1642 – Abel Tasman became the first European to land in New Zealand on the 18th December 1642.
1777 – Thanksgiving was celebrated for the first time in the United States on the 18th December 1777, marking the victory by the Americans over General John Burgoyne in the Battle of Saratoga.
1892 – The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky premiered in Saint Petersburg, Russia on the 18th December 1892.
1898 – Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat set the first officially recognized land speed record of 63.159 km/h (39.245 mph) on the 18th December 1898, in a Jeantaud electric car.
1900 – The Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook, Victoria Narrow-gauge railway in Australia (now Puffing Billy Railway) opened for traffic on the 18th December 1900.
1952 ~ Frankie J. Holden the Australian singer, actor and TV presenter was born Peter Brian on the 18th December 1952. Frankie J. Holden fronted Ol’ 55 in the 1970s.
1956 – Japan joined the United Nations on the 18th December 1956.
1958 – Project SCORE, the world’s 1st communications satellite, was launched on the 18th December 1958.
1966 – Saturn‘s moon Epimetheus was discovered by Richard L. Walker on the 18th December 1966.
1971 – Capitol Reef National Park was established in Utah on the 18th December 1971.
1987 – Larry Wall released the 1st version of the Perl programming language on the 18th December 1987.
1999 – NASA launched the Terra platform into orbit on the 18th December 1999, carrying 5 Earth Observation instruments, including ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS and MOPITT.
2012 ~ KOKO The KELPiE from RED DOG the award winning Australian movie died on the 18th December 2012.
2013 ~ Ronnie Biggs the British criminal died on the 18th December 2013 aged 84 (born 8th August 1929).