1389
637 years ago
UK story
France and England agree to the Truce of Leulinghem, inaugurating a 13-year peace, the longest period of sustained peace during the Hundred Years' War.
On this day: 18 July
124 things happened on 18 July, from 477 BC to 2024. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
In the UK 5
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1507
519 years ago
UK story
In Brussels, Prince Charles I is crowned Duke of Burgundy and Count of Flanders, a year after inheriting the title.
1555
471 years ago
UK story
The College of Arms is reincorporated by Royal charter signed by Queen Mary I of England and King Philip II of Spain.
1812
214 years ago
UK story
The Treaties of Orebro end both the Anglo-Russian and Anglo-Swedish Wars.
1872
154 years ago
UK story
The Ballot Act 1872 in the United Kingdom introduced the requirement that parliamentary and local government elections be held by secret ballot.
Around the world 22
477 BC
2,502 years ago
Battle of the Cremera as part of the Roman–Etruscan Wars. Veii ambushes and defeats the Roman army.
AD 362
1,664 years ago
Roman–Persian Wars: Emperor Julian arrives at Antioch with a Roman expeditionary force (60,000 men) and stays there for nine months to launch a campaign against the Persian Empire.
AD 645
1,381 years ago
Chinese forces under general Li Shiji besiege the strategic fortress city of Anshi (Liaoning) during the Goguryeo–Tang War.
1195
831 years ago
Battle of Alarcos: Almohad forces defeat the Castilian army of Alfonso VIII and force its retreat to Toledo.
1334
692 years ago
The bishop of Florence blesses the first foundation stone for the new campanile (bell tower) of the Florence Cathedral, designed by the artist Giotto di Bondone.
1723
303 years ago
Johann Sebastian Bach directed the first performance of his cantata Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz in Leipzig.
1841
185 years ago
Pedro II, the last emperor of Brazil, was crowned at the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro.
1857
169 years ago
Louis Faidherbe, French governor of Senegal, arrives to relieve French forces at Kayes, effectively ending El Hajj Umar Tall's war against the French.
1862
164 years ago
First ascent of Dent Blanche, one of the highest summits in the Alps.
1863
163 years ago
American Civil War: Led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first African-American military units in the Union Army, spearheaded an assault (pictured) on Fort Wagner, South Carolina.
1870
156 years ago
The First Vatican Council decrees the dogma of papal infallibility.
1899
127 years ago
Newsboys from Long Island City turned over a distribution wagon for the New York Journal, marking the start of the Newsboys' strike of 1899.
1914
112 years ago
The U.S. Congress forms the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, giving official status to aircraft within the U.S. Army for the first time.
1936
90 years ago
Nationalist rebels attempted a coup against the Second Spanish Republic, sparking the Spanish Civil War.
1942
84 years ago
The Germans test fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 using its jet engines for the first time.
1944
82 years ago
World War II: Hideki Tōjō resigns as Prime Minister of Japan because of numerous setbacks in the war effort.
1966
60 years ago
Human spaceflight: Gemini 10 is launched from Cape Kennedy on a 70-hour mission that includes docking with an orbiting Agena target vehicle.
1968
58 years ago
Intel is founded in Mountain View, California.
1976
50 years ago
At the Olympic Games in Montreal, Nadia Comăneci (pictured) became the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 for her routine on the uneven bars.
1992
34 years ago
A picture of Les Horribles Cernettes was taken, which became the first ever photo posted to the World Wide Web.
1995
31 years ago
Selena's album Dreaming of You, instrumental in popularizing Tejano music, was posthumously released.
2013
13 years ago
The Government of Detroit, with up to $20 billion in debt, files for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
Quick quiz
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
-
In which year did this happen: “In Brussels, Prince Charles I is crowned Duke of Burgundy and Count of”?
- 1961
- 1975
- 1507
Show the answer
C: 1507. 1507 — that’s 519 years ago. Find it on the page
-
In which year was William Makepeace Thackeray born?
- 1389
- 1507
- 1811
Show the answer
C: 1811. 1811 — that’s 215 years ago. Find it on the page
-
Which of these happened first?
