On This Day: What happened on 18 November?

Here’s a look at what happened on this day, 18 November, throughout history. We remember the news, events, and people that influenced the course of history forever.

ON THIS DAY: 18 NOVEMBER

NEWS

1949 | In Nigeria, police supervised by the British colonial administration shot dead 21 miners and wounded 51 after the Enugu coal miners went on strike because their wages were being withheld.

1988 | Zimbabwe police arrest intelligence officers Kevin Woods, Michael Smith, and Philip Conjwayo. They bombed and killed a driver who was transporting a bomb and also injured ANC members. The trio was sentenced to death but this was changed to life in prison.

1932 | A female English aviator, Amy Johnson, lands in Cape Town in record time. She is the first female aviator to fly alone from Britain to Australia. 

1988 | The Big Three, Popo Molefe, Patrick Lekota, and Moses (Moss) Chikane, were found guilty of being disloyal to the South African government. They planned to remove the government from power forcibly.

1993 | A new democratic Constitution in South Africa was approved by the black and white leaders who attended the multiparty Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA).

2007 | The human skeletal remains at Mapungubwe, an Iron Age archaeological site in Limpopo, were reburied. A cleansing ceremony was done first by traditional healers in preparation for the reburial. 

2015 | In Kano, Nigeria,15 people were killed and 100 injured when two female suicide bombers, aged 11 and 18 years old, blow themselves up.

READ: On This Day: What happened on 17 November?

DEATHS

1918 | South African cricketer, Reggie Schwartz dies 

1958 | South African cricketer, Sivert Samuelson dies 

1991 | The president of Czechoslovakia, Gustav Husak dies

BIRTHDAYS

1914 | The mother of South African actress Jana Celliers and a famous painter, Bettie Cilliers-Barnard, is born

1920 | The 77th Egyptian Prime Minister and lawyer, Mustafa Khalil is born

1969 | Ahmed Helmy, Egyptian actor, is born

1973 | South African cricketer and coach, Nic Pothas is born 

1976 | Mona Zaki, Egyptian actress who is married to Ahmed Helmy, is born

SPORT

1995 | SA junior flyweight, Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala wins the WBO Junior Flyweight title when he was playing against Paul Weir in Glasgow.

2005 | Roy Keane announces that he is leaving Manchester United with immediate effect. This was a mutual agreement between the club and him.

2006 | The Springboks lose 21-23 against England at Twickenham Stadium in London.

ENTERTAINMENT

1928 | The first Mickey Mouse sound cartoon by Walt Disney ‘Steamboat Willie’ is released.

1996 | Star Trek: First Contact is released.

2007 | Fergie, Justin Timberlake & Carrie Underwood win at the 34th American Music Awards.

2011 | Mojang a video game developer release the video game ‘Minecraft’.

AFRICA FACT

Mount Kilimanjaro which is located in Tanzania, is a composite volcano with three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. It is also the highest mountain on the continent.