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What happened in history on this day: February 18?
Since 1995, I have been collecting information on a variety of topics,
creating several timelines of history.
Here you will find specific events from those databases
for this day, on the topics of personal computers, video games, the Walt Disney Company,
Chevrolet Corvettes, A&W Root Beer, Sweden, and Canadian coins.
On February 18 in ...
- 1977 - The first Computer Shack franchise is opened in Morristown, New Jersey. 112 people visit in the first day.
- 1997 - Sun Microsystems releases the Java development kit v1.1.
- 1997 - Corel begins shipping WordPerfect Suite for DOS. It includes WordPerfect 6.2, Quattro Pro 5.6, and Presentations 2.1. Price is US$495; upgrade price is US$149.
- 1933 - The Mickey Mouse film Mickey's Pal Pluto is released to theaters. Pluto and Minnie Mouse also appear.
- 1939 - Disney delivers the animated film Mickey's Surprise Party for the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco), for use at the New York World's Fair.
- 1944 - The Donald Duck film Trombone Trouble is released to theaters.
- 1953 - Disney's first People and Places documentary film, The Alaskan Eskimo, is released to theaters.
- 1955 - Disney releases the Donald Duck film Lake Titicaca to theaters. It was originally released as part of the film Saludos Amigos.
- 1956 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film No Hunting for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Cartoons.
- 1956 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Switzerland for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Two Reels.
- 1956 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Men Against the Arctic for an Oscar Award in the category Documentary, Short Subjects.
- 1957 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Cow Dog for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Two Reels.
- 1957 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Samoa for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Two Reels.
- 1957 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Man in Space for an Oscar Award in the category Documentary, Short Subjects.
- 1962 - The NBC TV network airs the Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color show, featuring Comanche, part one. This is half of the film Tonka.
- 1975 - Walt Disney Productions announces a US$8 million 15-month America on Parade project in celebration of the country's 200th anniversary.
- 1985 - The NBC TV network airs the three-hour special Disneyland's 30th Anniversary Celebration, starring Drew Barrymore and John Forsythe.
- 1994 - Antigua & Barbuda issues ten postage stamps depicting Disney characters in Hong Kong.
- 1995 - Disney releases the film The Lion King on videocassette in the US, for US$26.99.
- 1995 - The ABC TV network airs the two-hour TV movie The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. The show is a re-make of the 1969 film of the same name.
- 2001 - Disney releases the animated film Lady and the Tramp II - Scamp's Adventure on videocassette and DVD.
- 2001 - The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A televised game show called "Me Wantee!" is a parody of the Disney-ABC TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
- 2003 - Debut of fireworks show "Believe ... There's Magic in the Stars" at Disneyland.
- 1956 - In Daytona, Florida, the Daytona Speed Weeks races are held. A 1956 Corvette is the official pace car. Chevrolet enters five Corvettes: modified 1953, modified 1955, 1956 with 307-ci engine and four-speed transmission, and two stock 1956 models. Drivers are Betty Skelton, John Fitch, and Zora Arkus-Duntov.
- In the Flying Mile, John Fitch is 1st in production class with a two-way average speed of 145.543 mph, a new record.
- Betty Skelton is 2nd at 137.773 mph.
- Zora is 1st in Modified class and overall at 147.3 mph. His downwind speed is 156 mph, second best to a Grand Prix Ferrari F1 by 1 mph.
- In the Standing Mile, production class, Ford Thunderbirds win 1st and 2nd; John Fitch in a Corvette is 3rd at 86.782 mph.
- Zora is 1st in Modified class and overall at 89.753 mph.
- 1961 - The Sting Ray show car is put on display at the Chicago Auto Show, at McCormick Place. It was transformed to its current form from the original Sting Ray racer of 1959.
- 2007 - At the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, the Daytona 500 race is held. A 2007 Corvette Z06 is official pace car, driven by Cal Ripken, Junior.
- 1940 - Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 10. For the attack on the West, the forces will be divided by the line Liège to Charleroi across Belgium and Luxembourg. Forces north of this line will break through Belgian defences, counter any threats to the Ruhr, and take on the strongest Anglo-French forces. Forces south of the line will cross the Meuse river between Dinant and Sedan, and advance towards the Somme estuary.
- 1942 - The British Pacific War Council in London recommends that no more reinforcements be sent to the Netherlands East Indies, but that the existing garrison stay and fight the Japanese.
- 1942 - The Australian War Cabinet approves the production of 100 improved Wirraway aircraft.
- 1942 - (to February 19) Battle of Lombok Strait: Allies damage two Japanese destroyers and one transport; Japanese sink a Dutch destroyer and damage a light cruiser.
- 1944 - The US naval task force completes the neutralization of the Japanese base at Truk.
- 1944 - Soviet forces take control of Nikopol, with its manganese mines.
