This Day in History – January 18

The historical events remind us of the value of each day in human history. Every day we live, has had a significant event in history that reminds us how far we humans have come. From wars, truces, treaties, births, deaths, discoveries, breakthroughs, and much more, let’s recall the events that happened through the years on this day in history, January 18.

532:  Nika Uprising Against Emperor Justinian I
Justinian I won against the Nika, 30,000 enemies were killed by loyal soldiers of the Emperor

1535: Discovery of Lima
Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador founded the city of Lima in Peru

1644: First UFO Sighting
Pilgrims in Boston, America were perplexed by some UFO and reported to the police.

1650: French Prince Louis II of Conde Captured
Louis II of Conde rebelled against the Royal power and was arrested for it.  

1733: Polar Bear Exhibition
The first polar bear to be exhibited was in Boston, America. When asked what polar bears ate, the trainer replied “Drunk Irishmen”

1778: Captain Cook Discovers Hawaii
Captain James Cook finds himself over the Hawaiian Islands also called Sandwich Island. 

1779: John Dickinson Appointed as Delegate
John Dickinson was newly elected as the delegate for the Delaware to the Continental Congress on January 18 1779.

1817: Jose de San Martin Starts a War
Jose de San Martin leads a revolutionary army to attack the Spanish royalists in Chile.

1869: Elegant California Theater Opens
Elegant California Theater is inaugurated in San Francisco. The theater cost $250,000 to build.

1871: The German Empire
Second German Empire proclaimed by Otto von Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm I

1886: Birth of Field Hockey
Modern field hockey is born with the help of The Hockey Association, England on January 18 1886.

1896: First X-ray Demonstration
First demonstration of an X-ray machine in New York City, US

1896: Chicago Beats Lowa in the First Basketball Game
In the first college basketball game with 5 players on both sides, Chicago beat Iowa 15-12. 

1901: Pope Leo XIII Published an Encyclical
Pope Leo XIII sent an encyclical Graves De Communi Re to all the churches.

1903: First Transatlantic Radio Transmission
The first transatlantic radio transmission was sent by a transmitter in Massachusetts, United States.

1915: Train Crash at Colima 
Train crashed at Colima-Guadalajara, Mexico, about 600 people died.

1919: End of World War I
The Paris Peace conference formally ended the Great War (World War I)

1923: First Radio Telegraph Message
First radio telegraph message from Netherlands to Dutch East Indies.

1930: Coldest State Record in USA
-27 fahrenheit (-33 celsius) degree was a state record for Watts, Oklahoma

1942: Arrest of Frans Goedhart and Wiardi Beckman
Nazis arrest Frans Goedhart, a Dutch journalist and Wiardi Beckman, a Dutch politician.

1951: First Lie Detector
First lie detector used in Netherland

1967: Nuclear test at Nevada
USA tests Nuclear weapons at Nevada Test Site.

1980: Pink Floyd hits #1
Pink Floyd’s album “The Wall” hits #1 on January 18 1980.

1989: Supernova 1987A Pulsar
Astronomers discover pulsar remnants in Supernova 1987A

1990: Mayor Marion Arrested
Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry arrested in a drug enforcement sting.

2005: Largest Airbus Flown
The world’s largest commercial airplane, the Airbus A380 was flown in France.

2015: Fastest Century in ODI Cricket
AB de Villiers made the fastest century in ODI. 31 balls in a match against the West Indies.

2018: Largest Wave to be Surfed
Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira rides the largest-ever wave of 68 ft at Nazarein, Portugal.

Famous Birthdays

• Veerapan, an Indian Bandit
• Monica Bedi, a Television Presenter and Actress
• Dave Batista, a Wrestler
• Montana Tucker, a Pop Singer
• Mahadev Govind Ranade, an Indian scholar, Social reformer and Author
• J. S. Verma, the 27th Chief Justice of India
• Cdot Honcho, a rapper

These were the most historical events that happened in world history on January 18. Stay tuned to Leverage Edu and follow us on Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn, Quora and Facebook for more educational content.