March 18 in history — What Happened Today in History
Welcome to March 18 in history! Here you can discover what happened on March 18, including the major events, the famous people born on March 18 and the notable deaths on March 18, with the newest story starting in 2025.
On this page, March 18 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about March 18 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on March 18 in History 40
- 2025
Israel launches widespread aerial bombardments and attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 591 people, including children.
- 2015
The Bardo National Museum in Tunisia is attacked by gunmen. Twenty-four people, almost all tourists, are killed, and at least 50 other people are wounded.
- 2014
The parliaments of Russia and Crimea sign an accession treaty.
- 1997
The tail of a Russian Antonov An-24 charter plane breaks off while en route to Turkey, causing the plane to crash and killing all 50 people on board.
- 1996
A nightclub fire in Quezon City, Philippines kills 162 people.
- 1994
Bosnia's Bosniaks and Croats sign the Washington Agreement, ending war between the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and establishing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- 1990
Germans in the German Democratic Republic vote in the first democratic elections in the former communist dictatorship.
- 1990
In the largest art theft in US history, 12 paintings, collectively worth around $500 million, are stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
- 1980
A Vostok-2M rocket at Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 43 explodes during a fueling operation, killing 48 people.
- 1974
Güzel İstanbul, a nude sculpture by Gürdal Duyar in Istanbul, is torn down in the middle of the night.
- 1971
Peru: A landslide crashes into Yanawayin Lake, killing 200 people at the mining camp of Chungar.
- 1970
Lon Nol ousts Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.
All entries for March 18（+28）
- 1969
The United States begins secretly bombing the Sihanouk Trail in Cambodia, used by communist forces to infiltrate South Vietnam.
- 1968
Gold standard: The U.S. Congress repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back US currency.
- 1967
The supertanker Torrey Canyon runs aground off the Cornish coast.
- 1966
United Arab Airlines Flight 749 crashes on approach to Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt, killing 30 people.
- 1965
Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, leaving his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes, becomes the first person to walk in space.
- 1962
The Évian Accords end the Algerian War of Independence, which had begun in 1954.
- 1959
The Hawaii Admission Act is signed into law.
- 1953
An earthquake hits western Turkey, killing at least 1,070 people.
- 1948
Soviet consultants leave Yugoslavia in the first sign of the Tito–Stalin split.
- 1945
World War II: 40th Infantry Division, spearheaded by the 185th US Infantry Regiment, lands unopposed in Tigbauan, forcing the Japanese forces to surrender and General Macario Peralta and Gen. Gen. Eichelberger to declare the Liberation of Panay, Romblon and Guimaras.
- 1944
Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupts, killing 26 people, causing thousands to flee their homes, and destroying dozens of Allied bombers.
- 1942
The War Relocation Authority is established in the United States to take Japanese Americans into custody.
- 1940
World War II: Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini meet at the Brenner Pass in the Alps and agree to form an alliance against France and the United Kingdom.
- 1938
Mexico creates Pemex by expropriating all foreign-owned oil reserves and facilities.
- 1937
The New London School explosion in New London, Texas, kills 300 people, mostly children.
- 1937
Spanish Civil War: Spanish Republican forces defeat the Italians at the Battle of Guadalajara.
- 1925
The 1925 Tri-State tornado hits the Midwestern states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people.
- 1922
In India, Mohandas Gandhi is sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience, of which he serves only two.
- 1921
The second Peace of Riga is signed between Poland and the Soviet Union.
- 1921
The Kronstadt rebellion is suppressed by the Red Army.
- 1921
Mongolian Revolution of 1921: The Mongolian People's Army defeats local Chinese forces at Altanbulag, Selenge (then known as Maimachen). This battle was seen as the birthday of the People's Army and completed the expulsion of Chinese militants in Mongolia.
- 1915
World War I: During the Battle of Gallipoli, three battleships are sunk during a failed British and French naval attack on the Dardanelles.
- 1913
King George I of Greece is assassinated in the recently liberated city of Thessaloniki.
- 1902
Macario Sakay issues Presidential Order No. 1 of his Tagalog Republic.
- 1901
The Kumasi Mutiny of 1901 begins.
