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NOVEMBER 18 | Birthdays and Events

4 min. read
November 15, 2024 7:06 pm CST

Notable Birthdays for November 18

  • Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) - Black abolitionist and civil rights activist.

  • Asa Gray (1810-1888) Botanist who studied flora and North America.

  • Frances Marion (1888-1973) - One of the greatest screenwriters of the 20th century. 

  • George Gallup (1901-1984) - American statistician

  • George Wald (1906-1997) - Biologist who discovered vitamin A in retina.

  • Johnny Mercer (1909-1976) - Co-founder of Capitol Records. 

  • Arthur Peterson (1912-1996) - Actor remembered for his roles in Soap and Mission: Impossible. Peterson is also a native of Mandan, ND, home of National Day Calendar.

  • Jocelyn Brando (1919-2005) - Actress known for her role as Katie Bannion in The Big Heat and the sister of Marlon Brando.

  • Marjorie Gestring (1922-1992) - 13 year old Olympic gold medalist for springboard diving.

  • Mickey Mouse (1928-Still Living) - The Disney cartoon character is born.

  • John O'Keefe (1939-Still Living) - Neuroscientist who discovered place cells.

  • Susan Sullivan (1942-Still Living) - Actress known for her roles in Dharma & Greg and Falcon Crest.

  • Linda Evans (1942-Still Living) - Actress known for her roles in Dynasty and Big Valley.

  • Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010) - The first woman tribal chief of the Cherokee Nation.

  • Michael Carabello (1947-Still Living) - Percussionist for the band Santana.

  • Jan Kuehnemund (1953-2013) - Founder of the female rock band Vixen.

  • Kevin Nealon (1953-Still Living) - Former comedian on Saturday Night Live.

  • Jim Weirich (1956-2014) - Computer scientist who developed the Rake Software.

  • Kirk Hammett (1962-Still Living) - Guitarist for the band Metallica.

  • Owen Wilson (1968-Still Living) - Actor known for her roles in The Royal Tenenbaums, Meet the Parents, and Wedding Crashers.

  • Mike Epps (1970-Still Living) - Actor who played Day-Day in Next Friday and Friday After Next.

  • Megyn Kelly (1970-Still Living) - Journalist and host of The Megan Kelly Show.

  • Chloë Sevigny (1974-Still Living) - Actress known for her role in the HBO series Big Love and most recently Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

  • Justin Knapp (1982-Still Living) - Wikipedia editor.

Memorable Events for November 18

1861 - The first meeting of the Confederate Congress is held VA.

1865 - Mark Twain publishes The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County in The NY Saturday Press.

1872 - Susan B. Anthony, along with 14 other women, are arrested for voting illegally for President.

1883 - American and Canadian railroads implement continental time zones.

1902 - Toymaker Morris Michtom names the teddy bear after President Teddy Roosevelt.

1913 - American pilot Lincoln Deachey performs the first aircraft loop-the-loop.

1917 - The Jewish high school fraternity Sigma Alpha Rho is founded in Philadelphia.

1928 - Steamboat Willie is released as the first sound cartoon.

1949 - MLB player Jackie Robinson wins the National League MVP.

1961  - President Kennedy sends 18,000 troops to South Vietnam.

1963 - The first push-button telephone goes into service in PA.

1964 - J. Edgar Hoover calls Martin Luther King Jr. a "most notorious liar."

1966 - The U.S. Roman Catholic bishops ends the rule against eating meat on Fridays.

1970 - President Nixon asks Congress for $155 million in aid for the Cambodian government.

1970 - Scientist Linus Pauling declares large doses of Vitamin C could ward off colds. 

1985 - Calvin and Hobbes is published for the first time in 10 newspapers.

1999 - A bonfire collapses and kills 12 students at Texas A&M University

2021 - US judge exonerates Muhammad Abdul Aziz and Khalil Islam for the killing of Malcolm X in 1965.