The Battle of al-Babein, is fought on March 18, 1167, during the third Crusader invasion of Egypt, where King Amalric I, the Christian and Latin King of Jerusalem, allied with the Fatimid Caliphate defeated the Zengid army led by Shirkuh and Saladin. The bloody engagement failed to secure long-term control of Egypt for the Crusaders.
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On This Day in History: March 18
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on March 18th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Emperor Takakura of Japan abdicates the throne c. March 18, 1180, in favor of his son, Emperor Antoku
Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and last grand master of the Knights Templar, is burned at the stake on March 18, 1314, after being tortured and forced to make false confessions.
Albert II of Habsburg becomes King of the Romans (King of Germany) on March 18, 1438, after the death of his father-in-law, Sigismund. He also ruled briefly as King of Hungary and Bohemia before his death in 1439.
He introduced administrative reforms for the Holy Roman Empire but died campaigning against the Ottomans, never achieving the imperial coronation.
The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act of 1765 on March 18, 1766; a major concession following intense colonial protests, boycotts, and pressure from British merchants. However the Parliament simultaneously passed the Declaratory Act, asserting full authority to legislate for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever".
The repeal served as a temporary respite before tensions escalated again with the 1767 Townshend Acts.
Henry Wells and William George Fargo found the Wells, Fargo & Company on March 18, 1852, in New York City to handle the banking and transportation business prompted by the nescient California Gold Rush. After several mergers and acquisitions, Wells Fargo is now a major multinational financial services company.
The French - Algerian war or the the War of Algerian independence comes to an end with the signing of a peace agreement on March 18, 1962, to end the seven-year Algerian War and bringing an end to 130 years of colonial French rule in Algeria.
Between 500,000 and a million Algerians had been killed, out of an estimated population of just three million before the war. French losses were also high; between 150,000 and 200,000 French soldiers lost their lives, with the vast majority of them dying in hospitals. More
Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei A. Leonov was the first man ever to walk in space, when he exited the spacecraft on a tether on March 18, 1965 and floated for approximately 12 minutes, 9 seconds outside the capsule. He was the pilot of the Voskhod 2 mission, part of the Soviet Union's attempt in competition with the US to reach the moon.
The Arab oil ministers agree to end the embargo against the United States, Europe, and Japan on March 18, 1974, on the condition that the United States also promotes Israeli-Syrian disengagement.