On This Day - What Happened On August 18 - Encyclopedia Britannica

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1920 Nineteenth Amendment ratified On this day in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified after Tennessee—by just one vote—became the 36th state to approve it, capping the 72-year fight to win women the right to vote in the United States. Take our quiz about the Nineteenth Amendment and women's suffrage Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital file no. 00037)

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Virginia Dare English colonist bornAugust 18, 1587Roanoke Island, VirginiadiedNone© North Wind Picture Archives 1969 Edward Norton American actor 1952 Patrick Swayze American actor and dancer 1936 Robert Redford American actor and director 1933 Roman Polanski Polish film director 1830 Franz Joseph emperor of Austria-Hungary See All Biographies On This Day SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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2008 Facing possible impeachment, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf resigned from office. Test your knowledge of world governments and their leaders© Stocklight/Shutterstock.com 1992 American basketball player Larry Bird—who led the Boston Celtics to three NBA championships (1981, 1984, and 1986) and is considered one of the greatest pure shooters of all time—announced his retirement. How much do you know about basketball?Focus on Sports 1969 The Woodstock Music and Art Fair—a legendary rock festival near Bethel, New York, that attracted some 400,000 fans—ended. Test your knowledge of rock and roll© Blank Archives/Archive Photos—Getty Images 1958 Russian-born American author Vladimir Nabokov published his controversial novel Lolita, about a middle-aged man who becomes obsessed with a 12-year-old girl. Take our quiz about famous novelsSNAP/Shutterstock.com 1936 American actor and director Robert Redford, who was known for the diversity of his screen characterizations as well as his commitment to environmental and political causes, was born. Test your knowledge of actors and acting© 1972 Warner Brothers, Inc. 1936 Federico García Lorca, who is widely considered the most important Spanish poet and playwright of the 20th century, was murdered (this day or August 19) by Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War. Take our theatre quizRafael Jauregui/AGE fotostock 1934 Roberto Clemente, one of the first Latin American baseball stars in the United States, was born in Puerto Rico. How much do you know about baseball?UPI/Bettmann Archive 1900 Indian political leader Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, one of the world's leading women in public life in the 20th century, was born in Allahabad. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about IndiaKeystone/FPG 1896 According to lore, more than 200 outlaws from regional gangs gathered at Brown's Hole in the American West, where Butch Cassidy proposed to organize a Train Robbers' Syndicate, which became familiarly known as the Wild Bunch. Take our criminality and famous outlaws quizLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital File Number: LC-DIG-ppmsca-10772) 1786 The city of Reykjavík was designated the administrative capital of Iceland. Test your knowledge of world capitals© Frans Blok/Dreamstime.com 1572 Henry, prince of Béarn (later Henry IV of France), married Margaret of Valois of the French royal house. How much do you know about French history?Archivo Iconografico, S.A./Corbis 1477 Mary of Burgundy married Archduke Maximilian, son of the Habsburg emperor Ferdinand III.Archivo Iconografico, S.A./Corbis 1227 Genghis Khan—a warrior and ruler of genius who, starting from obscure and insignificant beginnings, brought all the nomadic tribes of Mongolia into a rigidly disciplined military state—died at age 65. Watch a video that answers five major questions about Genghis Khan© GL Archive/Alamy