December 18

December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 13 days remaining.

Events:

• 1352 - Innocent VI is elected Pope.
• 1642 - Abel Tasman lands at Mohua Golden Bay[?] becoming the first European in New Zealand.
• 1776 - North Carolina's Constitution is ratified.
• 1787 - New Jersey is the third state to ratify the United States Constitution
• 1865 - Slavery is abolished in the United States, with the passing of the 13th Amendment
• 1894 - Women in South Australia become the first in Australia to gain the right to vote and to be elected to Parliament.
• 1912 - Piltdown Man "discovered"
• 1916 - Battle of Verdun ends
• 1958 - Niger becomes independent

Births:

• 1626 - Queen Christina of Sweden (+ 1689)
• 1714 - Esterházy of Galántha[?], field marshal (+ 1790)
• 1786 - Carl Maria von Weber, German composer
• 1835 - Lyman Abbott, American author
• 1863 - Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria (+ 1914)
• 1870 - Saki, writer
• 1879 - Paul Klee, Swiss painter and graphic artist (+ 1940)
• 1886 - Ty Cobb, American baseball player (+ 1961)
• 1888 - Gladys Cooper, actress (+ 1971)
• 1890 - Edwin Armstrong, American inventor
• 1904 - George Stevens, American director (+ 1975)
• 1912 - Benjamin O. Davis Jr., American general (+ 2002)
• 1913 - Willy Brandt, German Chancellor[?] (+ 1992)
• 1916 - Betty Grable, actress (+ 1973)
• 1917 - Ossie Davis[?], actor
• 1927 - Ramsey Clark, U.S. Attorney General during Lyndon Johnson's presidency
• 1928 - Jozéf Glemp[?], cardinal and primate of Poland
• 1934 - Boris Volynov, cosmonaut
• 1939 - Michael Moorcock, science fiction author
• 1943 - Keith Richards, British guitarist (the Rolling Stones)
• 1946 - Steven Spielberg, movie director
• 1946 - Steve Biko, South African anti-apartheid activist
• 1950 - Leonard Maltin[?], movie critic
• 1950 - Gillian Armstrong[?], film director
• 1955 - Ray Liotta[?], actor
• 1961 - Brian Orser[?], figure skater
• 1963 - Brad Pitt, American actor
• 1964 - Star Cullars[?], musician (P Funk)
• 1970 - DMX, singer
• 1975 - Trish Stratus[?], WWE performer
• 1980 - Christina Aguilera, American singer

Deaths:

• 821 - Theodulf, bishop of Orleans
• 1290 - Magnus I of Sweden, king of Sweden 1275-1290
• 1737 - Antonio Stradivari, Italian violin maker
• 1971 - Bobby Jones[?], golfer
• 1980 - Alexei Kosygin[?], former Soviet premier
• 1990 - Paul Tortelier, French musician
• 1993 - Sam Wanamaker, actor
• 1995 - Konrad Zuse, German engineer and computing pioneer
• 1997 - Chris Farley, American actor, comedian
• 1999 - Robert Bresson, French film director
• 2000 - Kirsty MacColl, British musician
• 2001 - Gilbert Bécaud[?], singer
• 2002 - Ray Hnatyshyn, former Canadian Governor-General

Holidays and Observances:

December 17 - December 19 - November 18 - January 18 -- listing of all days

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December