December 18 in history — What Happened Today in History
Welcome to December 18 in history! Here you can discover what happened on December 18, including the major events, the famous people born on December 18 and the notable deaths on December 18, with the newest story starting in 2022.
On this page, December 18 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about December 18 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on December 18 in History 36
- 2022
Argentina win the FIFA World Cup final, defeating title holders France 4–2 on penalties following a 3–3 draw after extra time.
- 2019
The United States House of Representatives impeaches Donald Trump for the first time.
- 2017
Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501, derailed near DuPont, Washington, a city in United States near Olympia, Washington killing six people, and injuring 70 others.
- 2015
Kellingley Colliery, the last deep coal mine in Great Britain, closes.
- 2006
The first of a series of floods strikes Malaysia. The death toll of all flooding is at least 118, with over 400,000 people displaced.
- 2006
United Arab Emirates holds its first-ever elections.
- 2005
The Chadian Civil War begins when rebel groups, allegedly backed by neighbouring Sudan, launch an attack in Adré.
- 2002
California gubernatorial recall: Then Governor of California Gray Davis announces that the state would face a record budget deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign one month earlier.
- 1999
NASA launches into orbit the Terra platform carrying five Earth Observation instruments, including ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS and MOPITT.
- 1995
A Lockheed L-188 Electra crashes in Jamba, Cuando, Angola, killing 141 people.
- 1981
First flight of the Russian heavy strategic bomber Tu-160, the world's largest combat aircraft, largest supersonic aircraft and largest variable-sweep wing aircraft built.
- 1977
United Airlines Flight 2860 crashes near Kaysville, Utah, killing all three crew members on board.
All entries for December 18（+24）
- 1977
SA de Transport Aérien Flight 730 crashes near Madeira Airport in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, killing 36.
- 1973
Soviet Soyuz Programme: Soyuz 13, crewed by cosmonauts Valentin Lebedev and Pyotr Klimuk, is launched from Baikonur in the Soviet Union.
- 1972
Vietnam War: President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will engage North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, a series of Christmas bombings, after peace talks collapsed with North Vietnam on the 13th.
- 1966
Saturn's moon Epimetheus is discovered by astronomer Richard Walker.
- 1958
Project SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, is launched.
- 1957
A violent F5 tornado wipes out the entire community of Sunfield, Illinois.
- 1944
World War II: XX Bomber Command responds to the Japanese Operation Ichi-Go offensive by dropping five hundred tons of incendiary bombs on a supply base in Hankow, China.
- 1944
The Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in Korematsu v. United States supporting Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 which cleared the way for the incarceration of nearly all 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens, born and raised in the United States.
- 1939
World War II: The Battle of the Heligoland Bight, the first major air battle of the war, takes place.
- 1935
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is founded in Ceylon.
- 1932
The Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth Spartans in the first NFL playoff game to win the NFL Championship.
- 1917
The resolution containing the language of the Eighteenth Amendment to enact Prohibition is passed by the United States Congress.
- 1916
World War I: The Battle of Verdun ends when the second French offensive pushes the Germans back two or three kilometres, causing them to cease their attacks.
- 1898
Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat sets the first officially recognized land speed record of 63.159 km/h (39.245 mph) in a Jeantaud electric car.
- 1892
The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky premiers in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
- 1878
The Al-Thani family become the rulers of the state of Qatar.
- 1867
A magnitude 7.0 earthquakes strikes off the coast of Taiwan, triggering a tsunami and killing at least 580 people.
- 1865
US Secretary of State William Seward proclaims the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment, prohibiting slavery throughout the United States.
- 1854
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada abolishes the seigneurial system.
- 1833
The national anthem of the Russian Empire, "God Save the Tsar!", is first performed.
- 1787
New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
- 1777
The United States celebrates its first Thanksgiving, marking the recent victory by the American rebels over British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga in October.
- 1655
The Whitehall Conference ends with the determination that there was no law preventing Jews from re-entering England after the Edict of Expulsion of 1290.
- 1622
Portuguese forces score a military victory over the Kingdom of Kongo at the Battle of Mbumbi in present-day Angola.
