On This Day in History – January 18

Major Events

• 1126 – Emperor Huizong abdicates the Chinese throne during the Jin–Song Wars, leading to major political upheaval in the Song Dynasty.
• 1486 – King Henry VII of England marries Elizabeth of York, uniting the Houses of Lancaster and York and effectively ending the Wars of the Roses.
• 1535 – Lima, Peru is founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, becoming a major colonial city in South America.
• 1778 – English explorer James Cook becomes the first European to discover the Hawaiian Islands, naming them the Sandwich Islands.
• 1871 – Wilhelm I of Prussia is proclaimed German Emperor at the Palace of Versailles, marking the unification of Germany.
• 1919 – The Paris Peace Conference opens, setting the terms for the end of World War I.
• 1943 – The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising begins as Jewish resistance fighters oppose Nazi deportations.
• 1977 – Scientists identify the bacterium responsible for Legionnaires’ disease.
• 2002 – Sierra Leone’s civil war officially ends after more than a decade of conflict.
• 2012 – Wikipedia and other major websites temporarily shut down to protest internet censorship legislation.

Famous Birthdays

• 1689 – Montesquieu, French philosopher and political theorist (d. 1755)
• 1882 – A. A. Milne, English author (Winnie-the-Pooh) (d. 1956)
• 1893 – Oliver Hardy, American comedian (d. 1957)
• 1904 – Cary Grant, English-American actor (d. 1986)
• 1921 – David Cox, British statistician (d. 2022)
• 1955 – Kevin Costner, American actor and filmmaker
• 1961 – Mark Messier, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1970 – Jason Segel, American actor and writer
• 1982 – Daveigh Chase, American actress

Notable Deaths

• 474 – Leo I, Byzantine Emperor (b. c. 401)
• 1486 – Ferdinand II of Naples, King of Naples (b. 1469)
• 1919 – Georges Clemenceau, French statesman (b. 1841)
• 1936 – Rudyard Kipling, English author (b. 1865)
• 1970 – Thomas “Fatty” Arbuckle, American actor (b. 1887)
• 1991 – Alan Hale Jr., American actor (b. 1921)
• 2010 – Robert B. Parker, American crime novelist (b. 1932)
• 2015 – Dallas Taylor, American drummer (b. 1948)
• 2022 – David Sassoon, British fashion designer (b. 1932)

Holidays

• Winnie the Pooh Day – Celebrated in honor of A. A. Milne’s birthday
• World Religion Day
• Thai Armed Forces Day

Fun Facts

• January 18 is celebrated as Winnie the Pooh Day because it marks the birthday of the character’s creator, A. A. Milne.
• James Cook’s discovery of Hawaii permanently altered the islands’ history and global connections.
• German unification in 1871 reshaped European power politics for decades.
• The Legionnaires’ disease outbreak led to major advances in public health and building safety.
• The 2012 internet blackout involved thousands of websites worldwide.
• Lima remains one of the most important cultural and economic centers in South America.