February 18th in History
February 18th
1294 Kublai Khan dies in Khanbaliq, present-day Beijing, after suffering from obesity and gout, at the age of 79. The founder of the Yuan dynasty and the grandson of Genghis Khan, Khan was the first Mongol to rule over all of China. But the deaths of his wife and oldest son, as well as failed attempts to conquer Japan, Burma, and Java, weighed on Khan at the end of his life, and he withdrew from his administrative duties before his death.
The Chartist Movement (1838-1848)In the early 19th century, the Chartist movement emerged in Britain as a response to the lack of political representation for the working class. On February 18, 1838, the People’s Charter, the central document of the Chartist movement, was published. This document called for political reforms such as universal suffrage, equal representation, and secret ballots. While the movement did not immediately achieve its goals, it laid the groundwork for later reforms, including the expansion of voting rights in Britain. The Chartists’ activism and protests represented an important chapter in the history of British democracy.
Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" published: On February 18, 1925, Adolf Hitler's autobiographical book "Mein Kampf" was first published in Germany.
1930: American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto near a location predicted by Percival Lowell using photographs taken the previous month. Lowell had speculated that a ninth planet would explain apparent discrepancies in the orbits of the gas giants Uranus and Neptune. Pluto was officially considered the ninth planet until 2006 when it was reclassified as a dwarf planet.
1943: Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels gives his 'total war speech' as the tide of World War II turns against Nazi Germany and her Axis allies.
1949Opportunity Knocks was presented for the first time (on BBC radio) by its creator, Hughie Greene. It later transferred to Radio Luxembourg then went on to become a popular television programme on ITV.
Pink Floyd members fired Syd Barrett from the band and permanently replaced him with David Gilmour. Roger Waters later wrote and dedicated the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" to the increasingly unstable Barrett, who checked into a psychiatric hospital before going into seclusion.
1980 : Rolling Stone bass player Bill Wyman drops a bombshell during an interview by suggesting he would be leaving the band at their 20th anniversary.
1294 Kublai Khan dies in Khanbaliq, present-day Beijing, after suffering from obesity and gout, at the age of 79. The founder of the Yuan dynasty and the grandson of Genghis Khan, Khan was the first Mongol to rule over all of China. But the deaths of his wife and oldest son, as well as failed attempts to conquer Japan, Burma, and Java, weighed on Khan at the end of his life, and he withdrew from his administrative duties before his death.
The Chartist Movement (1838-1848)In the early 19th century, the Chartist movement emerged in Britain as a response to the lack of political representation for the working class. On February 18, 1838, the People’s Charter, the central document of the Chartist movement, was published. This document called for political reforms such as universal suffrage, equal representation, and secret ballots. While the movement did not immediately achieve its goals, it laid the groundwork for later reforms, including the expansion of voting rights in Britain. The Chartists’ activism and protests represented an important chapter in the history of British democracy.
Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" published: On February 18, 1925, Adolf Hitler's autobiographical book "Mein Kampf" was first published in Germany.
1930: American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto near a location predicted by Percival Lowell using photographs taken the previous month. Lowell had speculated that a ninth planet would explain apparent discrepancies in the orbits of the gas giants Uranus and Neptune. Pluto was officially considered the ninth planet until 2006 when it was reclassified as a dwarf planet.
1943: Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels gives his 'total war speech' as the tide of World War II turns against Nazi Germany and her Axis allies.
1949Opportunity Knocks was presented for the first time (on BBC radio) by its creator, Hughie Greene. It later transferred to Radio Luxembourg then went on to become a popular television programme on ITV.
Pink Floyd members fired Syd Barrett from the band and permanently replaced him with David Gilmour. Roger Waters later wrote and dedicated the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" to the increasingly unstable Barrett, who checked into a psychiatric hospital before going into seclusion.
1980 : Rolling Stone bass player Bill Wyman drops a bombshell during an interview by suggesting he would be leaving the band at their 20th anniversary.
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