What Happened on January 18
Important Events
- 532 Nika uprising against Emperor Justinian I in Constantinople fails, 30,000 killed by troops loyal to the Emperor in the Hippodrome
- 1591 King Naresuan of Siam kills Crown Prince Minchit Sra of Burma in single combat, date is now observed as Royal Thai Armed Forces day
- 1788 First elements of the First Fleet carrying 736 convicts from England to Australia arrives at Botany Bay to set up a penal colony
- 1817 José de San Martín leads a revolutionary army over the Andes to attack Spanish royalists in Chile
- 1871 Second German Empire proclaimed by Kaiser Wilhelm I and Otto von Bismarck
- 1943 Soviets announce they have broken the long Siege of Leningrad by Nazi Germany by opening a narrow land corridor, though the siege would not be fully lifted until a year later
January 18 in Film & TV
- 1974 "$6 Million Man" starring Lee Majors premieres on ABC TV
January 18 in Music
- 1980 Pink Floyd's album "The Wall" hits #1
January 18 in Sport
- 1983 IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals (Pentathlon & Decathlon victories) 70 years after they were taken from him for being paid $25 in semi-pro baseball
Did You Know?
World's 62 richest people are now as wealthy as half the world's population according to a report published by Oxfam
On January 18, 2016
Famous Birthdays
Peter Mark Roget
(1779 - 1869)- Daniel Williams
(1858 - 1931) - A. A. Milne
(1882 - 1956) - Oliver Hardy
(1892 - 1957) - Kevin Costner
64 Years Old - Mark Messier
58 Years Old
Peter Mark Roget
Daniel Williams
A. A. Milne
Oliver Hardy
Kevin Costner
Mark MessierWould You Believe?
Perplexed Pilgrims in Boston reported America's 1st UFO sighting
On January 18, 1644
Famous Weddings
- 1486 King Henry VII of England marries Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV
- 1893 British Poet and writer Rudyard Kipling (26) marries Carrie Balestier (29) in London
- 1949 South African Rev Andries P Treurnicht marries Engela Dreyer
Famous Divorces
- 1996 Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson in NY
John Tyler
Rudyard Kipling
Glenn FreyJanuary in History
British Museum Opens its Doors
The British Museum opened to visitors on January 15, 1759. Fearing damage to the collections by unruly hordes, nobody was admitted without a ticket.
January 15, 1759Designer Throws His Hat Into the Ring; Creates a Sensation
The first time a man stepped out in London wearing a topper it caused a sensation, then a court case. Who now could imagine Fred Astaire without his famous top hat?
January 15, 1797Squaring Up for Radio Commentary
This was the day when the BBC broadcast live sports commentary for the first time and introduced a novel way of involving listeners in the action.
January 15, 1927The British: 139. Zulu Warriors: 4,000. Let Battle Begin
It was one of the most remarkable military engagements ever: the day that 139 British soldiers took on 4,000 Zulu warriors – and won.
January 22, 1879
