January 18: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter took off for its 72nd and final flight on Mars.

In January 2021, Ingenuity became the first aircraft to fly on another planet. Ingenuity far exceeded its expected life, as it was only ever supposed to be able to handle five flights and last about a month.

Microsoft announced its plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.

France revealed the world’s largest commercial aircraft, nicknamed the superjumbo.

Officially called the Airbus A380, it's a double-decker 262 ft carrier and has a capacity of 555 passengers. Its first flight was on April 27, 2005.

Charity song “That’s What Friends Are For” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song by Dionne & Friends featured Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder and was released to support and create awareness for AIDS. As a result, $3 million was raised for the cause.

The final episode of Monty Python’s “Flying Circus” season 3 was aired on BBC.

The plans to construct the World Trade Center in New York City were announced to the public.

The lie detector, invented in 1921 by John Augustus Larson, was first used in the Netherlands.

The Paris Peace Conference began in France.

During the conference, five major peace treaties were created: the Treaty of Versailles, the Treaty of Saint-Germain, the Treaty of Neuilly, the Treaty of Trianon, and the Treaty of Sevres.

Massachusetts’s Marconi Wireless Station Site successfully sent the first radio transmission between the US and Europe.

Wesley College was established in Melbourne, Australia

Wesley was the first registered school in Australia.

Captain James Cook became the first European to travel to the Hawaiian islands.

Although he traveled past Oahu, Captain Cook landed at Waimea, which is located on the island of Kauai. Cook named the group of islands the "Sandwich" islands.

The first polar bear in America was exhibited in Boston.

When asked what polar bears ate, the handler said, "drunk Irishmen."

Leo II was crowned Emperor of Rome at just seven years of age.