January 18 belongs to Marta Gutiérrez
Historical events & facts — January 18
What happened on January 18?
On January 18, 1871, in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, King Wilhelm I of Prussia was proclaimed Kaiser of the new unified German Empire, humiliating France in its own palace during the Franco-Prussian War. The founding of the German Reich reconfigured Europe's power map and planted the seeds of the conflicts that would devastate the twentieth century.
On January 18, 1919, the Paris Peace Conference opened, at which the victors of World War I would negotiate the peace treaties that would redraw the map of Europe. The negotiations, dominated by Wilson, Lloyd George and Clemenceau, produced the Treaty of Versailles that imposed on Germany the harsh conditions that many historians identify as a cause of Nazism.
On January 18, 1778, English explorer James Cook became the first European to sight the Hawaiian archipelago, which he named the "Sandwich Islands" after the earl who sponsored him. Cook landed and was received hospitably by the native Hawaiians. Paradoxically, he was killed by Hawaiians in that same place a year later, during his third visit.
Notable birthdays — January 18
Famous people born on January 18
Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster
Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, was an Italian Catholic prelate and professed member of the Benedictines who served as the Archbishop of Milan from 1929 until his death. He took the religious name of Ildefonso as a Benedictine monk and served as an abbot prior to his elevation to the cardinalate.
Vassilis Tsitsanis
Vassilis Tsitsanis was a Greek songwriter and bouzouki player. He became one of the leading Greek composers of his time and is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern Rebetiko and Laiko music. Tsitsanis wrote more than 500 songs and is still remembered as an extraordinary composer and bouzouki player.
Frank McMullen
Raymond Frank McMullen was a New Zealand rugby union player and referee. A centre and wing three-quarter, McMullen represented Auckland at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1957 to 1960. He played 29 matches for the All Blacks including 11 internationals.
David Ruffin
David Eli Ruffin was an American soul singer most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–1968) during the group's "Classic Five" period as it was later known. Ruffin was the lead voice on such famous songs as "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg". He later scored two top 10 singles as a solo artist, "My Whole World Ended " and "Walk Away from Love".
Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano , also known as Beat Takeshi in Japan, is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host.
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