On This Day

Discover events that happened On This Day including famous birthdays and notable deaths. Each day we highlight famous people, past and present, who have impacted our world. Browse sections by selecting the links below or click the calendar to view events on another day.

» EVENTS ON THIS DAY
» BORN ON THIS DAY
» DIED ON THIS DAY

February 18

February 18

Events on This Day

1678

335 years ago
John Bunyan's allegorical novel The Pilgrim's Progress is published.
1885

128 years ago
Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is published in the United States.

Read more at History.com
1936

77 years ago
Norwegian skater Sonja Henie wins her 10th straight World Women's figure skating title. After her win, she retires and became a successful film actress.
2010

3 years ago
President Barack Obama meets the Dalai Lama, generating controversy with China over the preservation of Tibet's identity and human rights.

February 18

Born on This Day

- In these groups:
- Brat Packers
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Actresses
Molly Ringwald

Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress / 1968 -

Molly Ringwald is an American actress known for the series of teen films she did with directer John Hughes in the 1980s, including Sixteen Candles.

See full bio
Molly Ringwald
Born: February 18, 1968
Age: 45 years old
Birthplace: Roseville, California, United States
Occupation: Film Actress, Theater Actress, ...
- In these groups:
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Actors
- Famous Film Actors
Matt Dillon

Film Actor, Director, Screenwriter / 1964 -

Matt Dillon is an American actor known for his tough guy roles, particularly the adaptations of S.E. Hinton's books including Rumble Fish and The Outsiders.

See full bio | Watch video
Matt Dillon
1964 | 49 years old
Film Actor, Director, Screenwriter
- In these groups:
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Actresses
- Famous Film Actresses
Cybill Shepherd

Film Actress, Television Actress, Model / 1950 -

Cybill Shepherd is an American actress and model who starred in Taxi Driver and Moonlighting.

See full bio
Cybill Shepherd
1950 | 63 years old
Film Actress, Television Actress, Model
- In these groups:
- Famous Black Writers
- Silver Foxes
- Groundbreaking Women
Toni Morrison

Writer / 1931 -

Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved.

See full bio | Watch video
Toni Morrison
Born: February 18, 1931
Age: 82 years old
Birthplace: Lorain, Ohio, United States
Occupation: Writer
- In these groups:
- Sober Celebs
- Celebrity Aviators
- Famous Movie Dancers
John Travolta

Actor / 1954 -

John Travolta is a Golden Globe-winning actor whose breakout role was in "Saturday Night Fever." He had a career revival in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction."

See full bio
John Travolta
1954 | 59 years old
Actor
- In these groups:
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono
- Women of Punk and Post Punk Music
- Famous Celebrity Couples
Yoko Ono

Anti-War Activist, Artist, Singer / 1933 -

Yoko Ono is a multimedia artist who became known worldwide in the 1960s when she married Beatles front man John Lennon.

See full bio | Watch video
Yoko Ono
1933 | 80 years old
Anti-War Activist, Artist, Singer

See everyone born on this day

February 18

Died on This Day

- In these groups:
- Famous Libras
- Famous Emperors
- Famous Military Leaders
Kublai Khan

General, Political Leader, Emperor / 1215 - 1294

Mongolian general and statesman Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan. He conquered China, founding and becoming the first emperor of the country's Yuan Dynasty.

See full bio
Kublai Khan
Died: February 18, 1294
Age: 78 years old
Occupation: General, Political Leader, Emperor
- In these groups:
- Famous Lefties
- Famous Pisceans
- Famous Painters
Michelangelo

Architect, Painter, Sculptor, Poet / 1475 - 1564

Michelangelo is widely regarded as the most famous artist of the Italian Renaissance. Among his works are the David and Pieta statues and the Sistine Chapel frescoes.

See full bio | Watch video
Michelangelo
1564 | 88 years old
Architect, Painter, Sculptor, Poet
- In these groups:
- Famous Academics
- Famous Taureans
- Famous Engineers
J. Robert Oppenheimer

Academic, Engineer, Physicist / 1904 - 1967

J. Robert Oppenheimer is often called the "father of the atomic bomb" for leading the Manhattan Project, the program that developed the first nuclear weapon during World War II.

See full bio
J. Robert Oppenheimer
1967 | 62 years old
Academic, Engineer, Physicist

See everyone who died on this day

Email Updates

- Get On This Day directly to your inbox. Sign up for the On This Day daily email update.
Sign Up
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

Quiz

Think you know
about Biography?

Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.

Play Now

Shop Bio

Buy Now

Your Connections

Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.

Hi,

settings

See More Bio Connections

Your Friends' Connections

Upcoming Birthdays

- In these groups:
- Fantastic Facial Hair
- Famous Pisceans
- Famous Military Leaders
Álvaro Obregón

Military Leader, World Leader / 1880 - 1928

Álvaro Obregón was a statesman, soldier and reformer who, as president, restored order to Mexico after a decade of political upheavals and civil war.

See full bio
Álvaro Obregón
February 19, 1880
World Leader
- In these groups:
- Famous Pisceans
- Famous Architects
- Famous People Named Louis
Louis I. Kahn

Architect / 1901 - 1974

Louis Kahn was an architect whose buildings made him one of the most discussed architects to emerge after World War II.

See full bio
Louis I. Kahn
February 20, 1901
Architect
- In these groups:
- Fantastic Facial Hair
- Famous Pisceans
- Famous People Named José
José Zorrilla

Playwright, Poet / 1817 - 1893

Spanish poet and dramatist José Zorrilla, a major figure of the nationalist wing of the Spanish Romantic movement, made his name with verse leyendas (legends).

See full bio
José Zorrilla
February 21, 1817
Poet
- In these groups:
- Baseball Nicknames
- Famous Pisceans
- Famous Coaches
Sparky Anderson

Coach / 1934 - 2010

Sparky Anderson was the manager of baseball’s Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers, winning three World Series championships.

See full bio
Sparky Anderson
February 22, 1934
Coach

Famous Aquarians

- In these groups:
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Engineers
- Famous Chemists
Lisa Perez Jackson

Civil Servant, Engineer, Chemist / 1962 -

Lisa Perez Jackson is a chemical engineer who in 2008 became the first African American to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

See full bio
Lisa Perez Jackson
February 8, 1962
Civil Servant, Engineer, Chemist
- In these groups:
- Fitness Gurus
- Famous Aquarians
- Reality TV Stars
Jillian Michaels

Entrepreneur, Reality Television Star / 1974 -

A high-profile trainer and life coach, Jillian Michaels starred on the reality TV show The Biggest Loser and has created her own fitness franchise.

See full bio
Jillian Michaels
February 18, 1974
Entrepreneur, Reality Television Star

See other Aquarians