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On this day in history - April 18

What Happened On This Day – April 18

  • 1956 Rainier III marries Grace Kelly

    The wedding celebrations for the Prince of Monaco and the glamorous U.S. actress were broadcast around the world and enthused the population of war-torn Europe.

  • 1951 The European Coal and Steel Community, a precursor of the European Union, is established

    The Treaty of Paris was signed by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

  • 1949 Ireland becomes an independent republic

    Six counties in the northern part of the island remained in the Commonwealth, leading to a decades-long ethno-nationalist conflict that culminated in The Troubles.

  • 1906 A massive earthquake destroys San Francisco

    About 3000 people died in the disaster. Over 80 percent of the city was destroyed by the quake and resulting fires.

  • 1506 Construction of the current St. Peter's Basilica begins

    St. Peter's in Vatican City is one of the world's most important Catholic sites.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
April 18

  • 1973 Haile Gebrselassie

    Ethiopian runner

  • 1971 David Tennant

    Scottish actor

  • 1964 Niall Ferguson

    Scottish historian

  • 1902 Menachem Mendel Schneerson

    Russian/French rabbi

  • 1882 Leopold Stokowski

    Polish/English conductor

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
April 18

  • 2012 Dick Clark

    American television host, producer, founded Productions

  • 2002 Thor Heyerdahl

    Norwegian explorer

  • 1964 Ben Hecht

    American screenwriter, director, producer

  • 1955 Albert Einstein

    German/American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate

  • 1943 Isoroku Yamamoto

    Japanese Admiral