August 18: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

August 18^th is officially Never Give Up Day and Bad Poetry Day.

We are now on the 230^th day of the year, congratulations for making it this far! There’s only 135 days left until next year.

If August 18 is a special day to you, then you’ll be pleased to know that the world would not be the same without this day. Here we’re going to look at a bunch of historical events that made this day so important throughout history.

Did you know that on this day in 1949, Adi Dassler founded Adidas after falling out with his brother? His brother went on to found Puma and they competed bitterly with each other.

Keep reading for more interesting facts about August 18^th in history!

What Events Happened On August 18 In History?

2019 A funeral was held in Iceland for the loss of the Okjökull glacier.

In 1890 the glacier spread across 6.2 square miles, but by 2012 is was just 0.27 square miles. Many plaques were placed at the site warning the world about the effects of climate change.

2019 President Donald Trump announced that he might want to buy Greenland and claim it for the US.

Unfortunately for Trump, Danish officials who govern the semi-autonomous territory responded that Greenland is not for sale.

2018 The world’s oldest cheese dating back 3,200 years was discovered in an Ancient Egyptian tomb near Cairo.

2017 The USS Indianapolis warship which was sunk during World War II was discovered in the Pacific Ocean 3.4 miles below the surface.

2005 A mega blackout happened on the Islands of Java and Bali in Indonesia, which affected around 100 million people.

1991 North Carolina, US was hit by hurricane Bob.

The hurricane saw devastating winds of up to 115 miles per hour. The storm caused a staggering $1.5 billion in damages, making it one of the costliest disasters in this area.

1963 James Meredith became the first African American to graduate from the University of Mississippi.

1949 Adi Dassler founded Adidas with a vision to improve athletic performance.

1914 President Woodrow Wilson issued a Proclamation of Neutrality.

The proclamation declared neutrality in relation to World War I, with the aim of not getting the United States involved in the war.

1868 French astronomer Pierre Janssen first recorded evidence of helium, a then-unknown element.

1838 The United States Exploring Expedition set sail on this day.

Charles Wilkes led the expedition team intending to cross the Pacific Ocean to reach Antarctica.

1826 Major Gordon Laing became the first non-Muslim to enter Timbuktu.

1817 There were sightings of a giant sea serpent in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

OTD in 1817: There were sightings of a giant sea serpent in Gloucester

There had been a rumor of a giant sea serpent terrorizing the ocean, and Captain Rich was called to catch it. On this day, Rich had his first sighting of the "beast." After many failed attempts, he finally killed it on September 6. The beast turned out to be an Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. Many were surprised, and it turned out that the wake caused by its fast swimming had been mistaken for looking like a serpent.

1783 A great ball of fire was witnessed over the east coast of Great Britain.

At the time, meteors were largely misunderstood, with many seeing them as ill omens. Later analysis of the recorded observations indicates that it entered Earth's atmosphere over the North Sea, crossed Scotland and England, before finally breaking up over Northern Italy or Southwest France.

August 17 Aug 17 August 19 Aug 19

Famous People Born On August 18

Is today is your birthday? If so, did you know that Andy Samberg was also born on this day? Here are more famous people born on this day.

1994 Madelaine Petsch

American Actress

Age:: 27 years old
Born In:: Washington, USA

1978 Andy Samberg

American Actor

Age:: 43 years old
Born In:: California, USA

1952 Patrick Swayze

American Actor

Died On:: Sep 14, 2009 (Age 57)
Born In:: Texas, USA

1969 Edward Norton

American Actor

Age:: 52 years old
Born In:: Massachusetts, USA

Special Holidays On August 18

If you’re looking to try something new today, here are some special holidays that might just give you an idea.

Never Give Up Day

National Bad Poetry Day

August 18 Birthday Facts, Zodiac & Birthstone

People who were born on August 18 all share the Leo zodiac sign.

Leo is represented by the lion and is the fifth sign in the zodiac. Anyone who was born between July 23 and August 22 falls into this astrological sign.

People born during August have the Peridot birthstone. The largest peridot stone was discovered on Zagbargad Island, Egypt. Peridot was popular among the Egyptian Pharaohs, and they’re still the national gem of Egypt.

If you were lucky enough to be born on Aug 18, you were likely conceived around November 25, the year before.

What Events Happened On August 18 In History?

2019 A funeral was held in Iceland for the loss of the Okjökull glacier.

2019 President Donald Trump announced that he might want to buy Greenland and claim it for the US.

2018 The world’s oldest cheese dating back 3,200 years was discovered in an Ancient Egyptian tomb near Cairo.

2017 The USS Indianapolis warship which was sunk during World War II was discovered in the Pacific Ocean 3.4 miles below the surface.

2005 A mega blackout happened on the Islands of Java and Bali in Indonesia, which affected around 100 million people.

1991 North Carolina, US was hit by hurricane Bob.

1963 James Meredith became the first African American to graduate from the University of Mississippi.

1949 Adi Dassler founded Adidas with a vision to improve athletic performance.

1914 President Woodrow Wilson issued a Proclamation of Neutrality.

1868 French astronomer Pierre Janssen first recorded evidence of helium, a then-unknown element.

1838 The United States Exploring Expedition set sail on this day.

1826 Major Gordon Laing became the first non-Muslim to enter Timbuktu.

1817 There were sightings of a giant sea serpent in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

1783 A great ball of fire was witnessed over the east coast of Great Britain.