What Happened On This Day ? March 18
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1990
East Germany holds its first and only free parliamentary elections
The election was held between the peaceful revolution leading to the demise of the German Democratic Republic in 1989 and the German reunification in 1990.
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1971
A 100 feet (30 meter) high wave destroys a Peruvian mining camp and kills hundreds of people
The tsunami was caused by a massive rock avalanche that crashed into Lake Yanahuani from a height of 1300 feet (400 meters).
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1965
Russian cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to walk in space
During the tethered spacewalk, which lasted 12 minutes, Leonov ventured up to 10 meters from his spacecraft, Voskhod 2.
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1962
The Evian Accords are signed, ending the Algerian War
Algeria gained its independence from France as a consequence.
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1892
Lord Stanley of Preston pledges to donate a challenge cup for the best ice hockey team in Canada
Today, the Stanley Cup is the world's most prestigious ice hockey trophy.
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1981
Fabian Cancellara
Swiss cyclist
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1932
John Updike
American author, poet, critic
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1869
Neville Chamberlain
English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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1844
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Russian composer
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1837
Grover Cleveland
American lawyer, politician, 22nd President of the United States
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1936
Eleftherios Venizelos
Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece
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1913
George I of Greece
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1745
Robert Walpole
English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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1314
Jacques de Molay
Frankish knight
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978
Edward the Martyr
English king