- The College of Arms is reincorporated by Royal charter signed by Queen Mary I
- The Treaties of Orebro end both the Anglo-Russian and Anglo-Swedish Wars
- In Brussels, Prince Charles I is crowned Duke of Burgundy and Count of
Show the answer
C: In Brussels, Prince Charles I is crowned Duke of Burgundy and Count of. 1555: The College of Arms is reincorporated by Royal charter signed by Queen Mary I · 1812: The Treaties of Orebro end both the Anglo-Russian and Anglo-Swedish Wars · 1507: In Brussels, Prince Charles I is crowned Duke of Burgundy and Count of Find it on the page
-
“The College of Arms is reincorporated by Royal charter signed by Queen Mary I” happened in 1555. How many years ago was that?
- 481 years
- 461 years
- 471 years
Show the answer
C: 471 years. 2026 − 1555 = 471. Find it on the page
Born on this day 39
Famous people whose birthday is 18 July.
- 1918 Nelson Mandela — South African lawyer and politician, 1st President of South Africa, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2013) Read more about Nelson Mandela on Wikipedia
- 1811 William Makepeace Thackeray — English author and poet (died 1863) UK Read more about William Makepeace Thackeray on Wikipedia
- 1950 Richard Branson — English businessman, founded Virgin Group UK Read more about Richard Branson on Wikipedia
- 1853 Hendrik Lorentz — Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1928) Read more about Hendrik Lorentz on Wikipedia
- 1982 Priyanka Chopra — Indian actress, singer, and film producer Read more about Priyanka Chopra on Wikipedia
- 1967 Vin Diesel — American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Read more about Vin Diesel on Wikipedia
- 1975 M.I.A. — English rapper and producer UK Read more about M.I.A. on Wikipedia
- 1980 Kristen Bell — American actress Read more about Kristen Bell on Wikipedia
- 1921 John Glenn — American colonel, astronaut, and politician (died 2016) Read more about John Glenn on Wikipedia
- 1848 W. G. Grace — English cricketer and physician (died 1915) UK Read more about W. G. Grace on Wikipedia
- 1922 Thomas Kuhn — American physicist, historian, and philosopher (died 1996) Read more about Thomas Kuhn on Wikipedia
- 1961 Alan Pardew — English footballer and manager UK Read more about Alan Pardew on Wikipedia
- 1977 Kelly Reilly — English actress UK Read more about Kelly Reilly on Wikipedia
- 1909 Andrei Gromyko — Belarusian-Russian economist and politician, Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 1989) Read more about Andrei Gromyko on Wikipedia
- 1933 Yevgeny Yevtushenko — Russian poet and playwright (died 2017) Read more about Yevgeny Yevtushenko on Wikipedia
- 1937 Hunter S. Thompson — American journalist and author (died 2005) Read more about Hunter S. Thompson on Wikipedia
- 1938 Ian Stewart — Scottish keyboard player and manager (died 1985) UK Read more about Ian Stewart on Wikipedia
- 1552 Rudolf II — Holy Roman Emperor (died 1612) Read more about Rudolf II on Wikipedia
- 1985 James Norton — English actor UK Read more about James Norton on Wikipedia
- 1944 David Hemery — English hurdler and author UK Read more about David Hemery on Wikipedia
- 1997 Fionn Whitehead — English actor UK Read more about Fionn Whitehead on Wikipedia
- 1720 Gilbert White — English ornithologist and ecologist (died 1793) UK Read more about Gilbert White on Wikipedia
- 1938 John Connelly — English footballer (died 2012) UK Read more about John Connelly on Wikipedia
- 1951 Elio Di Rupo — Belgian chemist, academic, and politician, 68th Prime Minister of Belgium Read more about Elio Di Rupo on Wikipedia
- 1957 Nick Faldo — English golfer and sportscaster UK Read more about Nick Faldo on Wikipedia
- 1702 Maria Clementina Sobieska — Polish noble (died 1735) UK Read more about Maria Clementina Sobieska on Wikipedia
- 1934 Edward Bond — English director, playwright, and screenwriter (died 2024) UK Read more about Edward Bond on Wikipedia
- 1938 Paul Verhoeven — Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter Read more about Paul Verhoeven on Wikipedia
- 1864 Philip Snowden — 1st Viscount Snowden, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (died 1937) UK Read more about Philip Snowden on Wikipedia
- 1926 Elizabeth Jennings — English poet (died 2001) UK Read more about Elizabeth Jennings on Wikipedia
- 1957 Keith Levene — English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (died 2022) UK Read more about Keith Levene on Wikipedia
- 1920 Eric Brandon — English race car driver and businessman (died 1982) UK Read more about Eric Brandon on Wikipedia
- 1937 Roald Hoffmann — Polish chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate Read more about Roald Hoffmann on Wikipedia
- 1939 Brian Auger — English rock and jazz keyboard player UK Read more about Brian Auger on Wikipedia
- 1942 Giacinto Facchetti — Italian footballer (died 2006) Read more about Giacinto Facchetti on Wikipedia
- 1898 John Stuart — Scottish-English actor (died 1979) UK Read more about John Stuart on Wikipedia
- 1975 Daron Malakian — American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Read more about Daron Malakian on Wikipedia
- 1969 Elizabeth Gilbert — American author Read more about Elizabeth Gilbert on Wikipedia
- 1985 Chace Crawford — American actor Read more about Chace Crawford on Wikipedia
Remembering 18
Well-known people who died on 18 July.
