February 18 in History

• 1860

  February 18, 1860:

  Jefferson Davis is sworn in as the Confederate States of America’s provisional president.

• 1885

  February 18, 1885:

  “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain is published in the US.

• 1929

  February 18, 1929:

  The first-ever recipients of the Academy Awards are announced on the back page of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ newsletter.

• 1960

  February 18, 1960:

  The Latin America Free Trade Association is formed by seven countries.

• 1979

  February 18, 1979:

  The television miniseries, “Roots: Next Generations” debuts on ABC TV.

• 1980

  February 18, 1980:

  The Berlin International Film Festival kicks off its 30th edition.

• 2001

  February 18, 2001:

  Dale Earnhardt Sr., an American stock-car racer sustains fatal injuries from his car crashing during the final lap in the Daytona 500.

• 2003

  February 18, 2003:

  56-year-old arsonist, Kim Dae-han sets fire to a subway train in Daegu, South Korea, killing 198 people.

• 2006

  February 18, 2006:

  Shani Davis, the American speed skater, wins a gold medal in the 1,000-metre long-track final at the Winter Olympic Games, making him the first black athlete to earn a Winter Olympic gold medal.

• 2010

  February 18, 2010:

  The website, WikiLeaks starts releasing secret documents of the US government, which it obtained from Chelsea Manning, an Army intelligence analyst, to the public.