- 1946 - Australia issues three postage stamps celebrating peace at the end of World War II.
- 1953 - Hungary issues two postage stamps marking the 10th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad.
- 1999 - The United States issues a 33-cent postage stamp depicting World War II, as part of its series on memories of the 1940s.
- 2009 - Servers for NCSoft's Tabula Rasa are shut down.
- 1753 - Eleven days (February 18 to March 1) are removed from the calendar, to bring Sweden in line with the rest of Europe. The Julian lunar calendar is replaced with the Gregorian calendar based on the solar year.
- 1960 - (to February 28) The 8th Olympic Winter Games are held in Squaw Valley, California, USA. Sweden wins 3 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals.
- 2009 - The Royal Canadian Mint issues three 2009 $75 14-karat gold Olympic coins, the final three coins of a nine-coin series. Designs and designers are wolf (Arnold Nogy), moose (Kerri Burnett), and spirit of Olympic competition (Shelagh Armstrong). Each coin is 12 grams, with 27mm diameter; price is $433.95 each; mintage limit is 8000 each.
- 2009 - The Royal Canadian Mint issues the 2009 Special Edition Uncirculated Set, with circulating 1-cent through $2 coins plus the three different 25-cent Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games circulating coins. Mintage limit is 30,000; price is $23.95.
- 2010 - The US Mint launches the 2010 Millard Fillmore Presidential dollar in Moravia, New York.
- 1899 - Stanley Cup of hockey: Montréal Shamrocks sweep Queens University (Kingston Ontario) in two games.
- 1909 - Boston Red Sox trade Cy Young, at age 41, to Cleveland Naps.
- 1919 - Cy Denneny of NHL Ottawa Senators scores record 52nd goal.
- 1922 - Kenesaw Mountain Landis resigns his judgeship to work for baseball.
- 1924 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Theresa Weld Blanchard.
- 1924 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Sherwin Badger.
- 1932 - Sonja Henie wins her 6th straight World Women's figure skating title.
- 1936 - NHL record 62 points scored in a game, New York Americans (28) and Montréal Maroons (24).
- 1943 - William D Cox buys Philadelphia Phillies.
- 1944 - Cincinnati Reds sign youngest baseball player, 15-year-old Joe Nuxhall.
- 1951 - Three City College of New York basketball players admit to accepting bribes.
- 1960 - (to February 28) The VIII Olympic Winter Games are held in Squaw Valley, California, USA.
- 1960 - Walter O'Malley, Los Angeles Dodgers' owner, purchases Chavez Ravine for US$494,000.
- 1962 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Saint Petersburg Golf Open.
- 1965 - Frank Gifford announces his retirement from football for broadcasting.
- 1967 - Bob Seagren sets pole vault record at 17 feet 3 inches.
- 1967 - Softball pitcher Eddie Feigner strikes out six straight major league players.
- 1968 - X Olympic Winter Games close at Grenoble, France.
- 1969 - Doug Walters scores second innings century after 242 in first.
- 1973 - Belgian Emile Puttemans runs 3000 metre indoor record 7:39.2.
- 1973 - Sandra Palmer wins LPGA Pompano Beach Golf Classic.
- 1977 - Test Cricket debuts of Colin Croft and Joel Garner versus Pakistan Bridgetown.
- 1978 - First Iron Man Triathlon (swim, bike ride, marathon) held, Kona, Hawaii.
- 1979 - Amy Alcott wins LPGA Elizabeth Arden Golf Classic.
- 1986 - San Antonio Spurs' Alvin Robertson scores NBA second quadruple double-20 points, 11 rebounds, ten assists and ten steals against Phoenix Suns.
- 1989 - Sherri Turner wins LPGA Orix Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open/Itoki Pro-Am.
- 1990 - Jane Crafter wins LPGA Phar-Mor at Inverrary Golf Tournament.
- 1991 - Edmonton Oilers' goalie Grant Fuhr returns to NHL after season-long suspension for substance abuse and shuts out New Jersey Devils 4-0.
- 1994 - Dan Jansen skates world record 1000 metre (1:12.43).
- 1994 - Shreveport Pirates join Canadian Football League as fourth US team.
- 1995 - Angela Kennedy swims world record 100 metre butterfly.
- 1995 - Barb Thomas Whitehead wins Cup o' Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open.
- 1995 - Warnecke swims world record 50 metre freestyle.
- 1996 - Tendulkar scores 127 in India's Cricket World Cup win over Kenya.
- 1998 - New York Rangers fire head coach Colin Campbell.
- 2009 - Meseret Defar of Ethiopia breaks the world indoor record in the women's 5,000-metres at the GE Gala meet in Stockholm, Sweden, covering the distance in a time of 14:24.37.
- 2022 - At T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, NHL regular season game: Los Angeles Kings beats Vegas Golden Knights by score 4-3.
