What Happened on Aug 18

Birth of Virginia Dare, First Child Born in the Americas

Raleigh had since decided that the Chesapeake Bay area was a better site for settlement, and he hired Simon Fernandes, a Portuguese pilot familiar... Read more

Meriwether Lewis Is Born

Explorer Meriwether Lewis, who joined William Clark to blaze a trail across the continent to the Pacific Ocean, was born on August 18, 1774, near... Read more

Battle Of Fishing Creek

The Battle of Fishing Creek, also called War on Sugar Creek, was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on August 18, 1780, between American... Read more

Battle Of Musgrove Mill

The Battle of Musgrove Mill, August 19, 1780, occurred near a ford of the Enoree River, near the present-day border between Spartanburg, Laurens... Read more

USS Pampero Is Launched

USS Pampero (1853) was a large (1,375-ton) and capacious ship-rigged vessel purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used... Read more

The Guano Islands Act Is Passed By The U.S. Congress

The Guano Islands Act is federal legislation passed by the U.S. Congress, on August 18, 1856. It enables citizens of the U.S. to take possession of... Read more

Battle of Globe Tavern

Description: While Hancock’s command demonstrated north of the James River at Deep Bottom, the Union V Corps and elements of the IX and II Corps... Read more

Discovery of Helium

Helium is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It is inert, not reacting with any element, including itself, and so tiny that it is used to find... Read more

Eleventh Battle Of The Isonzo

The Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo was a World War I battle fought by the Italian and Austro-Hungarian Armies on the Italian Front between August 18... Read more

Shelley Winters is Born

Shelley Winters (August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television;... Read more

The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is Ratified

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Read more

China Flood of 1931

On this day in 1931, the Yangtze River in China peaks during a horrible flood that kills 3.7 million people directly and indirectly over the next... Read more

The 'Hardest Day' of the Battle of Britain

18 August, which had the greatest number of casualties to both sides, has been dubbed "The Hardest Day". Following the grinding battles of 18... Read more

Patrick Wayne Swayze is born

Patrick Wayne Swayze (pronounced /ˈsweɪziː/; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was... Read more

Lolita is Published in the United States

Due to its subject matter, Nabokov was unable to find an American publisher for Lolita after finishing it in 1953. After four refusals, he finally... Read more

Ringo Starr joins The Beatles

The Beatles asked Richard Starkey, known as Ringo Starr, to join the band; Starr was the drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and had... Read more

James Meredith Becomes the first African-American to Graduate from the University of Mississippi

James H. Meredith returned to the University of Mississippi Sunday to become the 115-year-old institution's first Negro graduate. It was on... Read more

Battle of Long Tan

The Battle of Long Tần was fought between the Australian Army and Viet Cong forces in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tần, about... Read more

Woodstock Music & Art Fair 1969 - Day four

Sunday, August 17 to Monday, August 18 Joe Cocker was the first act on the last officially booked day (Sunday); he opened up the day's events at... Read more

Axe Murder Incident at the Korean Demilitarized Zone

The Axe Murder Incident (Korean: 판문점 도끼 살인 사건) was the killing of two United States Army officers by North Korean soldiers on August 18, 1976 in... Read more

Bon Jovi release Slippery When Wet

Slippery When Wet is the third studio album by Bon Jovi, released in August 1986 by Vertigo Records. Slippery When Wet was an instant commercial... Read more

Aerosmith releases Permanent Vacation

Permanent Vacation is the ninth studio album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released in 1987. The album marks a turning point in the band's... Read more

"Sex, Lies, And Videotape" Is Released

Sex, Lies, and Videotape (styled as sex, lies, and videotape) is a 1989 independent film that brought director Steven Soderbergh to prominence. It... Read more

Larry Bird Announces Retirement

Following his Olympic experience, on August 18, 1992, Bird announced his retirement as an NBA player. He finished his career with averages of more... Read more

KoRn releases Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader is the third studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was released on August 18, 1998, through Immortal/Epic. This... Read more