today.nukz.net: Almanac August 18

Virginia Dare (born August 18, 1587, date of death unknown) was the first child born in the Americas to English parents, Eleanor (also Ellinor or Elyonor) and Ananias Dare. She was born into the short-lived Roanoke Colony in what is now North Carolina, US. What became of Virginia and the other colonists remains a mystery. The fact of her birth is known because the governor of the settlement, Virginia Dare's grandfather, John White, returned to England in 1587 to seek fresh supplies. When White eventually returned three years later, Virginia and the other colonists were gone.

During the past four hundred years, Virginia Dare has become a prominent figure in American myth and folklore, symbolizing different things to different groups of people. She has been featured as a main character in books, poems, songs, comic books, television programs and films. Her name has been used to sell different types of goods, from vanilla products to wine and spirits. Many places in North Carolina and elsewhere in the Southern United States have been named in her honor.

Events

1572 – Marriage in Paris of the Huguenot King Henry IV of Navarre to Marguerite de Valois, in a supposed attempt to reconcile Protestants and Catholics.
1587 – Virginia Dare, granddaughter of governor John White of the Colony of Roanoke, becomes the first English child born in the Americas.
1590 – John White, the governor of the Colony of Roanoke, returns from a supply trip to England and finds his settlement deserted.
1634 – Urbain Grandier, accused and convicted of sorcery, is burned alive in Loudun, France.
1783 – A huge fireball meteor is seen across the United Kingdom as it passes over the east coast.
1838 – The Wilkes Expedition, which would explore the Puget Sound and Antarctica, weighs anchor at Hampton Roads in 1838
1848 – Camila O'Gorman and Ladislao Gutierrez are executed on the orders of Argentine dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas.
1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Globe Tavern – Union forces try to cut a vital Confederate supply-line into Petersburg, Virginia, by attacking the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.
1868 – French astronomer Pierre Jules César Janssen discovers helium.
1870 – Franco-Prussian War: Battle of Gravelotte is fought.
1877 – Asaph Hall discovers Martian moon Phobos.
1891 – Major hurricane strikes Martinique, leaving 700 dead.
1903 – German engineer Karl Jatho allegedly flies his self-made, motored gliding airplane four months before the first flight of the Wright Brothers.
1917 – A Great Fire in Thessaloniki, Greece destroys 32% of the city leaving 70,000 individuals homeless.
1920 – The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing women's suffrage.
1938 – The Thousand Islands Bridge, connecting New York State, United States with Ontario, Canada over the St. Lawrence River, is dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
1942 – A group of freedom fighter of Sherpur hoisted the Tricoloure at Mohammadabad Tehsil,Ghazipur, India
1948 – The Australian cricket team completed a 4–0 Ashes series win over England during their undefeated Invincibles tour.
1950 – Julien Lahaut, the chairman of the Communist Party of Belgium is assassinated by far-right elements.
1958 – Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in the United States.
1958 – Brojen Das from Bangladesh swims across the English Channel in a competition, as the first Bangali as well as the first Asian to ever do it. He became first among 39 competitors.
1963 – American civil rights movement: James Meredith becomes the first black person to graduate from the University of Mississippi.
1965 – Vietnam War: Operation Starlite begins – United States Marines destroy a Viet Cong stronghold on the Van Tuong peninsula in the first major American ground battle of the war.
1966 – Vietnam War: the Battle of Long Tan ensues after a patrol from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment clashes with a Viet Cong force in Phuoc Tuy Province.
1971 – Vietnam War: Australia and New Zealand decide to withdraw their troops from Vietnam.
1976 – In the Korean Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjeom, the Axe Murder Incident results in the death of two US soldiers.
1977 – Steve Biko is arrested at a police roadblock under the Terrorism Act No 83 of 1967 in King William's Town, South Africa. He would later die of the injuries sustained during this arrest bringing attention to South Africa's apartheid policies.
