What Happened on April 18
Significant Events
- 1025 Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland
- 1506 The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid in the Vatican
- 1775 Paul Revere and William Dawes ride from Charlestown to Lexington warning the "regulars are coming!"
- 1783 Fighting ceases in the American Revolution, eight years to the day when it began
- 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire kills nearly 4,000 while destroying 75% of the city
- 1954 Colonel Gamal Abdal Nasser seizes power & becomes Prime Minister of Egypt
April 18 in Film & TV
- 2018 “Black Panther” is the first film shown at a commercial cinema in 35 years in Saudi Arabia as cinemas are reopened
April 18 in Music
- 1985 Wham become the first western pop act to release an album in China
April 18 in Sport
- 1809 First run of 2,000 guineas horse race at Newmarket, England
Famous Birthdays
Syngman Rhee
(1875 - 1965)
Robert Hanssen
74 Years Old
James Woods
71 Years Old
Conan O'Brien
55 Years Old
David Tennant
47 Years Old
Melissa Joan Hart
42 Years Old
Famous Weddings
- 1599 Valencia arch duke Albrecht of Austrian marries Isabella of Spain
- 1951 Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (28) weds Joyce Halverson
- 1956 Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier III of Monaco (civil ceremony)
- 1973 American sci-fi writer "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" Philip K Dick marries 5th wife Leslie (Tessa) Busby
- 1992 Tennis ace Stefan Edberg marries Annette Olsen in Sweden
Famous Divorces
- 1994 Roseanne Barr Arnold files for divorce from Tom Arnold
Albert Einstein
Thor Heyerdahl
Dick ClarkApril in History
Boxing Match That Went for 42 Rounds
The first "world championship" boxing match was a brutal affair, lasting nearly two and a half hours and stretching over 42 rounds.
April 17, 1860
Wicked or Sinless? The Life of Lucrezia Borgia
Hardly a week went by when Lucrezia Borgia, born on this day, was not accused of some foul deed. But was she just a pawn in the hands of her evil family?
April 18, 1480
Millions Come Up to See Mae West
Mae West, jailed on this day for obscenity, became one of the most successful sex symbols. Fans could not resist the offer: ‘Come up and see me some time.’
April 19, 1927
World's First Motor Race
It was hardly the stuff of today's adrenalin-pumping Formula 1 match ups, but on this day two men climbed aboard their machine for "the world’s first motor race”.
April 20, 1887