What are the important events that happened on February 18? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

February 18: Facts & Myths About This Day

February 18 is the 49^th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 317 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Sunday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is February 5, 2024 – a Sunday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 1,708,214,400 seconds has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘tetracontaenneagon’ day.

Aquarius is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Amethyst is the modern birthstone for this month. Bloodstone is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 346 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,076 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

February 18 Historical Events

• 1797 –
  French Revolutionary Wars: Sir Ralph Abercromby and a fleet of 18 British warships invade Trinidad.
• 1861 –
  With the Italian unification almost complete, Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia assumes the title of King of Italy.
• 1912 –
  New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Water Rat in Chinese astrology.
• 1932 –
  The Empire of Japan declares Manzhouguo (the obsolete Chinese name for Manchuria) independent from the Republic of China.
• 1946 –
  Sailors of the Royal Indian Navy mutinied in Mumbai harbour, from where it would spread throughout British India and involve 78 ships, 20 shore establishments and 20,000 sailors
• 1965 –
  The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
• 1979 –
  Snow falls in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria for the only time in recorded history.
• 2001 –
  FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. He is ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
• 2003 –
  Nearly 200 people die in the Daegu subway fire in South Korea.
• 2004 –
  Up to 295 people, including nearly 200 rescue workers, die near Neyshabur in Iran when a runaway freight train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer catches fire and explodes.

Who were born on February 18?

• 1530 –
  Uesugi Kenshin, Japanese samurai and warlord (d. 1578)
• 1925 –
  Marcel Barbeau, Canadian artist
• 1931 –
  Bob St. Clair, American football player
• 1947 –
  Dennis DeYoung, American musician (Styx)
• 1947 –
  Princess Christina of the Netherlands
• 1950 –
  John Hughes, American film director (d. 2009)
• 1961 –
  Hironobu Kageyama, Japanese singer
• 1975 –
  Sarah Brown, American actress
• 1976 –
  Leilani Munter, American race car driver
• 1977 –
  Sean Watkins, American guitarist and songwriter

Who died on February 18?

• 1139 –
  Prince Yaropolk II of Kiev (b. 1082)
• 1405 –
  Tamerlane, Mongol Emperor (b. 1336)
• 1842 –
  Thomas Hazlehurst, English soap and alkali manufacturer (b. 1779)
• 1893 –
  Serranus Clinton Hastings, American politician (b. 1814)
• 1902 –
  Charles Lewis Tiffany, American founder of Tiffany & Co. (b. 1812)
• 1964 –
  Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Canadian inventor and industrialist (b. 1907)
• 1999 –
  Noam Pitlik, American actor and director (b. 1932)
• 2003 –
  Isser Harel, Israeli Mossad leader (b. 1912)
• 2008 –
  Mickey Renaud, Canadian professional ice hockey player (b. 1988)
• 2010 –
  John Babcock, Last known Canadian veteran of World War I (b. 1900)