1983 – Hurricane Alicia hits the Texas coast, killing 22 people and causing over USD $1 billion in damage (1983 dollars).
1989 – Leading presidential hopeful Luis Carlos Galán is assassinated near Bogotá in Colombia.
2005 – A Massive power blackout hits the Indonesian island of Java, affecting almost 100 million people, the largest and most widespread power outage in history.
2008 – President of Pakistan Pervez Musharaf resigns due to the threat of impeachment.

Births

1414 – Jami, Persian poet (d. 1492)
1450 – Marko Marulic, Croatian poet (d. 1524)
1579 – Charlotte Flandrina of Nassau, Dutch nun (d. 1640)
1587 – Virginia Dare, first English child born in North America
1596 – Jean Bolland, Flemish writer (d. 1665)
1605 – Henry Hammond, English churchman (d. 1660)
1606 – Maria Anna of Spain, Queen of Hungary (d. 1646)
1611 – Ludwika Maria Gonzaga, Queen of Poland (d. 1650)
1657 – Ferdinando Galli-Bibiena, Italian architect (d. 1743)
1685 – Brook Taylor, English mathematician (d. 1731)
1692 – Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon, Prime Minister of France (d. 1740)
1700 – Baji Rao I, Peshwa of India (d. 1740)
1720 – Laurence Shirley, 4th Earl Ferrers, English murderer (d. 1760)
1750 – Antonio Salieri, Italian composer (d. 1825)
1754 – François, marquis de Chasseloup-Laubat, French general (d. 1833)
1774 – Meriwether Lewis, American explorer (d. 1809)
1792 – John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1878)
1803 – Nathan Clifford, U.S. Supreme Court justice (d. 1881)
1819 – Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna, Duchess of Leuchtenberg (d. 1876)
1822 – Isaac P. Rodman, American Union general (d. 1862)
1830 – Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria (d. 1916)
1834 – Marshall Field, American retailer(d. 1906)
1841 – William Halford, American naval officer (d. 1919)
1855 – Alfred Wallis, English artist and mariner (d. 1942)
1857 – Libert H. Boeynaems, Belgian prelate (d. 1926)
1870 – Hugh Bromley-Davenport, England cricketer (d. 1954)
1870 – Lavr Georgevich Kornilov, Russian general (d. 1918)
1872 – Adolf Schmal, Austrian fencer and cyclist (d. 1919)
1879 – Aleksandr Rodzyanko, Russian general (d. 1970)
1882 – Herman Groman, American athlete (d. 1954)
1883 – Sidney Hatch, American athlete (d. 1966)
1885 – Nettie Palmer, Australian poet and essayist (d. 1964)
1886 – Charles Bartliff, American soccer player (d. 1962)
1890 – Walther Funk, German Nazi politician (d. 1960)
1893 – Ernest MacMillan, Canadian musician (d. 1973)
1893 – Burleigh Grimes, American baseball player (d. 1985)
1896 – Jack Pickford, Canadian-born actor (d. 1933)
1900 – Glenn Albert Black, American archaeologist (d. 1964)
1902 – Adamson-Eric, Estonian painter (d. 1968)
1902 – Margaret Murie, American conservationist, naturalist, and author (d. 2003)
1903 – Lucienne Boyer, French singer (d. 1983)
1904 – Max Factor, Polish-born cosmetics entrepreneur (d. 1996)
1906 – Marcel Carné, French film director (d. 1996)
1908 – Edgar Faure, French politician and historian (d. 1988)
1908 – Bill Merritt, New Zealand cricketer (d. 1977)
1909 – Gérard Filion, Canadian businessman and journalist (d. 2005)
1910 – Herman Berlinski, Polish American composer (d. 2001)
1911 – Amelia Boynton Robinson, American civil rights activist
1913 – Romain Maes, Belgian cyclist (d. 1983)
1915 – Max Lanier, baseball player (d. 2007)
1916 – Neagu Djuvara, Romanian diplomat
