OCTOBER 18 | Birthdays and Events

Notable Birthdays for October 18

Frederick August Otto Schwarz (1836-1911) - Founded of the toy chain FAO Schwarz.

Charles Scribner (1854-1930) - Magazine, book publisher, and founder of the Scribner's Publishing House.

Logan Pearsall Smith (1865-1946) - Author and critic who was said to be an authority on correct English language usage.

Florence Walrath (1877-1958) - Founder of the adoption agency The Cradle.

James Truslow Adams (1878-1949) - Author and historian who gets credit for making the phrase American Dream popular.

Bob Custer (1898-1974) - Silent film actor of the The Fighting Hombre and The Law of the Wild.

Ambrose Thibodeaux (1903-1995) - Cajun accordionist known as Ambrose Sam.

James Brooks (1906-1992) - Painter of the Acquisition of Long Island.

Evelyn Venable (1913-1993) - Actress with roles in Death Takes a Holiday and also the model for the Columbia Pictures logo.

Bobby Troup (1918-1999) - Composer of the Route 66 music.

Chuck Berry (1926-2017) - Rock-n-roll icon.

George C. Scott (1927-1999) - Actor known for his role as Patton and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

Irwin M. Jacobs (1933-Still Living) - Co-founder of the technology company Qualcomm.
John B. Coleman (1935-Still Living) - Owner of the Ritz Carlton.

Peter Boyle (1935-2006) - Actor known as Frank in Everybody Loves Raymond.

Dawn Wells (1938-2020) - Former Miss Nevada 1959 and actress best known for her role as Mary Ann in Gilligan's Island.

Cynthia Weil (1940 -2023) - Songwriter whose credits include We Got Get Out Of This Place and You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin.

H.B. "Toby" Halicki (1940-1989) - Stunt driver in Gone In 60 Seconds.

Ntozake Shange (1948-2018) - Author, poet, and playwright of For Colored Girls.

Gary Richrath (1949-2015) - Former guitarist for REO Speedwagon.

Arliss Howard (1954-Still Living) - Actor known for his roles in Full Metal Jacket, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Moneyball.

Erin Moran (1960-2017) - Actress known as the little sister Joanie in Happy Days.

Vincent Spano (1962-Still Living) - The Black Stallion Returns and Lone Rider actor.

Eric Stuart (1967-Still Living) - Voice actor known for his voice of Brock and James in Pokémon.

Rachel Nichols (1973-Still Living) - Successful female sportscaster in multiple sports, including basketball, football, and baseball.

Zac Efron (1987-Still Living) - Actor best known as Troy in the High School Musical trilogy.

Bristol Palin (1990-Still Living) - Public speaker, reality television personality, and oldest daughter of Sarah Palin.

John John Florence (1992-Still Living) - Professional surfer and world title winner.

Memorable Events for October 18

1564 - Slave trader John Hawkins begins second trip to America.

1648 - The first labor organization, the Boston Shoemakers, forms in the colonies.

1767 - The Mason–Dixon line is agreed upon between Maryland and Pennsylvania.

1775 - Black poet Phillis Wheatley is freed from slavery.

1776 - The word "cocktail" is created after a patron requested a glassful of colorful bird tails as a joke.

1805 - The first women's charitable organization is formed as the Female Charitable Society.

1867 - The U.S. purchase Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million.

1873 - Princeton and Yale set rules for college football.

1878 - Thomas Edison invents electricity for households.

1892 - The first long-distance phone line opens between Chicago and New York.

1912 - Black boxer Jack Johnson is arrested for his relationship with a white woman and charged for "transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes" under the Mann Act.

1921 - Charles Strite patents the pop-up toaster.

1944 - Allied generals Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley and Bernard Montgomery meet on an airfield to discuss supplies during WWII.

1954 - Texas Instruments Inc. announces the first transistor radio.

1955 - Jesse Owens is named the all-time track athlete by Track & Field magazine.

1955 - Physicists Emilio Segrè and Owen Chamberlain discover the antiparticle of the proton.

1967 - Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book film is released.

1968 - Circus Circus hotel opens in Las Vegas.

1969 - Cyclamates artificial sweeteners are banned by the U.S. government.

1973 - Congress authorizes the bicentennial quarter, half-dollar and dollar coin.

2016 - U.S. White House accuses Russia of email hacking and attempts to influence U.S. election.
2019 - An all-female spacewalk by NASA astronauts for the first time in history.

2022 - Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donates $84 million to Girl Scouts of the USA.