THE WORLD IS BEAUTIFUL

by **Paul** Mon 18 Dec 2023, 7:15 am

This Day in History: December 18

Featured Event

1865

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Thirteenth-Amendment-to-the-Constitution-of-United

Slavery abolished in the United States
On this day in 1865, by proclamation of the U.S. secretary of state, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, outlawing slavery, officially entered into force, having been ratified by the requisite states on December 6.
NARA

More Events On This Day

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Donald-J-Trump-2010

President Donald Trump became the third U.S. president to be impeached by the House of Representatives, which charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.Read about nine American political scandals
:copyright: Helga Esteb/Shutterstock.com
2011
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Vaclav-Havel-2010

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Vaclav-Havel-2010

Czech playwright, poet, and political dissident Václav Havel—who served as president of Czechoslovakia (1989–92) and of the Czech Republic (1993–2003) and had been a prominent participant in the liberal reforms of 1968 (the Prague Spring)—died in Hrádeček, Czech Republic.Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about famous Europeans
:copyright: haak78/Shutterstock.com
1997

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Flag-South-Korea

Kim Dae-Jung was elected president of South Korea, the first opposition leader in that country's history to win that position.Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Korea
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1966
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Dr-Seuss-1957

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Dr-Seuss-1957

The TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, an adaptation of Dr. Seuss's classic children's book, aired for the first time and became a holiday staple.Test your knowledge of classic children's books
New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital File Number: cph 3c16956)
1963
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Brad-Pitt-2008

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Brad-Pitt-2008

American actor Brad Pitt, known for his portrayal of unconventional characters, was born.Take our quiz about A-list actors
:copyright: cinemafestival/Shutterstock.com
1946
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Steven-Spielberg-filming-Jurassic-Park

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Steven-Spielberg-filming-Jurassic-Park

American film director Steven Spielberg—who enjoyed great critical and commercial success with such movies as Jaws (1975), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Schindler's List (1993), and Saving Private Ryan (1998)—was born.How much do you know about the Academy Awards?
:copyright: 1993 Universal Pictures Company, Inc.
1943
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Keith-Richards-Rolling-Stones-1998

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Keith-Richards-Rolling-Stones-1998

British guitarist Keith Richards of the rock band the Rolling Stones was born.Test your knowledge of all things rock 'n' roll
Sven Kaestner/AP Images
1917
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Erich-Ludendorff

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Erich-Ludendorff

German General Erich Ludendorff ordered the consolidation of the country's leading motion-picture studios to form UFA (Universum Film-Aktien Gesellschaft).Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about film
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1913
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Willy-Brandt

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Willy-Brandt

Willy Brandt, leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany from 1964 to 1987, chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from 1969 to 1974, and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1971, was born.Test your knowledge of the Nobel Prize
:copyright: 1966 German Features/German Information Center
1912
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Replica-Piltdown-man-cranium

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Replica-Piltdown-man-cranium

The discovery of fossil remains of Piltdown man, an extinct human species, was announced at a meeting of the Geological Society of London, but the remains were later proved to be a fraud.
:copyright: Bone Clones, www.boneclones.com
1892
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Pyotr-Ilyich-Tchaikovsky-1874

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Pyotr-Ilyich-Tchaikovsky-1874

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker was first presented at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.Take our ballet quiz
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-128254)
1886
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Ty-Cobb

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Ty-Cobb

American baseball player Ty Cobb, an excellent hitter and base runner, was born in Narrows, Georgia.Find out if Ty Cobb made our list of the 10 greatest baseball players of all time
Pictorial Parade
1787

Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * State-flag-New-Jersey-George-Washington-field-1779

New Jersey became the third state admitted to the United States when it ratified the U.S. Constitution.Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about U.S. states
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1737
Britannica On This Day December 18 2023 * Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more * Antonio-Stradivari-workshop