This Day In History : March 18

1989 United States

Discovery 8 Returns to Earth, Completing NASA's 27th Shuttle Mission

On March 18, 1989, NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery completed its STS-29 mission and returned to Earth. The mission involved deploying a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite and conducting various scientific experiments in orbit.

Also on This Day in History March 18

Discover what happened on March 18 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, March 18
  • 1858 Rudolf Diesel

    German engineer who invented the diesel engine

  • 1640 Philippe de la Hire

    French mathematician and astronomer

  • 1868 Maude Abbott

    Canadian physician who was world expert on congenital heart disease

  • 1879 Cluny MacPherson

    Canadian doctor and inventor of the gas mask

  • 1796 Jakob Steiner

    Swiss mathematician and a pioneer in modern synthetic and projective geometry

Deaths on This Day, March 18
  • 1980 Erich Fromm

    German psychologist and psychoanalyst

  • 1989 Harold Jeffreys

    English mathematician and geophysicist who worked on Theory of Probability

  • 1993 Kenneth E. Boulding

    English economist

  • 1980 Ludwig Guttmann

    German-British neurologist and Founder of the Paralympics

  • 1899 Douglas Strutt Galton

    English engineer in Railway

1965

USSR Launches Voskhod 2

On March 18, 1965, the Soviet Union launched the Voskhod 2 spacecraft. This mission included the first-ever spacewalk, marking a major milestone in space exploration. The successful mission demonstrated significant advancements in human spaceflight capabilities
1850

American Express Founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo

On March 18, 1850, Henry Wells and William Fargo established American Express. Initially focusing on express mail services, the company later expanded into financial services, becoming a leading global financial brand.
1965

Aleksei Leonov Becomes First Person to Walk in Space

On March 18, 1965, Russian cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov made history as the first person to walk in space. During the Voskhod 2 mission, Leonov spent 12 minutes outside his spacecraft, pioneering extravehicular activity and showcasing human capability in space exploration.
1990

East Germany Holds First and Only Free Parliamentary Elections

On March 18, 1990, East Germany conducted its first and only free parliamentary elections. This pivotal event marked a significant step towards German reunification, reflecting the democratic aspirations of the East German population amidst the collapse of the Eastern Bloc.
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