1916 – Don Keefer, American actor
1916 – Dame Moura Lympany, British pianist (d. 2005)
1917 – Caspar Weinberger, American politician (d. 2006)
1918 – Cisco Houston, American folk singer (d. 1961)
1919 – Walter Joseph Hickel, American politician (d. 2010)
1920 – Bob Kennedy, American baseball player (d. 2005)
1920 – Shelley Winters, American actress (d. 2006)
1920 – Thomas Godfrey Evans, English cricketer (d. 1999)
1921 – Lydia Litvyak, Soviet pilot (d. 1943)
1921 – Zdzislaw Zygulski, Jr., Polish art historian
1922 – Alain Robbe-Grillet, French writer (d. 2008)
1923 – Jenni Irani, Indian cricketer (d. 1982)
1923 – Sadashiv Shinde, Indian cricketer (d. 1955)
1925 – Brian Aldiss, English writer
1925 – Pierre Grondin, Canadian surgeon (d. 2006)
1926 – John P. Finnegan, American actor (d. 2012)
1927 – Rosalynn Carter, First Lady of the United States
1928 – Marge Schott, American baseball team owner (d. 2004)
1929 – Hugues Aufray, French singer
1930 – Liviu Librescu, Israeli professor (d. 2007)
1930 – Bo Hi Pak, Korean church leader
1931 – Bramwell Tillsley, Canadian Salvation Army general
1931 – Dick White, English footballer
1931 – Hans van Mierlo, Dutch politician (d. 2010)
1932 – William R. Bennett, Canadian politician
1932 – Luc Montagnier, French microbiologist, Nobel laureate
1933 – Just Fontaine, French footballer
1933 – Roman Polanski, Polish-born director and actor
1934 – Vincent Bugliosi, American attorney
1934 – Ronnie Carroll, British singer
1934 – Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rican baseball player (d. 1972)
1935 – Rafer Johnson, American athlete
1935 – Howard Morrison, New Zealand entertainer (d. 2009)
1935 – Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of Namibia
1936 – Gulzar, Indian poet, lyricist and director
1936 – Robert Redford, American actor
1938 – Joe Frank, American radio personality
1939 – Harald Heide-Steen Jr., Norwegian actor and comedian (d. 2008)
1939 – Robert Horton, British businessman
1939 – Johnny Preston, American singer (d. 2011)
1940 – Adam Makowicz, Polish-Canadian jazz pianist-composer
1940 – Gil Whitney, American weather forecaster (d. 1982)
1942 – Judith Keppel, English game show contestant
1943 – Sarah Dash, American singer
1943 – Martin Mull, American comedian
1943 – Gianni Rivera, Italian footballer and politician
1943 – Carl Wayne, English singer (d. 2004)
1944 – Robert Hitchcock, Australian Sculptor
1945 – Barbara Harris, American singer (Toys)
1945 – Paula Danziger, Writer of the Amber Brown series (d. 2004)
1948 – Joseph Marcell, British actor
1949 – Dennis Elliott, English drummer, sculptor
1949 – Nigel Griggs, English bassist
1949 – Rudy Hartono, Indonesian badminton player
1952 – Elayne Boosler, American comedian
1952 – Patrick Swayze, American actor (d. 2009)
1952 – Ricky Villa, Argentine former footballer
1953 – Louie Gohmert, American politician
1954 – Angela Dimitriou, Greek singer
1954 – Umberto Guidoni, Italian astronaut
1955 – Bruce Benedict, American baseball player
1955 – Taher ElGamal, Egyptian scientist
1956 – John Debney, American composer
1956 – Sandeep Patil, Indian cricketer
1956 – Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, American musician
1956 – Kelly Willard, American musician
1957 – Carole Bouquet, French actress
1957 – Denis Leary, American comedian and actor
1957 – Ron Strykert, Australian guitarist
1958 – Madeleine Stowe, American actress
1959 – Tom Prichard, American wrestler
