July 18
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Arnulf of Metz, Bruno of Segni, Camillus de Lellis(optional memorial, United States only), Eadburh (or Edburga) of Bicester, Elizabeth Ferard(Church of England), Frederick of Utrecht, Maternus of Milan, Pambo, Philastrius, Symphorosa, Theodosia of Constantinople, July 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A collective feast day in the Christian liturgical calendar honoring multiple saints on July 18, observed by Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican churches.
Constitution Day (Uruguay)
Uruguay observes Constitution Day on July 18 each year to commemorate the adoption of its 1830 constitution.
Nelson Mandela International Day
Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual global observance on July 18 that celebrates Mandela's legacy and encourages community service.
Arnulf of Metz
Feast day honoring Arnulf of Metz, a 7th-century bishop and advisor to the Frankish court, celebrated on July 18.
Bruno of Segni
Feast day for Bruno of Segni, an 11th-century Italian bishop and theologian, observed on July 18.
Camillus de Lellis(optional memorial, United States only)
Optional memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis, patron of the sick and nurses, observed on July 18 in the United States.
Eadburh (or Edburga) of Bicester
Feast day of Eadburh of Bicester, an Anglo-Saxon hermit and noblewoman, celebrated on July 18.
Elizabeth Ferard(Church of England)
Commemoration of Elizabeth Ferard, the first Deaconess in the Church of England, on July 18.
Frederick of Utrecht
Feast day honoring Saint Frederick of Utrecht, a 9th-century bishop and martyr, on July 18.
Events
Battle of the Cremera as part of the Roman–Etruscan Wars. Veii ambushes and defeats the Roman army.
In 477 BC, the Etruscan city of Veii ambushed a Roman army at the Cremera River during the Roman–Etruscan Wars. The sudden attack led to a decisive defeat for Rome's forces.
Roman-Gaulish Wars: Battle of the Allia: A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, leading to the subsequent sacking of Rome.
In 387 BC, a Roman army suffered a catastrophic defeat by a Gaulish force at the Battle of the Allia, leading to the infamous sack of Rome.
Roman–Persian Wars: Emperor Julian arrives at Antioch with a Roman expeditionary force (60,000 men) and stays there for nine months to launch a campaign against the Persian Empire.
In 362 AD, Roman Emperor Julian arrived at Antioch with a 60,000-strong expeditionary force, delaying for nine months to prepare his campaign against the Sasanian Persian Empire.
Sack of Aquileia: After an earlier defeat on the Catalaunian Plains, Attila lays siege to the metropolis of Aquileia and eventually destroys it.
In 452 AD, after defeat at the Catalaunian Plains, Attila the Hun besieged and destroyed the city of Aquileia, marking one of the most brutal sackings of his Italian campaign.
Chinese forces under general Li Shiji besiege the strategic fortress city of Anshi (Liaoning) during the Goguryeo–Tang War.
In 645 AD, Tang general Li Shiji besieged the fortress city of Anshi in modern Liaoning during the Goguryeo–Tang War, a pivotal clash on the Korean frontier.
Battle of Alarcos: Almohad forces defeat the Castilian army of Alfonso VIII and force its retreat to Toledo.
In 1195, Almohad Caliph Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur led his forces to a decisive victory over King Alfonso VIII of Castile at the Battle of Alarcos.
King Edward I of England issues the Edict of Expulsion, banishing all Jews (numbering about 16,000) from England.
On July 18, 1290, King Edward I of England issued the Edict of Expulsion, banning all Jews from the realm and seizing their property.
The bishop of Florence blesses the first foundation stone for the new campanile (bell tower) of the Florence Cathedral, designed by the artist Giotto di Bondone.
On July 18, 1334, the bishop of Florence blessed the cornerstone for Giotto di Bondone’s bell tower at the Florence Cathedral, marking the start of its construction.
France and England agree to the Truce of Leulinghem, inaugurating a 13-year peace, the longest period of sustained peace during the Hundred Years' War.
On July 18, 1389, the Truce of Leulinghem was signed between England and France, initiating a 13-year pause in the Hundred Years’ War.
Births
Hermann of Reichenau
German Benedictine monk and polymath who contributed to music, mathematics, and astronomy in the early Middle Ages.
Isabella of Austria
Archduchess of Austria who became queen consort of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden as the wife of King Christian II.
Heinrich Bullinger
Swiss Reformer who succeeded Huldrych Zwingli as head of the Zürich church and authored the influential Second Helvetic Confession.
Zacharius Ursinus
German Reformed theologian and principal author of the Heidelberg Catechism.
Rudolf II
Holy Roman Emperor renowned as a patron of the arts, sciences, and alchemy at his court in Prague.
Johannes Camphuys
Dutch colonial administrator who served as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1684 to 1691.
Hyacinthe Rigaud
French Baroque painter celebrated for his majestic court portraits of Louis XIV and other European nobility.
Giovanni Bononcini
Italian Baroque composer and cellist famed for his operas and rivalry with Handel in London.
Maria Clementina Sobieska
Polish princess of the Sobieski dynasty who became the Jacobite consort through marriage to James Francis Edward Stuart.
Deaths
42nd Emperor of Japan who completed the Taihō Code reforms and promoted Buddhism.
Muhammad bin Qasim
Umayyad general who led the Islamic conquest of Sindh and extended Umayyad rule into the Indian subcontinent at a young age.
Zhu Wen
Founder and first emperor of the Later Liang dynasty during China’s Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Furat
Influential Abbasid vizier known for his patronage of scholars and pivotal role in the political intrigues of the early 10th century.
Stephen II
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople who led the Eastern Orthodox Church during a period of theological and political challenges.
Dietrich I
Bishop of Metz who played a key role in church reform and monastic patronage in 10th-century Lotharingia.
Godfrey of Bouillon
Frankish nobleman and leader of the First Crusade, celebrated as the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Stefan
First Archbishop of Uppsala who established Sweden’s independent archdiocese and organized the early Scandinavian church.
Guy of Lusignan
French nobleman who became King of Jerusalem through marriage and later ruled the Kingdom of Cyprus.