August 18

August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 135 days remaining until the end of the year.

Historical Events

• 1227: Genghis Khan, the founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, dies after a campaign against the Western Xia.
• 1572: Margaret of Valois marries Henry III of Navarre (the future King Henry IV of France) in Paris. The wedding is intended to reconcile Catholics and Huguenots but precedes the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre by six days.
• 1868: French astronomer Pierre Janssen discovers the element helium during a total solar eclipse in Guntur, India, by observing the spectrum of the solar chromosphere.
• 1920: The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is officially ratified, guaranteeing women the right to vote and marking a major milestone in the American women's suffrage movement.

Births

• 1750: Antonio Salieri, Italian composer and conductor (d. 1825).
• 1830: Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary (d. 1916).
• 1920: Shelley Winters, American actress known for her roles in "A Place in the Sun" and "The Poseidon Adventure" (d. 2006).
• 1933: Just Fontaine, French footballer and manager, who holds the record for the most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup tournament (d. 2023).
• 1958: Madeleine Stowe, American actress known for her work in film and television, including "Revenge" and "The Last of the Mohicans".
• 1983: Mika, Lebanese-British singer, songwriter, and record producer.

Deaths

• 1227: Genghis Khan, Mongol emperor and conqueror who established the largest contiguous land empire in history (b. c. 1162).
• 1945: Subhas Chandra Bose, Indian nationalist, revolutionary, and leader of the Indian National Army (b. 1897).
• 2009: Kim Dae-jung, South Korean politician and President of South Korea from 1998 to 2003, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his "Sunshine Policy" toward North Korea (b. 1924).
• 2018: Kofi Annan, Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006, and co-recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1938).

Holidays and Observances

• National Science Day (Thailand): Commemorates the total solar eclipse of August 18, 1868, which was accurately predicted and observed by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in Wakor, Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
• Christian feast days: Saint Helena; Saint Agapitus of Praeneste; Saint Florus and Laurus.
• Constitution Day (United States): Commemorates the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, granting women the right to vote, and is observed by various civic and women's organizations.