- 1899
Phoebe, a satellite of Saturn, becomes the first to be discovered with photographs, taken in August 1898, by William Henry Pickering.
- 1871
Declaration of the Paris Commune; President of the French Republic, Adolphe Thiers, orders the evacuation of Paris.
- 1865
American Civil War: The Congress of the Confederate States adjourns for the last time.
Famous Birthdays on March 18 in History 25
- 2002
Brenden Rice, American football player
- 1999
Diogo Dalot, Portuguese footballer
- 1998
Emmanuel Clase, Dominican baseball player
- 1997
Ciara Bravo, American actress
- 1997
Rieko Ioane, New Zealand rugby union player
- 1997
Jordan Whitehead, American football player
- 1997
Ivica Zubac, Croatian basketball player
- 1997
Cary and Michael Huang, the twins who founded BFDI
- 1996
Skal Labissière, Haitian basketball player
- 1995
Irina Bara, Romanian tennis player
- 1995
Julia Goldani Telles, American actress and dancer
- 1994
Kris Dunn, American basketball player
All entries for March 18（+13）
- 1994
Ronnie Stanley, American football player
- 1993
Solo Sikoa, American wrestler
- 1992
Anthony Barr, American football player
- 1992
Trey Mancini, American baseball player
- 1992
Ryan Truex, American race car driver
- 1992
Takuya Terada, Japanese singer, actor, and model
- 1991
Travis Frederick, American football player
- 1991
Leury García, Dominican baseball player
- 1991
Solomon Hill, American basketball player
- 1991
Dylan Mattingly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1991
J. T. Realmuto, American baseball player
- 1989
Robert Bortuzzo, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1989
Francesco Checcucci, Italian footballer
Notable Deaths on March 18 in History 25
- 2025
Kanzi, Bonobo research subject (born 1980)
- 2025
Jessie Hoffman Jr., American convicted murderer (born 1978)
- 2024
Thomas P. Stafford, American Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut (born 1930)
- 2020
Alfred Worden, American test pilot, engineer and astronaut (born 1932)
- 2017
Chuck Berry, American guitarist, singer and songwriter (born 1926)
- 2016
Barry Hines, English author and screenwriter (born 1939)
- 2016
Jan Němec, Czech director and screenwriter (born 1936)
- 2016
Tray Walker, American football player (born 1992)
- 2016
Guido Westerwelle, German lawyer and politician, 15th Vice-Chancellor of Germany (born 1961)
- 2015
Zhao Dayu, Chinese footballer and manager (born 1961)
- 2015
Thomas Hopko, American priest and theologian (born 1939)
- 2015
Grace Ogot, Kenyan nurse, journalist, and politician (born 1930)
All entries for March 18（+13）
- 2014
Catherine Obianuju Acholonu, Nigerian author, playwright, and academic (born 1951)
- 2014
Kaiser Kalambo, Zambian footballer, coach, and manager (born 1953)
- 2014
Lucius Shepard, American author and critic (born 1943)
- 2013
Muhammad Mahmood Alam, Pakistani general and pilot (born 1935)
- 2013
Henry Bromell, American novelist, screenwriter, and director (born 1947)
- 2013
Clay Ford, American lawyer and politician (born 1938)
- 2012
Furman Bisher, American journalist and author (born 1918)
- 2012
William R. Charette, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1932)
- 2012
William G. Moore Jr., American general (born 1920)
- 2012
George Tupou V of Tonga (born 1948)
- 2011
Warren Christopher, American lawyer and politician, 63rd United States Secretary of State (born 1925)
- 2010
Fess Parker, American actor and businessman (born 1924)
- 2009
Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, Iranian journalist and blogger (born 1980)
That is the story of March 18 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on March 18 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on March 18 in history?
The biggest event on March 18 in history is: 2025 — Israel launches widespread aerial bombardments and attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 591 people, including children.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on March 18?
25 famous people were born on March 18 in history, the best known being 2002 — Brenden Rice, American football player.
Who died on March 18?
25 notable people died on March 18 in history, including 2025 — Kanzi, Bonobo research subject (born 1980).
Why should I read about March 18 in history?
Exploring March 18 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
Browse the March calendar
Take a random trip through time
What happened on your birthday?
Enter your date of birth and travel back to the day you were born.