- 1817 Jane Austen — English novelist (born 1775) UK Read more about Jane Austen on Wikipedia
- AD 707 AD 707 Read more about AD 707 on Wikipedia
- 1610 Caravaggio — Italian painter (born 1571) Read more about Caravaggio on Wikipedia
- 1872 Benito Juárez — Mexican lawyer and politician, 26th President of Mexico (born 1806) Read more about Benito Juárez on Wikipedia
- 1892 Thomas Cook — English travel agent, founded the Thomas Cook Group (born 1808) UK Read more about Thomas Cook on Wikipedia
- 1792 John Paul Jones — Scottish-American admiral and diplomat (born 1747) UK Read more about John Paul Jones on Wikipedia
- 1973 Jack Hawkins — English actor (born 1910) UK Read more about Jack Hawkins on Wikipedia
- 1100 Godfrey of Bouillon — Frankish knight (born 1016) Read more about Godfrey of Bouillon on Wikipedia
- 2009 Henry Allingham — English soldier (born 1896) UK Read more about Henry Allingham on Wikipedia
- 1566 Bartolomé de las Casas — Spanish bishop and historian (born c.1484) Read more about Bartolomé de las Casas on Wikipedia
- 1721 Jean-Antoine Watteau — French painter (born 1684) Read more about Jean-Antoine Watteau on Wikipedia
- 1990 Yun Posun — South Korean politician, 2nd President of South Korea (born 1897) Read more about Yun Posun on Wikipedia
- 1982 Roman Jakobson — Russian–American linguist and theorist (born 1896) Read more about Roman Jakobson on Wikipedia
- 1890 Lydia Becker — English journalist, author, and activist, co-founded the Women's Suffrage Journal (born 1827) UK Read more about Lydia Becker on Wikipedia
- 2024 Bob Newhart — American comedian and actor (born 1929) Read more about Bob Newhart on Wikipedia
- 1988 Nico — German singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and actress (born 1938) Read more about Nico on Wikipedia
- 1938 Marie of Romania Read more about Marie of Romania on Wikipedia
- 1194 Guy of Lusignan — king consort of Jerusalem (born c. 1150) Read more about Guy of Lusignan on Wikipedia
Special days 14
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 18 July somewhere in the world.
- Nelson Mandela International Day Read more about Mandela Day on Wikipedia
- Constitution Day (Uruguay) Read more about Public holidays in Uruguay on Wikipedia
- Christian saints’ and feast days: Elizabeth Ferard (Church of England), Eadburh (or Edburga) of Bicester, Camillus de Lellis (optional memorial, United States only), Arnulf of Metz, Frederick of Utrecht, Philastrius, Pambo, Bruno of Segni, Maternus of Milan, Symphorosa, Theodosia of Constantinople, July 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics).
For older readers 26 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.