Famous Birthdays on December 18 in History 25
- 2002
Syd Hartha, Filipino singer-songwriter
- 2002
Giuliano Simeone, Argentine footballer
- 2001
Billie Eilish, American singer
- 2001
Jalen Johnson, American basketball player
- 2000
Jayden Daniels, American football player
- 2000
Korapat Kirdpan, Thai actor and singer
- 2000
Travon Walker, American football player
- 1999
Dorka Juhász, Hungarian basketball player
- 1998
Paola Egonu, Italian volleyball player
- 1998
Simona Quadarella, Italian swimmer
- 1998
Klaudia Zwolińska, Polish slalom canoeist
- 1997
Ronald Acuña Jr., Venezuelan baseball player
All entries for December 18（+13）
- 1997
Alex DeBrincat, American ice hockey player
- 1996
Caileigh Filmer, Canadian rower
- 1995
Barbora Krejčíková, Czech tennis player
- 1995
Lim Na-young, South Korean singer and actress
- 1995
Mads Pedersen, Danish road cyclist
- 1994
Gerard Gumbau, Spanish footballer
- 1994
Natália Kelly, American-Austrian singer
- 1993
Byron Buxton, American baseball player
- 1993
Thomas Lam, Finnish footballer
- 1992
Ryan Crouser, American shot putter
- 1992
Kristen Faulkner, American road cyclist
- 1992
Bridgit Mendler, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1991
Marcus Butler, English model and YouTuber
Notable Deaths on December 18 in History 25
- 2025
Jim Hunt, American politician, 69th and 71st Governor of North Carolina (born 1937)
- 2025
Osman Hadi, Bangladeshi politician and activist (born 1993)
- 2024
Slim Dunlap, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1951)
- 2024
John Marsden, Australian writer (born 1950)
- 2021
Sayaka Kanda, Japanese actress and singer (born 1986)
- 2020
Jerry Relph, American politician and member of the Minnesota Senate (born 1944)
- 2017
Kim Jong-hyun, South Korean singer (born 1990)
- 2016
Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-American actress and socialite (born 1917)
- 2015
Luc Brewaeys, Belgian pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1959)
- 2015
Helge Solum Larsen, Norwegian businessman and politician (born 1969)
- 2014
Donald J. Albosta, American soldier and politician (born 1925)
- 2014
Gideon Ben-Yisrael, Israeli soldier and politician (born 1923)
All entries for December 18（+13）
- 2014
Larry Henley, American singer-songwriter (born 1937)
- 2014
Virna Lisi, Italian actress (born 1936)
- 2014
Mandy Rice-Davies, English model and actress, central figure in the Profumo affair (born 1944)
- 2014
Robert Simpson, American meteorologist and author (born 1912)
- 2013
Ken Hutcherson, American football player (born 1952)
- 2013
Graham Mackay, South African-English businessman (born 1949)
- 2012
Frank Macchiarola, American lawyer and academic (born 1941)
- 2012
Mustafa Ould Salek, Mauritanian colonel and politician, President of Mauritania (born 1936)
- 2012
Jim Whalen, American football player (born 1943)
- 2012
Anatoliy Zayaev, Ukrainian footballer, coach, and manager (born 1931)
- 2011
Václav Havel, Czech poet, playwright, and politician, 1st President of the Czech Republic (born 1936)
- 2010
Phil Cavarretta, American baseball player and manager (born 1916)
- 2010
Jacqueline de Romilly, French philologist, author, and scholar (born 1913)
That is the story of December 18 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on December 18 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on December 18 in history?
The biggest event on December 18 in history is: 2022 — Argentina win the FIFA World Cup final, defeating title holders France 4–2 on penalties following a 3–3 draw after extra time.. In total, 36 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on December 18?
25 famous people were born on December 18 in history, the best known being 2002 — Syd Hartha, Filipino singer-songwriter.
Who died on December 18?
25 notable people died on December 18 in history, including 2025 — Jim Hunt, American politician, 69th and 71st Governor of North Carolina (born 1937).
Why should I read about December 18 in history?
Exploring December 18 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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