What Happened On This Day ? October 18
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2007
Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan
The former Prime Minister of Pakistan and daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the 9th PM of Pakistan, Benazir returned to Pakistan after living 8 years in London and Dubai in a self-imposed exile. Two months later she was assassinated in a bombing while campaigning for the forthcoming elections.
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1998
Jesse Pipeline Explosion in Nigeria Kills Over 200
The oil pipeline, which was owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, was situated just outside the city of Lagos. Over 200 people died in the resulting fire that raged for 6 days before it could be put out.
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1967
First Space Probe to Enter the Atmosphere of Another Planet
The Soviet Probe Venera 4 entered Venus’ atmosphere and sent back information to Earth for about 90 minutes before it lost contact. When Venera 7 landed on Venus a few years later, it became the first probe to land on another planet.
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1867
Alaska Becomes a Part of the United States
US had purchased the large and sparsely populated territory of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. The purchase was not seen as a positive acquirement by many American citizens who believed that adding Alaska to the US’s territory was a waste of taxpayers’ money. Many called the act, Seward's folly after Secretary of State William H. Seward, who was responsible for making the purchase. Alaska was admitted to the Union as a state in 1959. October 18 is annually celebrated as Alaska Day in Alaska.
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1851
Moby Dick is Published for the First Time
The epic written by American novelist, Herman Melville, is about a sailor's obsession with tracking down and killing an elusive whale that took his leg in a previous encounter. The book was published as The Whale in London for the first time and then a month later as Moby Dick in the United States. It is thought to be one of the best works of fiction written in modern times.
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1987
Zac Efron
American actor, singer
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1984
Lindsey Vonn
American skier
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1960
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Belgian martial artist, actor, director
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1921
Jesse Helms
American politician
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1919
Pierre Trudeau
Canadian politician, 15th Prime Minister of Canada
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1973
Leo Strauss
German/American philosopher
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1931
Thomas Edison
American businessman, invented the light bulb, phonograph
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1871
Charles Babbage
English mathematician, engineer, invented the Difference engine
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1744
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
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1541
Margaret Tudor
English wife of James IV of Scotland