References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 April 30.

1918 January 1 Last day of the Julian calendar in Finland. [1] January 2 Sijbe K Bakker vicar/theologist (Christian-Socialism), dies at 42. [1] January 3 US employment service opens as a unit of Department of Labor. [1] January 5 British premier Lloyd George demand for unified peace. [1] January 6 Georg F L P Cantor German mathematician collection, dies at 72. [1] January 7 Death of Julius Wellhausen in Gottingen, Germany; Biblical scholar, professor of Old Testament at the University of Greifswald. [37] January 8 Michael Hertz composer, dies at 73. [1] Mississippi becomes first state to ratify 18th amendment (prohibition). [1] US President Woodrow Wilson outlines to the American Congress his 14 points for peace after WWI. [1] [37] January 12 Montréal Canadien Joe Malone scores five goals beating Ottawa 9-4. [1] January 14 Finland and USSR adopts New Style (Gregorian) calendar. [1] January 19 Soviets disallows a Constitution Assembly. [1] January 22 Ukraine proclaimed a free republic (German puppet). [1] January 25 Russia declared a republic of Soviets. [1] January 26 US food administrator Hoover calls for "wheatless" and "meatless" days for war effort. [1] January 27 "Tarzan of the Apes", first Tarzan film, premieres at Broadway Theater. [1] January 28 John McCrae Canadian poet/physician, dies. [1] Strike on Berlin ammunitions factory. [1] Trotsky becomes leader of Reds. [1] January 31 Russia adopts Gregorian calendar, next day is February 14. [66.54] February 1 Franz Lehárs opera "Wo die Lerche singt" premieres in Budapest. [1] Kern, Bolton and Wodehouse's musical premieres in New York City, New York. [1] February 3 Twin Peaks Tunnel longest (11,920 feet) streetcar tunnel begins service. [1] February 5 First US pilot to down an enemy airplane, Stephen W Thompson. [1] Separation of church and state begins in USSR. [1] February 6 Britain grants women (30 and over) the vote. [1] Gustav Klimt Austrian painter/cartoonist, dies at 55. [1] February 7 Alexander Sergeyevich Taneyev composer, dies at 68. [1] February 8 "Stars and Stripes", weekly US armed forces newspaper, first published. [1] February 9 Army chaplain school organized at Fort Monroe Virginia. [1] Emiel van der Straeten [Delrue], Flemish playwright, dies at 30. [1] Sacha Guitry's "Deburan" premieres in Paris. [1] February 10 Abdül-Hamid II 34th sultan of Turkey (lost Serbia/Egypt), dies at 65. [1] February 14 H Atteridge and S Rombergs musical "Sinbad" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] Russia adopts New Style (Gregorian) calendar. [1] February 15 First WWI US army troop ship torpedoed and sunk by Germany, off Ireland. [1] Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania adopt the Gregorian calendar. [1] February 16 Lithuania declares independence from Russia and Germany (National Day). [1] February 17 Wilfrid Laurier Canadian Prime Minister (1896-1911), dies. [1] February 21 Australians chase Turkish troop out of Jericho, Dutch Palestine. [1] February 22 Germany claims Baltic states, Finland and Ukraine from Russia. [1] February 24 Estonia declares independence from Russia. [1] March 1 Johan Gustaf Emil Sjogren composer, dies at 64. [1] March 2 Birth of Peter O'Sullevan Ireland, horse racing commentator. [1] March 3 Richard Göring's "Seeschlacht" premieres in Berlin. [1] Russia withdraws from WWI, signs Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany and Austria. [1] March 4 Eugene D'Harcourt composer, dies at 58. [1] Terek Autonomous Republic established in RSFSR (until 1921). [1] March 6 US naval collier "Cyclops" disappears in Bermuda Triangle. [1] March 7 H Carroll and J McCarthy's musical "Oh, Look!" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] President Wilson authorizes US Army's Distinguished Service Medal. [1] March 9 Russian Bolshevik Party becomes the Communist Party. [1] Ukrainian mobs massacre Jews of Seredino Buda. [1] Wageningen Agricultural College Netherlands opens. [1] [Benjamin] Franc[lin] Wedekind German writer/press secretary, dies at 53. [1] March 11 Moscow becomes capital of revolutionary Russia. [1] Save the Redwoods League founded. [1] March 13 American Red Magen David (Jewish Red Cross) forms. [1] Karel Stecker composer, dies at 57. [1] William Courtleigh actor (Susie Snowflake), dies at 26. [1] March 14 First concrete ship to cross the Atlantic (Faith) is launched, San Francisco. [1] March 15 Jose Silvestre de los Dolores White Lafitte composer, dies at 82. [1] Juliette Marie Olga Lili Boulanger composer, dies at 24. [1] Lili Boulanger composer, dies at 24. [1] March 16 Geoffrey O'Hara's "K-K-K-Katy" song published. [1] March 18 Socialist Youth AJC organizes in Amsterdam. [1] Willem Coenen composer, dies at 80. [1] March 19 US Congress authorizes time zones and approves daylight saving time. [1] S Potter becomes first US pilot to shoot down a German seaplane. [1] Willem H de Beaufort Dutch historian/liberal politician, dies