A Day in the Past

On this day: 18 March

140 things happened on 18 March, from AD 37 to 2017. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.

Printable worksheet Take the quiz

In the UK 7

UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Around the world 37

1945 81 years ago

World War II: 40th Infantry Division, spearheaded by the 185th US Infantry Regiment, lands unopposed in Tigbauan, forcing the Japanese forces to surrender and General Macario Peralta and Gen. Gen. Eichelberger to declare the Liberation of Panay, Romblon and Guimaras.

War & peace Find out more: Macario Peralta Jr. (Wikipedia)
1994 32 years ago

Bosnia's Bosniaks and Croats sign the Washington Agreement, ending war between the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and establishing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

War & peace Find out more: Washington Agreement (Wikipedia)
2005 21 years ago

As per a court order, the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo, an American woman who suffered brain damage, was removed at the request of her husband, fueling a worldwide debate on euthanasia.

Find out more: Court order (Wikipedia)

Quick quiz

Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!

  1. In which year did this happen: “Charles I of Anjou acquired a claim on the Kingdom of Jerusalem in exchange”?

    1. 1905
    2. 1673
    3. 1277
    Show the answer

    C: 1277. 1277 — that’s 749 years ago. Find it on the page

  2. In which year did this happen: “Canadian governor general Lord Stanley of Preston pledged to donate an award”?

    1. 1892
    2. 1905
    3. 1766
    Show the answer

    A: 1892. 1892 — that’s 134 years ago. Find it on the page

  3. Which of these happened first?

    1. Charles I of Anjou acquired a claim on the Kingdom of Jerusalem in exchange
    2. The British soldier-explorer John Wood came close to rediscovering the ancient
    3. Canadian governor general Lord Stanley of Preston pledged to donate an award
    Show the answer

    A: Charles I of Anjou acquired a claim on the Kingdom of Jerusalem in exchange. 1277: Charles I of Anjou acquired a claim on the Kingdom of Jerusalem in exchange · 1838: The British soldier-explorer John Wood came close to rediscovering the ancient · 1892: Canadian governor general Lord Stanley of Preston pledged to donate an award Find it on the page

  4. “The British soldier-explorer John Wood came close to rediscovering the ancient” happened in 1838. How many years ago was that?

    1. 188 years
    2. 198 years
    3. 178 years
    Show the answer

    A: 188 years. 2026 − 1838 = 188. Find it on the page

Born on this day 36

Famous people whose birthday is 18 March.

Remembering 18

Well-known people who died on 18 March.

Special days 13

Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 18 March somewhere in the world.

For older readers 29 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history

Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.

Where these facts come from

Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “March 18” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.