 487,632 hours 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.

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 183 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 4,623 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

August 18 Historical Events

• 1864 –
  American Civil War: Battle of Globe Tavern – Union forces try to cut a vital Confederate supply-line into Petersburg, Virginia, by attacking the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.
• 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.
• 1950 –
  Julien Lahaut, the chairman of the Communist Party of Belgium is assassinated by far-right elements.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Who were born on August 18?

• 1450 –
  Marko Marulić, Croatian poet (d. 1524)
• 1579 –
  Charlotte Flandrina of Nassau, Roman Catholic nun (d. 1640)
• 1754 –
  François, marquis de Chasseloup-Laubat, French general (d. 1833)
• 1885 –
  Nettie Palmer, Australian poet and essayist (d. 1964)
• 1935 –
  Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of Namibia
• 1972 –
  Masahiro Nakai, Japanese singer
• 1977 –
  Régine Chassagne, Canadian musician (Arcade Fire)
• 1983 –
  Mika, Lebanese/British musician
• 1985 –
  Inge Dekker, Dutch swimmer
• 1988 –
  Luke Jackson (author), English Author

Who died on August 18?

• 1258 –
  Theodore II Lascaris, Emperor of the Empire of Nicaea
• 1503 –
  Pope Alexander VI (b. 1431)
• 1563 –
  Étienne de La Boétie, French judge and writer (b. 1530)
• 1634 –
  Urbain Grandier, French priest (b. 1590)
• 1850 –
  Honoré de Balzac, French writer (b. 1799)
• 1968 –
  Cy Walter, American pianist (b. 1915)
• 2004 –
  Elmer Bernstein, American composer (b. 1922)
• 2004 –
  Hiram Fong, former U.S. Senator from Hawaii (b. 1906)
• 2005 –
  Gao Xiumin, Chinese comedy actress (b. 1959)
• 2010 –
  Benjamin Kaplan, copyright scholar (b. 1911)