On This Day in History for August 18
Events in History
- 293 BC The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded, starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica (grape harvest festival)
- 440 St Sixtus III ends his reign as Catholic Pope
- 1201 The city of Riga is founded
- 1217 First historical record of Scottish scholar Michael Scot, signs and dates his translation of al-Bitruji's "On the Sphere" in Toledo, Spain
- 1289 Pope Nicolas IV publishes decree "Supra montem"
- 1418 Competition announced to design the dome of Florence Cathedral, main competitors Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi (supported by Cosimo de' Medici)
- 1541 A Portuguese ship drifts ashore in the ancient Japanese province of Higo (modern day Kumamoto Prefecture). (Traditional Japanese date: July 27, 1541)
- 1564 Spanish King Philip II joins Council of Trente
- More Events in History
Meriwether Lewis
John Russell
Franz Joseph I
Vijaya Lakshmi PanditWeddings in History
- 1572 Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV of France) marries Margaret of Valois in Notre Dame cathedral, Paris, in attempt to make truce between Catholics and Protestants but prompts St. Bartholomew's Day massacre days later
- 1782 Romantic Age poet and artist William Blake (24) marries Catherine Boucher (19) in St. Mary's Church, Battersea, London
- 1867 Cosima Liszt marries Hans von Bülow, a pupil of her father, at St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Berlin
More Weddings & Divorces in History
Genghis Khan
Paul IV
Frederick Ashton
Kim Dae-jung
Kofi AnnanAugust in History
Why The King Became a Party Pooper
A man who tried to impress his king on this day with one of the most lavish and extravagant parties of all time, ended up spending the rest of his life in jail.
August 17, 1661
Death of the Aral Sea
The Aral Sea in 1989 (left) and in 2014 (right)
August 19, 2014
Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia
Crowds of protesters surround Soviet tanks during the first days of the invasion of Czechoslovakia
August 20, 1968
Voyager 2 Spacecraft
NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft launched atop its Titan/Centaur-7 launch vehicle
August 20, 1977