121 things happened on 18 April, from AD 359 to 2023. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
American Revolutionary War: Colonists Paul Revere and William Dawes, later joined by Samuel Prescott, began a midnight ride to warn residents of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, about the impending arrival of British troops.
UK story
The St. Andrew's Ambulance Association is granted a royal charter by Queen Victoria.
UK story
The Cunard liner RMS Carpathia brings 705 survivors from the RMS Titanic to New York City.
UK story
The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 came into force, describing Ireland as a republic and ending its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.
Peace of Ferrara between Republic of Venice, Duchy of Milan, Republic of Florence and House of Gonzaga: ending of the second campaign of the Wars in Lombardy fought until the Treaty of Lodi in 1454, which will then guarantee the conditions for the development of the Italian Renaissance.
The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid.
Bona Sforza is crowned as queen consort of Poland.
Trial of Martin Luther begins its second day during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. He refuses to recant his teachings despite the risk of excommunication.
Real Academia de la Historia ("Royal Academy of History") is founded in Madrid.
Three-Fifths Compromise: The first instance of black slaves in the United States of America being counted as three-fifths of persons (for the purpose of taxation), in a resolution of the Congress of the Confederation. This was later adopted in the 1787 Constitution.
War of the First Coalition: The Peace of Leoben is signed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Maximilian, Count of Merveldt, creating an armistice between France and Austria, setting the stage for the Treaty of Campo Formio and ending the War of the First Coalition.[citation needed]
The University of Alabama is founded in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
American victory at the battle of Cerro Gordo opens the way for invasion of Mexico.
The Spirits Book by Allan Kardec is published, marking the birth of Spiritualism in France.
Battle of Dybbøl: A Prussian-Austrian army defeats Denmark and gains control of Schleswig. Denmark surrenders the province in the following peace settlement.
The painted ceilings of the Natural History Museum, London, were unveiled when the building opened its doors to the public.
The Greco-Turkish War is declared between Greece and the Ottoman Empire.
Joan of Arc is beatified in Rome.
Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster of DC Comics, made his debut in Action Comics #1, the first true superhero comic book.
Pierre Laval becomes Prime Minister of Vichy France.
The final session of the League of Nations concluded in Geneva, with delegates agreeing to transfer much of its assets to the United Nations.
The International Court of Justice holds its inaugural meeting in The Hague, Netherlands.
Jackie Robinson makes his regular season debut for the Montreal Royals of the International League, to make them the first integrated modern professional baseball team.
Gamal Abdel Nasser seizes power in Egypt.
Twenty-nine nations meet at Bandung, Indonesia, for the first Asian-African Conference.
Controversial American poet Ezra Pound (pictured) was released from St. Elizabeths Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Washington, D.C., in which he had been incarcerated for twelve years.
Robert Mugabe became the first prime minister of Zimbabwe, beginning a 37-year period in power.
The Republic of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) comes into being, with Canaan Banana as the country's first President. The Zimbabwean dollar replaces the Rhodesian dollar as the official currency.
The town of Elmore City, Oklahoma holds its first dance in the town's history.
The United States launches Operation Praying Mantis against Iranian naval forces in the largest naval battle since World War II.
King Mswati III of Swaziland announces that his country's name will change to Eswatini.
Anti-government protests start in Nicaragua.
The United States Department of Justice released a redacted version of the Mueller report about the investigation of Russian influence on the U.S. presidential election to Congress and the public.
Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems a $787 million settlement over defamation claims related to the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “American Revolutionary War: Colonists Paul Revere and William Dawes, later”?
B: 1775. 1775 — that’s 251 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 came into force, describing Ireland as a”?
C: 1949. 1949 — that’s 77 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
C: American Revolutionary War: Colonists Paul Revere and William Dawes, later. 1949: The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 came into force, describing Ireland as a · 1912: The Cunard liner RMS Carpathia brings 705 survivors from the RMS Titanic to · 1775: American Revolutionary War: Colonists Paul Revere and William Dawes, later Find it on the page
“David Ricardo” happened in 1772. How many years ago was that?
B: 254 years. 2026 − 1772 = 254. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 18 April.
Well-known people who died on 18 April.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 18 April somewhere in the world.
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.
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 “April 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.