- 2022 - At United Center in Chicago, Illinois, USA, NHL regular season game: Dallas Stars beats Chicago Blackhawks by score 1-0.
- 2022 - At Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, NHL regular season game: Florida Panthers beats Minnesota Wild by score 6-2.
- 2022 - At PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, NHL regular season game: Carolina Hurricanes beats Nashville Predators by score 5-3.
- 1930 - US astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovers planet Pluto.
- 1974 - NASA launches Italian satellite San Marcos C-2 (235/843 km).
- 1979 - NASA launches space vehicle S-202.
- 2008 - Space shuttle Atlantis departs from the International Space Station, after delivering a European laboratory.
- 2021 - NASA's Mars 2020 mission (containing the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter drone) lands on Mars at Jezero Crater, after seven months of travel.
- 1828 - More than 100 vessels are destroyed in a storm, at Gibraltar.
- 1979 - -52 degrees F (-47 degrees C), Old Forge, New York (state record).
- 1979 - The African Sahara Desert experiences snow for 30 minutes.
- 2022 - Wind gust of 196 km/h recorded on Isle of Wight, highest wind speed ever recorded in England.
- 1804 - First US land-grant college is chartered, Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
- 1804 - New Jersey Legislature charters the first bank in the state.
- 1815 - Treaty of peace between USA and Great Britain proclaimed.
- 1834 - First US labor newspaper, The Man, is published, in New York City, New York.
- 1841 - First continuous filibuster in US Senate begins, lasting until March 11.
- 1849 - First regular steamboat service to San Francisco, California starts: gold rush prospectors from east coast.
- 1864 - Central Pacific Railroad Company completes section of track from Sacramentto to Roseville, California.
- 1865 - Battle of Fort Moultrie, South Carolina; occupied by Federals.
- 1865 - Evacuation of Charleston, South Carolina; USA Army General Tecumseh Sherman's troops burn the city.
- 1865 - US troops force Confederates to abandon Fort Anderson, North Carolina.
- 1896 - Cave of Winds at Niagara Falls goes almost dry for first time in 50 years.
- 1899 - San Francisco named as a port of dispatch for Army transports.
- 1924 - US Minister of Marine Edwin Denby ends term due to Teapot Dome-scandal.
- 1927 - US and Canada begin diplomatic relations.
- 1939 - Golden Gate International Exposition opens on Treasure Island, San Francisco, California.
- 1947 - 24 die in a train crash in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania.
- 1952 - In Los Angeles, California, the 4th Annual Emmy Awards are presented, hosted by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
- Best Actor: Sid Caesar
- Best Actress: Imogene Coca
- Best Comedian or Comedienne: Red Skelton
- Best Comedy Show: The Red Skelton Show
- Best Dramatic Show: Robert Montgomery Presents
- Best Variety Show: Your Show of Shows
- Most Outstanding Personality: Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.
- 1953 - Premiere of first 3-D feature film - Bwana Devil (New York City, New York).
- 1968 - 10,000 demonstrators against US in Vietnam War in West Berlin.
- 1970 - US President Richard Nixon launches "Nixon-doctrine".
- 1972 - California Supreme Court abolishes death penalty.
- 1974 - NASA launches Italian satellite San Marcos C-2 (235/843 km).
- 1974 - US ambassador to India Daniel Moynihan presents US$2,046,700,000 check.
- 1979 - -52 degrees F (-47 degrees C), Old Forge, New York (state record).
- 1983 - Thirteen people are killed in an attempted robbery in Seattle, Washington.
- 1988 - Anthony M Kennedy sworn in as US Supreme Court Justice.
- 1992 - In New Hampshire, U.S. President George H.W. Bush defeats Pat Buchanan in the Republican primary; Paul Tsongas leads the Democratic candidates.
- 1995 - Disney releases the film The Lion King on videocassette in the US, for US$26.99.
- 1998 - Two white separatists are arrested in Nevada, accused of plotting biological warfare on New York City subways.
- 2001 - NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt is killed instantly in a crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500 while his DEI cars driven by his son, Dale Earnhardt Junior, and Michael Waltrip, finish second and first, respectively.
- 2001 - FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested and charged with spying for Russia for 15 years.
- 2008 - Europe's major powers and the United States recognize the independence of Kosovo.
- 2008 - Space shuttle Atlantis departs from the International Space Station, after delivering a European laboratory.
- 2010 - A single-engine Piper Cherokee plane crashes into a seven-storey office building in Austin, Texas, killing pilot Joseph Andrew Stack and one person in the building. The pilot left a long suicide note expressing his anger at federal tax authorities.
- 2020 - The Boy Scouts of America files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- 2021 - NASA's Mars 2020 mission (containing the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter drone) lands on Mars at Jezero Crater, after seven months of travel.
Other history:
- 1980 - Pierre Elliott Trudeau's Liberal Party wins Canada's elections.
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