0326 ~ The old St. Peter’s Basilica was consecrated on the 18th November 326.
1307 – William Tell shot an apple off his son’s head on the 18th November 1307.
1421 – A seawall at the Zuiderzee dike in the Netherlands broke on the 18th November 1421, flooding 72 villages and killing about 10,000 people. The event became known as Sint-Elisabethsvloed.
1493 – Christopher Columbus first sighted the island now known as Puerto Rico on the 18th November 1493.
1626 – St. Peter’s Basilica was consecrated on the 18th November 1626. 1785 – David Wilkie, Scottish painter (d. 1841) 1787 – Louis Daguerre, French physicist and photographer, developed the daguerreotype (d. 1851) 1832 – Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, Finnish-Swedish geologist and explorer (d. 1901)
1785 – David Wilkie the Scottish painter was born on the 18th November 1785 (died 1841).
1836 – W. S. Gilbert the English playwright, poet, and illustrator was born on the 18th November 1836 (died 1911).
1865 – Mark Twain‘s short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County was published in the New York Saturday Press on the 18th November 1865.
1880 – Naum Torbov the Bulgarian architect and designer of the Central Sofia Market Hall was born on the 18th November 1880 (died 1952).
1882 – Wyndham Lewis the English painter and author was born on the 18th November 1882 (died 1957).
1904 – Jean Paul Lemieux the Canadian painter was born on the 18th November 1904 (died 1990).
1905 – Prince Carl of Denmark became King Haakon VII of Norway on the 18th November 1905.
1906 – Alec Issigonis the Greek-English car designer and designer of the mini car was born on the 18th November 1906 (died 1988).
1907 – Compay Segundo the Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist from Buena Vista Social Club was born on the 18th November 1907 (died 2003).
1913 – Endre Rozsda the French painter was born on the 18th November 1913 (died 1999).
1918 – Latvia declared its independence from Russia on the 18th November 1918.
1923 – Alan Shepard the American astronaut was born on the 18th November 1923 (died 1998).
1926 – George Bernard Shaw refused to accept the money for his Nobel Prize on the 18th November 1926, saying, “I can forgive Alfred Nobel for inventing dynamite, but only a fiend in human form could have invented the Nobel Prize”.
1928 – Release of the animated short Steamboat Willie was on the 18th November 1928. It the 1st fully synchronized sound cartoon, directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, featuring the 3rd appearances of cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. This date is also considered by the Disney corporation to be Mickey’s birthday.
1929 – The Grand Banks earthquake 1929 off the south coast of Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean on the 18th November had a Richter magnitude of 7.2 earthquake, centered on Grand Banks, breaking 12 submarine transatlantic telegraph cables, triggering a tsunami that destroyed many south coast communities in the Burin Peninsula.
1933 – Bruce Conner the American painter, photographer and director was born on the 18th November 1933 (died 2008).
1939 – Margaret Atwood the Canadian poet, author, and critic was born on the 18th November 1939.
1944 – The Popular Socialist Youth was founded in Cuba on the 18th November 1944. 1944 – Wolfgang Joop, German fashion designer, founded JOOP!
1947 – The Ballantyne’s Department Store fire in Christchurch, New Zealand, kills 41; it is the worst fire disaster in the history of New Zealand.
1950 – Graham Parker the English singer-songwriter and guitarist was born on the 18th November 1950.
1950 – Rudy Sarzo the Cuban-American bass player from Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, Dio, Blue Öyster Cult, Manic Eden, and Queensrÿche was born on the 18th November 1950.
1952 – Peter Beattie the Australian politician and 36th Premier of Queensland was born on the 18th November 1952.
1953 – Alan Moore the English author and illustrator was born on the 18th November 1950.
1956 – Sinbad the American comedian was born on the 18th November 1956.
1960 – Kim Wilde the English singer-songwriter and author was born on the 18th November 1960.
1961 – Jan Kuehnemund the American guitarist from Vixen was born on the 18th November 1961.
1962 – Kirk Hammett the American guitarist from Metallica was born on the 18th November 1952.
1963 – The 1st push-button telephone went into service on the 18th November 1963.
1968 – Owen Wilson the American actor, screenwriter, and producer was born on the 18th November 1968.
1970 – Peta Wilson the Australian actress was born on the 18th November 1970.
1976 – Matt Welsh the Australian swimmer was born on the 18th November 1976.
1987 – The King’s Cross fire in London on the 18th November 1987 killed 31 people at the city’s busiest underground station, King’s Cross St Pancras.
1988 – War on Drugs: U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed a bill on into law allowing the death penalty for drug traffickers 18th November 1988. Visit this day: 18th November in history and see the video at www.History.com