Circa 1000 CE
Estimated date of Vikings led by the Norse explorer Leif Erikson, landing in North America in present-day Canada.
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What Happened Today in History on October 18
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on October 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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The Treaty of Vervins is signed, ending the war between Spain and France.
France's King Louis XIV suspends the Edict of Nantes, revoking the religious rights of Huguenots.
The Mason-Dixon Line survey is officially completed. The historic border survey was undertaken by surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon between 1763 and 1767 to resolve a land dispute between the colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland and Delaware. This line also became a symbolic boundary between the Northern and Southern states in the era before the American Civil War.
The term also refers to the line established by the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which extended the division westward into new territories and is the title of a 1997 postmodern novel by Thomas Pynchon that re-imagines their story.
During the Second Opium War, The British High Commissioner to China, James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin, orders the complete destruction of the Old Summer Palace in retaliation for the imprisonment and torture of several Anglo-French delegation members by the Qing government, with several of them being killed.
The French and British troops had captured the palace days earlier and had looted and destroyed the imperial collections. The destruction of the Peking’s Summer Palace has been considered criminal and barbaric by many Chinese and remains a a very sensitive issue in China today. More
The United States formally takes possession of Alaska from Russia in a ceremony known as the Alaska Purchase. The $7.2 million purchase, ended Russia’s presence in North America and ensured U.S. access to the Pacific northern rim.
Skeptics had dubbed the purchase of Alaska “Seward’s Folly,” but the former Secretary of State was vindicated when a major gold deposit was discovered in the Yukon in 1896, and Alaska became the gateway to the Klondike gold fields. The strategic importance of Alaska was finally recognized in World War II. Alaska became a state on January 3, 1959. More
The last Spanish troops in Puerto Rico sail back to Spain and the US flag is raised in most public buildings on the island formalizing U.S. control of the former Spanish colony. A military government was established under the command of General John R. Brooke.
On August 12, Spain and the United States had agreed to an armistice; on September 13, the Protocol of Peace was ratified; and on December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Spanish-American War. and giving the United States full control over all former Spanish military installations as well as some 120,000 acres of land formerly owned by the Spanish Crown on the island. Puerto Rico remained under direct control of US military forces until the US Congress ratified the Foraker Law on April 12th, 1900, bringing a civilian government to the island. More
Notorious American gangster Al Capone is convicted of federal income-tax evasion. He was subsequently sentenced to 11 years in federal prison and was later transferred to the high-security Alcatraz prison. He was released early in 1939 due to health issues, including advanced syphilis. He died in 1947, suffering from the effects of his illness. More
The Clean Water Act is established as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 undergoes sweeping amendments in 1972. The amended law became commonly known as the Clean Water Act (CWA). More
The Hungarian Republic is officially declared, marking the end of Communist rule. More
Protests erupt in Nigeria against police brutality and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), leading to widespread demonstrations.