January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 347 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about January 18th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about January 18th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- Thesaurus Day
- National Winnie the Pooh Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – January 18
2002: The Sierra Leone Civil War ends
The conflict had lasted 11 years and left over 50,000 dead.
1997: Børge Ousland becomes the first person to cross Antarctica alone and unaided
The Norwegian polar explorer walked 3000 km (1864 miles) across the Earth’s southernmost continent.
1943: Insurgents in the Warsaw Ghetto take up arms against the German oppressors
This lead to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the largest single revolt by Jews during World War II.
1919: The Paris Peace Conference opens
The aim of the conference was to set the peace terms after World War I, resulting in the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
1911: On January 18, 1911, Eugene Burton Ely became the first person to take off from and land on a naval vessel. In this photo, Ely pilots his Curtiss Model D biplane after takeoff from a platform constructed on the stern of the USS Pennsylvania, anchored in San Francisco Bay

1886: Modern hockey is born
The foundation of The Hockey Association in England formalized a modern version of the game that had already been played in ancient times.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, January 18
1955: Kevin Costner, American actor, singer, director, producer
1913: Danny Kaye, American actor
1892: Oliver Hardy, American comedian, actor
1882: A. A. Milne, English author
1689: Montesquieu, French philosopher
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, January 18
2011: Sargent Shriver, American politician, 21st United States Ambassador to France
1956: Konstantin Päts, Estonian politician, 1st President of Estonia
1952: Curly Howard, American actor, comedian
1936: Rudyard Kipling, English author, poet, Nobel Prize laureate
1862: John Tyler, American lawyer, politician, 10th President of the United States