Year 1271
Kublai Khan renamed his empire as Yuan and started a dynasty.
DECEMBER 18
Daily Historical Chronicle
UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix
18 December: What Happened On This Day in History
Curated historical timeline of momentous political pacts, freedom struggle uprisings, constitutional developments, scientific breakthroughs, and prominent birthdays recorded on 18 December.
Observances & Special Days
International Migrants Day
Year 1398
Timurlang defeated Sultan Nusrat Shah and captured Delhi.
Year 1777
First Thanksgiving celebrated in the United States.
Year 1787
New Jersey became the third state to accept the US Constitution.
Year 1833
The national anthem of the Russian Empire, God Save the Tsar, was sung for the first time.
Year 1906
Gandhiji returns to South Africa.
Year 1956
Japan joined the United Nations.
Year 1958
The world’s first communications satellite, Project Score, was launched.
Year 1960
Inauguration of National Museum in New Delhi.
Year 1961
Government of India annexes military action in Goa, Daman & Diu. in the early hours. Naval ships had been patrolling off Marmagao when they saw the Portuguese figate Afonso de Albuquerque in harbour. Her guns were firing at the Indian Air Force. Indian naval ships 'Betwa', 'Beas' and 'Cauvery' closed in and engaged the frigate from a range of 8,000 yards.
Year 1961
Lalchand Sitaram Rajput, cricketer (Indian Test opening batsman 1985-86), was born in Bombay.
Year 1971
Bharat Ratna, India's highest award, was given to Indira Gandhi (1917-1984), Prime Minister of India.
Year 1971
Indira Gandhi, PM, receives the Bharat Ratna.
Year 1977
Indira Gandhi resigns from the executive committee of the Congress party.
Year 1978
Dominic joined the United Nations.
Year 1984
Reactor Research Centre of Kalpakkam established on 12th March 1969 was renamed as Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research.
Year 1988
Rajiv Gandhi visits China. It was the first visit to China in 34 years by an Indian PM.
Year 1989
Justice Sabyasachi Mukherjee sworn in as Chief Justice of India.
Year 1989
Savyasachi Mukherjee became the 20th Chief Justice of India.
Year 1989
Prof. M. G. K. Menon sworn in Minister of State for Science and Technology.
Year 1989
Rabi Ray from Orissa elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Year 1992
BJP expresses regret over the demolition of the Masjid in Ayodhya in Parliament.
Year 1995
Dr. Julias K. Nyrere, former Tanzanian President, receives the first annual International Gandhi Peace Prize.
Year 1995
The first International Gandhi Peace Prize was awarded to former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere for his efforts to bring about social, economic, and political change through non-violent means.
Year 1998
Sonia Gandhi hints that the Congress(I) is not keen on forming Government at the Centre with the help of other parties and that it would prefer to return to power on its own strength.
Year 1999
Indian tennis duo Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhuapathi were named The Sportstar's sportpersons of the Year-1999. Sunil Kumar, the teenaged national hardcourt tennis champion and Aarthie Ramaswamy, the world under-18 girls chess champion, received the 'Young Achiever award' while hockey wizard Leslie Claudius will be honoured with the 'Legend of Indian Sport' award.
Year 1999
Dr. Romila Thapar, noted historian, cautions historians on Somnath temple.
Year 1999
The PWG blasts a railway track in Bihar.
Year 2000
M.S. Subbulakshmi gets the Bangalore-based Sri Rama Seva Mandali Trust's maiden S.V. Narayanaswamy Rao Memorial National Award for promoting Indian Classical music.
Year 2000
The Lok Sabha adopts the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2000 and the Government announces plan to set up a National Commission for Children.
Year 2000
The Tatas and the Hindujas are shortlisted for disinvestment in both Air India and Indian Airlines, while Videocon International for the domestic airline.
Year 2006
First elections were held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Year 2016
Indian junior hockey team defeated Belgium to win the Junior World Hockey Cup.
Born 1620
Heinrich Roth, a missionary, and pioneering Sanskrit scholar.
Born 1756
Guru Ghasidas, freedom fighter and social reformer, was born in Girod a small village in Sona Khan.
Born 1856
Sir J. J. Thomson, a British physicist, and Nobel Laureate in Physics.
Born 1878
Joseph Stalin, a Georgian revolutionary, and Soviet politician.
Born 1887
Bhikari Thakur, an Indian Bhojpuri poet, playwright, lyricist, actor, folk dancer, folk singer, and social activist.
Born 1890
E. H. Armstrong, an American electrical engineer, and inventor.
Born 1924
Justice Venkatramayya was born.
Born 1928
Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Indian-English caliph and author (d. 2003)
Born 1946
Steven Allan Spielberg, an American film director, producer, and screenwriter.
Born 1949
Joni Flynn, famous actress (Octopussy), was born in Assam, India.
Born 1953
Charu Nivedita, a postmodern, transgressive Tamil writer.
Born 1955
Vijay Mallya, an Indian businessman, and former Member of Parliament.
Born 1961
Lalchand Rajput, former Indian cricketer
Born 1963
Brad Pitt, an American actor, and film producer.
Born 1971
Barkha Dutt, an Indian journalist, and author.
Born 1973
Allamah Rasheed Turabi, Indian-Pakistani religious leader and philosopher (b. 1908)
Died 1829
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, a French naturalist.
Died 1917
Surendranath Dasgupta, great educationist, passed away.
Died 1973
Rasheed Turabi, an Islamic scholar, religious leader, public speaker, poet, and philosopher.
Died 1995
Konrad Zuse, a German civil engineer, pioneering computer scientist, inventor, and businessman.
Died 2004
Vijay Hazare, an Indian cricketer.
Died 2011
Václav Havel, the last President of Czechoslovakia.