December 18 - This day in History

December 18: General Interest
1620: Mayflower docks at Plymouth Harbor

On December 18, 1620, the British ship Mayflower docked at modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, and its passengers prepared to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony... read more


American Revolution
1777 : States give thanks
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/states-give-thanks


Automotive
1968 : "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" opens in New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-opens-in-new-york


Civil War
1862 : Rebles rout Yankees in western Tennessee
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-lexington-tennessee


Cold War
1972 : Nixon announces start of "Christmas Bombing" of North Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-announces-start-of-christmas-bombing-of-north-vietnam


Crime
1878 : The death of Molly-ism
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-death-of-molly-ism


Disaster
1982 : Power plant burns in Venezuela
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/power-plant-burns-in-venezuela


General Interest
1865 : Slavery abolished in America
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/slavery-abolished-in-america

1912 : Piltdown Man discovered
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/piltdown-man-discovered


Hollywood
1946 : Director Steven Spielberg born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/director-steven-spielberg-born


Literary
1870 : Short story writer H.H. Munro is born in Burma
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/short-story-writer-hh-munro-is-born-in-burma


Music
1961 : The Tokens earn a #1 hit with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-tokens-earn-a-1-hit-with-quotthe-lion-sleeps-tonightquot


Old West
1888 : Wetherill and Mason discover Mesa Verde
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wetherill-and-mason-discover-mesa-verde


Presidential
1915 : Woodrow Wilson marries Edith Bolling Galt
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woodrow-wilson-marries-edith-bolling-galt


Sports
1886 : Ty Cobb is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ty-cobb-is-born


Vietnam War
1972 : Nixon orders the initiation of Operation Linebacker II
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-orders-the-initiation-of-operation-linebacker-ii


World War I
1916 : Battle of Verdun ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-verdun-ends


World War II
1941 : Japan invades Hong Kong
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-invades-hong-kong