Date·Lore

On This Day · The 230th day of the year

August 18

August 18 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1590 and 2008. John White, the governor of the Roanoke Colony, returns from a supply trip to England and finds his settlement deserted.

♌ZodiacLeo ◈BirthstonePeridot ❀Birth flowerGladiolus

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on August 18?

August 18 is the 230th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1590 and 2008. Famous people born on August 18 include Klára Dán von Neumann, Rainer Woelki and John Debney.

The shape of the day

August 18's record stretches 418 years, from 1590 to 2008. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and conflict is a recurring thread.

Leo is the sign for August 18 — read more on the Leo page, or see August's birthstone & birth flower.

Released on August 18

Movies, games, albums & shows

2023

  • Game Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
  • Game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

2022

  • Game Red Matter 2
  • Game Quake Champions
  • Game Thymesia
  • Game Cursed to Golf
  • Game We Are OFK
  • Movie The Next 365 Days

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1590

    John White (colonist and artist)

    John White, the governor of the Roanoke Colony, returns from a supply trip to England and finds his settlement deserted.

  2. 1612

    Pendle witches

    The trials of the Pendle witches and Samlesbury witches, one of England's most famous witch trials, begin at the Lancaster Assizes.

  3. 1864

    American Civil War

    American Civil War: Battle of Globe Tavern: Union forces try to cut a vital Confederate supply-line into Petersburg, Virginia, by attacking the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.

  4. 1891

    1891 Martinique hurricane

    A major hurricane strikes Martinique, leaving 700 dead.

  5. 1920

    Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

    The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing women's suffrage.

  6. 1937

    Blackwater Fire of 1937

    A lightning strike starts the Blackwater Fire of 1937 in Shoshone National Forest, killing 15 firefighters within three days and prompting the United States Forest Service to develop their smokejumper program.

  7. 1940

    World War II

    World War II: The Hardest Day air battle, part of the Battle of Britain, takes place. At that point, it is the largest aerial engagement in history with heavy losses sustained on both sides.

  8. 1965

    Vietnam War

    Vietnam War: Operation Starlite begins: United States Marines destroy a Viet Cong stronghold on the Van Tuong peninsula in the first major American ground battle of the war.

  9. 1983

    Hurricane Alicia

    Hurricane Alicia hits the Texas coast, killing 21 people and causing over US$1 billion in damage (1983 dollars).

  10. 2008

    Pervez Musharraf

    The President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, resigns under threat of impeachment.

Famous birthday twins

Born on August 18

Klára Dán von Neumann

b. 1911

Hungarian computer scientist and programmer

Rainer Woelki

b. 1956

German cardinal

John Debney

b. 1956

American composer and conductor

Patrick Swayze

b. 1952

American actor and dancer

Hugues Aufray

b. 1929

French singer-songwriter

Franz Joseph I

b. 1830

Emperor of Austria from 1848-1916

Antonio Salieri

b. 1750

Italian composer and conductor

Roman Polanski

b. 1933

French-Polish director, producer, screenwriter, and actor

Deaths

  • 2018Kofi Annan
  • 1945Subhas Chandra Bose
  • 1850Honoré de Balzac
  • 1620Wanli Emperor
  • 1258Theodore II Laskaris

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Agapitus of Palestrina
  • —Christian feast day: Alberto Hurtado
  • —Christian feast day: Daig of Inniskeen
  • —Christian feast day: Evan (or Inan)
  • —Christian feast day: Fiacre
  • —Christian feast day: Florus and Laurus
  • —Christian feast day: Helena of Constantinople (Roman Catholic Church)
  • —Christian feast day: August 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

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