On This Day in History December 18, 2022

Historical Events 1271  Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan" (元 yuán), marking the start of the Yuan Dynasty of China 1603  First fleet of the Dutch East India Company under Admiral Steven van der Haghen departs for the East-Indies 1642  Abel Tasman's expedition sails around Farewell Spit and into Golden Bay, first sighting local Māori in New Zealand 1917  The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution, authorizing prohibition of alcohol, is approved by the US congress and sent to the states for ratification 1957  World's 1st full scale nuclear power plant, for peacetime use only, begins to generate electricity at the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania 1979  Stanley Barrett 1st to exceed land sonic speed (739.666 MPH) 2019  US House of Representatives votes to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power (230-197) and obstruction of Congress (229-198) More Historical Events Famous Birthdays Billie Eilish 21st Birthday Franz Ferdinand 1863 - 1914 Joseph Stalin 1878 - 1953 Keith Richards 79th Birthday More Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths Joseph Barbera 1911 - 2006 Václav Havel 1936 - 2011 More Famous Deaths December 18: The Face that Launched a Thousand Quips... The greatest and most famous clown of them all, and by whose name, Joey, all circus clowns became known, was born on this day, December 18, 1778. Read the Article