1960 – Mike LaValliere, American baseball player
1960 – Fat Lever, American basketball player
1961 – Timothy Geithner, American politician
1961 – Glenn Plummer, American actor
1961 – Birol Ünel, German-Turkish actor
1961 – Bob Woodruff, American journalist, anchor
1962 – Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico
1962 – Geoff Courtnall, Canadian ice hockey player
1963 – Heino Ferch, German actor
1964 – Craig Bierko, American actor
1964 – Edith Frost, American singer/songwriter
1964 – Kenny Walker, American basketball player
1964 – Jim Florentine, American comedian
1965 – Koji Kikkawa, Japanese singer
1965 – Ikue Otani, Japanese actress
1966 – Gustavo Charif, Argentine artist
1966 – Kang Soo-yeon, South Korean actress
1967 – Brian Michael Bendis, American comic-book writer
1967 – Blas Elias, American drummer
1967 – Daler Mehndi, Indian singer
1967 – Dan Peters, American musician
1968 – Lee Seung-yeon, South Korean actress
1969 – Isaac Austin, American basketball player
1969 – Everlast, American musician
1969 – Masta Killa, American rapper
1969 – Mark Kuhlmann, German rugby player
1969 – Edward Norton, American actor
1969 – Christian Slater, American actor
1970 – Jessica Hsuan, Hong Kong actress
1970 – Greg Dean Schmitz, American film journalist
1970 – Malcolm-Jamal Warner, American actor
1971 – Richard D James, Irish musician (Aphex Twin)
1971 – Tom Middleton, British musician
1971 – Jacob Vargas, American actor
1972 – Leo Ku, Hong Kong singer
1972 – Masahiro Nakai, Japanese singer
1972 – Shaun Wilson, Australian artist
1972 – Keiko Yamada, Japanese singer
1973 – Victoria Coren, British writer, presenter
1975 – Kaitlin Olson, American actress
1976 – Paraskevas Antzas, Greek footballer
1976 – Daphnee Duplaix Samuel, American actress and glamor model
1976 – Bryan Volpenhein, American rower
1977 – Régine Chassagne, Canadian musician (Arcade Fire)
1977 – Mizuo Peck American Actress
1978 – Andy Samberg, American comedian
1978 – Luke Williams, Welsh musician
1979 – Stuart Dew, Australian rules footballer
1979 – Mohib Mirza, Pakistani actor
1980 – Esteban Cambiasso, Argentine footballer
1980 – Kieron Davies, Welsh-born German rugby player
1980 – Preeti Jhangiani, Indian actress
1980 – Rob Nguyen, Australian racing driver
1980 – Athina Papayianni, Greek race walker
1980 – Bart Scott, American football player
1980 – Jeremy Shockey, American football player
1981 – César Delgado, Argentine footballer
1981 – Carla Khan, Pakistani squash Player
1981 – Dimitris Salpingidis, Greek footballer
1981 – Jon Schneck, American musician (Relient K)
1983 – Kris Boyd, Scottish footballer
1983 – Danny!, American record producer and musician
1983 – Mika, Lebanese/British musician
1983 – Michael Montgomery, American football player
1983 – Cameron White, Australian cricketer
1984 – Robert Huth, German footballer
1984 – Sigourney Bandjar, Dutch footballer
1985 – Julen Goikoetxea, Spanish Basque cyclist (d. 2006)
1985 – Inge Dekker, Dutch swimmer
1985 – Bryan Ruiz, Costa Rican footballer
1986 – Ross McCormack, Scottish footballer
1987 – Mika Boorem, American actress
1988 – G-Dragon, South Korean musician (Big Bang)
1988 – Jack Hobbs, English footballer
1988 – Eggert Jónsson, Icelandic footballer
1988 – Luke Jackson, English author
1988 – Siri Tollerød, Norwegian model
1992 – Elizabeth Beisel, American swimmer
1992 – Riko Narumi, Japanese actress
1994 – Jessie Flower, American voice actress