April 18: What Happened on This Day in History (High_school Level)?

(Page last edited 10/12/2017)

1. 1506 - The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid.
2. 1521 - Trial of Martin Luther begins its second day during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. He refuses to recant his teachings despite the risk of excommunication.
3. 1775 - American Revolution: The British advancement by sea begins; Paul Revere and other riders warn the countryside of the troop movements.
4. 1848 - American victory at the battle of Cerro Gordo opens the way for invasion of Mexico.
5. 1906 - An earthquake and fire destroy much of San Francisco, California.
6. 1909 - Joan of Arc is beatified in Rome.
7. 1924 - Simon & Schuster publishes the first crossword puzzle book.
8. 1961 - The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a cornerstone of modern international relations, is adopted.
9. 1980 - The Republic of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) comes into being, with Canaan Banana as the country's first President. The Zimbabwe Dollar replaces the Rhodesian Dollar as the official currency.
10. 1988 - The United States launches Operation Praying Mantis against Iranian naval forces in the largest naval battle since World War II.
11. Famous Birthdays: Lucrezia Borgia (Italian daughter of Pope Alexander VI), James McCune Smith (American physician and author), Richard Harding Davis (American journalist and author), George H. Hitchings (American physician, Nobel Prize laureate), Joseph L. Goldstein (American biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate)

For famous birthdays and other daily events in history, visit our Daily Dose Activities.

Click Here for Yesterday in History: April 17

Click Here for Tomorrow in History: April 19

For more history resources on Internet 4 Classrooms, visit our Social Studies and History index. For Pre K-8th Grade Level History and Social Studies Resources, visit our Grade Level Index.