Osun Defender History Corner: February 18 In Focus
Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.
February 18, 3102 BC
According to some calculations, this date marks the start of the Kali Yuga, the last of the four stages (or ages) the world goes through as part of the cycle of Yugas described in Hindu cosmology.
February 18, 1478
George, Duke of Clarence, brother of King Edward IV and King Richard III of England, was executed for treason.
February 18, 1546
Martin Luther, German theologian and leader of the Protestant Reformation, died in Eisleben, Germany.
February 18, 1766
James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, Irish general and statesman, died.
February 18, 1861
In Montgomery, Alabama, Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America.
February 18, 1885
Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was published in the United States for the first time.
February 18, 1913
Pedro Lascuráin becomes President of Mexico for less than an hour during the “Ten Tragic Days” of the Mexican Revolution.
February 18, 1930
Elm Farm Ollie becomes the first cow to fly in an airplane and also the first cow to be milked in an airplane.
February 18, 1943
The Nazis arrested the members of the White Rose resistance group in Munich, Germany.
February 18, 1965
Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 18, 1970
The Chicago Seven defendants were found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
February 18, 1972
The California Supreme Court in the United States invalidated the state’s death penalty and commuted the sentences of all death row inmates to life imprisonment.
February 18, 2001
FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested and charged with spying for Russia for more than 15 years.
February 18, 2003
Nearly 200 people died in a nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, USA.
February 18, 2010
WikiLeaks published the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by the American soldier Chelsea Manning.
February 18, 2011
The unrest in Libya began, leading to the eventual overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.
February 18, 2013
A meteor exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, injuring over 1,500 people and causing extensive damage.
February 18, 2015
Egypt launched airstrikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets in Libya, in retaliation for the beheading of Egyptian Coptic Christians.
February 18, 2019
Pope Francis defrocked former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick after the Vatican found him guilty of sexual abuse.
February 18, 2021
NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully landed on Mars, beginning its mission to search for signs of past life and collect samples for future return to Earth.
Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on February 18. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
