April 18

[john_uk]

* 1025 - Boles[ch322]aw I the Brave was crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland.
   
* 1506 - Construction of the current Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, to replace the old Saint Peter's Basilica built in the 4th century, began.

* 1906 - A major earthquake and subsequent fires devastated San Francisco, California, killing at least 3,000 and leaving more than half of the city's population homeless.

* 1947 - In the largest non-nuclear single explosive detonation in history, the Royal Navy set off 6,800 tonnes of surplus ammunition in an attempt to destroy Heligoland, Germany.
   
* 1980 - Rhodesia became the Republic of Zimbabwe, with Canaan Banana as the country's inaugural President and Robert Mugabe as the first Prime Minister.

[H]

1521 - Martin Luther defied the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, refusing to recant his writings.

1775 - Paul Revere and William Dawes began the famous ride from Charlestown to Lexington, Massachusetts,
          to warn American revolutionaries that the British were coming.

1923 - The first game was played at Yankee Stadium in New York City; the Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-1.

1942 - Mainland Japan was bombed for the first time World War II (they could do little about it).

[Ijineda]

[quote]

* 1947 - In the largest non-nuclear single explosive detonation in history, the Royal Navy set off 6,800 tonnes of surplus ammunition in an attempt to destroy Heligoland, Germany.

[ATI_7500]

What? The tommys tried to destroy Heligoland? We really should have invaded them and destroyed their island seven years earlier...