| Date | Name | Location / Topic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Fajita Day |  | ||
| National Mail Order Catalog Day |  | ||
| National Ice Cream Pie Day |  | ||
| Janmashtami |  | ||
| National Couple’s Day |  | ||
| National Pinot Noir Day |  |
Historical Events on August 18
- 1587: The first English child born is America is born on this date. She was Virginia Dare, the granddaughter of Governor John White of the Colony of Roanoke.
- 1590: Governor John White returns to the Roanoke Colony only to find out the settlement has been deserted.
- 1612: The most famous witch trials in England’s history – the Pendle Witch Trials – begines at Lancaster Assizes.
- 1634: Urbain Grandier is convicted of sorcery and is burned at the stake in Loudun, France.
- 1783: A flaming meteor steaks across Great Britain on this date.
- 1864: Union forces attack Wilmington and Weldon Railroad in an attempt to cut an important Confederate supply-line into Petersburg, Virginia during the American Civil War.
- 1868: Helium is discovered by French astronomer Pierre Janssen.
- 1903: German engineer Karl Jatho flies a self-made gliding airplane.
- 1920: The 19th Amendment to the U.S Constitution is ratified, giving women the right to vote.
- 1963: James Meredith becomes the first African-American to graduate from the University of Mississippi.
- 1965:S Marines destroy a Viet Cong stronghold on the Van Tuong peninsula during the Vietnam War. This battle – known as Operation Starlite – is considered to be the first major American ground offensive of the war.
- 1966: A Royal Australian Regiment engages a Viet Cong force in the Phước Tuy province – this battle would come to be known as The Battle of Long Tan.
- 1971: New Zealand and Australia withdraws troops from Vietnam on this day.
- 1983: 22 people are killed when Hurricane Alicia hits the coast of Texas. It is estimated this hurricane caused approximately a billion dollars in damages.
Famous Birthdays on August 18
- American captain and politician Louie Gohmert is born in 1953.
- Italian astrophysicist and politician Umberto Guidoni is born in 1954.
- German Cardinal Rainer Woelki is born in 1956.
- American actress Madeleine Stowe is born in 1958.
- American actor Edward Norton is born in 1969.
- American actor Christian Slater is born in 1969.
- American economist Jason Furman is born in 1970.
- American actor and producer Malcolm-Jamal Warner is born in 1970.