- 1290 King Edward I issued an edict to expel all Jews from England. Read more about Edward I on Wikipedia
- 1995 On the Caribbean island of Montserrat, the Soufrière Hills volcano erupts. Over the course of several years, it devastates the island, destroying the capital, forcing most of the population to flee. Read more about Montserrat on Wikipedia
- 1806 An explosion at a gunpowder magazine in Birgu, Malta, killed an estimated 200 people. Read more about 1806 Birgu polverista explosion on Wikipedia
- 2014 The conviction of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who had been found guilty of paying for an underage prostitute, was overturned on appeal. Read more about Silvio Berlusconi on Wikipedia
- 1925 Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf. Read more about Adolf Hitler on Wikipedia
- 2014 The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant requires Christians to either accept dhimmi status, emigrate from ISIL lands, or be killed. Read more about Islamic State on Wikipedia
- 2019 An arson attack at the studio of Kyoto Animation in Japan led to the deaths of 36 people. Read more about Kyoto Animation arson attack on Wikipedia
- 1989 American actress Rebecca Schaeffer was shot and killed by Robert John Bardo, eventually prompting the passage of anti-stalking laws in California. Read more about Rebecca Schaeffer on Wikipedia
- 1966 Angered by racism and poverty, African American residents of the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland began to riot for six days. Read more about Racism in the United States on Wikipedia
- 1984 A gunman massacred 21 people and injured 15 others at a McDonald's restaurant in the district of San Ysidro of San Diego, California. Read more about San Ysidro McDonald's massacre on Wikipedia
- 2012 A suicide bomber attacked an Israeli tour bus at Burgas Airport, Bulgaria, resulting in the military branch of Hezbollah being designated a terrorist organization by the European Union. Read more about 2012 Burgas bus bombing on Wikipedia
- AD 452 Sack of Aquileia: After an earlier defeat on the Catalaunian Plains, Attila lays siege to the metropolis of Aquileia and eventually destroys it. Read more about Attila on Wikipedia
- 1949 Francisco Javier Arana, the chief of the Guatemalan armed forces, was killed in a shootout with supporters of President Juan José Arévalo. Read more about Francisco Javier Arana on Wikipedia
- 1984 Parts of the dismembered body of Swedish prostitute Catrine da Costa were found in Stockholm. Read more about Murder of Catrine da Costa on Wikipedia
- 1994 Rwandan genocide: The Rwandan Patriotic Front takes control of Gisenyi and north western Rwanda, forcing the interim government into Zaire and ending the genocide. Read more about Rwandan genocide on Wikipedia
- 1982 Two hundred sixty-eight Guatemalan campesinos ("peasants" or "country people") are slain in the Plan de Sánchez massacre. Read more about Peasant on Wikipedia
- 1970 An Antonov An-22 of the Soviet Air Forces crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 23 aboard. Read more about Antonov An-22 on Wikipedia
- 1996 Storms provoke severe flooding on the Saguenay River, beginning one of Quebec's costliest natural disasters ever. Read more about Saguenay River on Wikipedia
- 1994 The bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (Argentine Jewish Community Center) in Buenos Aires kills 85 people (mostly Jewish) and injures 300. Read more about AMIA bombing on Wikipedia
- 2002 A Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer crashes near Estes Park, Colorado, killing both crew members. Read more about Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer on Wikipedia
- 1981 A Canadair CL-44 and Sukhoi Su-15 collide in mid-air near Yerevan, Armenia, killing four. Read more about Canadair CL-44 on Wikipedia
- 1887 Born: Vidkun Quisling, Norwegian military officer and politician, Minister President of Norway (died 1945) Read more about Vidkun Quisling on Wikipedia
- 1942 World War II: During the Beisfjord massacre in Norway, 15 Norwegian paramilitary guards help members of the SS to kill 288 political prisoners from Yugoslavia. Read more about Beisfjord massacre on Wikipedia
- 1996 Battle of Mullaitivu: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam capture the Sri Lanka Army's base, killing over 1,200 soldiers. Read more about Battle of Mullaitivu (1996) on Wikipedia
- 1979 A landslide occurs on the Iliwerung volcano in Indonesia, triggering a tsunami that kills over 530 and leaves 700 missing. Read more about 1979 Lembata tsunami on Wikipedia
- 1216 Election of pope Honorius III following the death of pope Innocent III two days prior.
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 “July 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.