December 18

Wednesday 18, 2002:

California Governor Gray Davis announces that the state would face a record budget deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign one month earlier; the budget issue was used to support his 2003 recall from office.

Thursday 18, 1997:

HTML 4.0 is released by the World Wide Web Consortium

Wednesday 18, 1996:

"Ebonics" was declared a language or dialect by the outgoing school board of Oakland, California, whose vote was overturned by the incoming board.

Tuesday 18, 1973:

The Soyuz 13 was launched.

Thursday 18, 1969:

Capital punishment is ended in the United Kingdom

Sunday 18, 1966:

Saturn's moon Epimetheus is discovered by Richard L. Walker, and then lost for 12 years

Saturday 18, 1965:

Japan and South Korea begin formal relations

Monday 18, 1961:

Indonesia invades New Guinea to annex western New Guinea, formerly known as Netherlands New Guinea.

Thursday 18, 1958:

Niger becomes an autonomous state within the French Community on December 4, 1958, after the establishment of the Fifth French Republic. Following full independence on August 3, 1960, however, membership was allowed to lapse.

Saturday 18, 1926:

The Makropulos Affair, an opera by the Czech composer Leoš Janáček, premieres in Brno, the Czech Republic.

Monday 18, 1916:

The Battle of Verdun ends in World War I

Wednesday 18, 1912:

Piltdown Man is "discovered"

Tuesday 18, 1894:

Women in South Australia become the first in Australia to gain the right to vote and to be elected to Parliament.

Monday 18, 1865:

Slavery is abolished in the United States, with the passing of the 13th Amendment

Tuesday 18, 1787:

New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify the United States Constitution

Wednesday 18, 1776:

North Carolina's Constitution is ratified.

Thursday 18, 1642:

Abel Tasman lands at Mohua Golden Bay becoming the first European in New Zealand.

Monday 18, 1352:

Innocent VI is elected Pope.

Thursday 18, -218:

Battle of the Trebia, Hannibal's first great victory over the Roman Republic.

More on December, 18

• People Born on December, 18
• They left us on December, 18