at 73. [1] March 21 During WWI Germany launches Somme offensive. [1] March 23 Alick Wickham dives 200' into Australia's Yarra River. [1] Cesar Cortinas composer, dies at 27. [1] Crépy-en-Laonnoise: German artillery shells Paris France, 256 killed. [1] Lithuania proclaims independence. [1] Paris bombs "Thick Bertha's Dike" (nickname for the widow Krupp). [1] March 24 Theophile Ysaye composer, dies at 53. [1] March 25 Claude A Debussy French composer (Iberia/La mer), dies in Paris France at 55. [1] March 26 César A Cui Lithuanian fort builder/composer, dies at 83. [1] March 31 First daylight savings time in US goes into effect. [1] April 1 England's Royal Flying Corps replaced by Royal Air Force. [1] Henry Miller's Theater opens at 124 W 43rd Steet New York City, New York. [1] Karl Fritjof Valentin composer, dies at 64. [1] April 3 House of Representatives accepts American Creed written by William Tyler. [1] April 4 Battle of Somme ends. [1] Food riot in Amsterdam. [1] April 5 Paul Vidal de la Blanche French geographer, dies at 73. [1] April 9 Latvia proclaims independence from Russia. [1] April 13 Electrical fire kills 38 mental patients at Oklahoma State Hospital. [1] April 14 Douglas Campbell is first US ace pilot (shooting down 5th German plane). [1] April 15 Clemenceau publishes secret French/Austrian documents. [1] April 21 "Red Baron" [Manfred von Richtofen] shot down in WWI at 25. [1] April 23 Battle of Zeebrugge ends. [1] Dover Patrol overthrows Germany U-boat in East Sea. [1] National Urban League forms. [1] Percy Thomson Dean Lieutenant-commander, killed at Zeebrugge, dies. [1] April 29 Gavrilo Princip Bosnian murderer of arch duke Ferdinand, dies at 22. [1] May 10 HMS Vindictive sunk to block entrance of Ostend Harbor. [1] May 13 First US airmail stamps issued (24 cents). [1] May 15 First regular airmail service (between New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC) inaugurated. [1] Greek troops lands at Smyrna. [1] May 16 Eusapia Palladino Napolitan, dies at 64. [1] May 18 Netherlands Indian Volksraad installed in Batavia. [1] TNT explosion in chemical factory in Oakdale Pennsylvania kills 200. [1] Toivo Kuula composer, dies at 34. [1] May 20 First electrically propelled warship (the New Mexico). [1] May 21 House of Representatives passes amendment allowing women to vote. [1] May 23 King Oil/Shell refinery on Curaçao officially opens. [1] May 26 Georgian Social Democratic Republic declares independence from Russia. [1] May 27 Battle of Aisne. [1] Henry Adams US literature historian (Esther), dies at 80. [1] May 28 Tatars declares Azerbaijan, in Russian Caucasus, independent. [1] May 30 Georgi V Plechanov Russian revolutionary theorist, dies. [1] June 3 Supreme Court rules child labor laws unconstitutional. [1] June 4 M Wolf discovers asteroid #894 Erda. [1] June 6 Battle of Belleau Wood, first US victory of WW I. [1] June 8 Nova Aquila, brightest nova since Kepler's nova of 1604, discovered. [1] June 12 First airplane bombing raid by an American unit, France. [1] June 15 1" of snow falls in Northern Pennsylvania. [1] June 22 Circus train rammed by troop train kills 68 (Ivanhoe Illinois). [1] A circus train wreck kills 86 and injures 127 near Hammond, Indiana. [5] June 28 First flight between Hawaiian Islands. [1] July 4 Altar dedicated at full-scale replica of Stonehenge at Maryhill, Washington. [1] July 9 101 killed and 171 injured in worst US train wreck, Nashville, Tenn. [1] US Army's Distinguished Service Cross authorized. [1] July 10 Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic established. [1] July 11 M Wolf discovers asteroid #895 Helio. [1] July 15 Second Battle of Marne began during WW I. [1] July 16 Nicholas II Russian tsar, his tsarina and their five kids executed. [1] July 18 US and French forces launch Aisne-Marne offensive in WW I. [1] July 19 German armies retreat across Marne River in France (WW I). [1] July 22 Lightning kills 504 sheep in Utah's Wasatch National Park. [1] July 25 Annette Adams sworn in as first woman district attorney of US, California. [1] Race riot in Chester Pennsylvania (three blacks and two whites killed). [1] July 26 Race riot in Philadelphia (three whites and one black killed). [1] July 27 Socony 200, first concrete barge in US, launched to carry oil, New York. [1] August 8 Six US soldiers are surrounded by Germans in France, Alvin York is given command and shoots 20 Germans and captures 132 more. [1] August 11 Battle of Amiens ends in WW I, Allieds beat Germans. [1] August 15 First full length cartoon (The Sinking of the Lusitania). [1] US and Russia sever diplomatic ties. [1] August 17 Samuel Riddle buys Man o'War for $5,000. [1] August 20 Britain opens offensive on Western front during WW I. [1] August 27 Dr Joseph L Johnson named minister to Liberia. [1] September 1 US troops land in Vladivostok, Siberia, stay until 1920. [1] September 3 Five soldiers hanged for alleged participation in Houston riot of 1917. [1] September 4 US troops land in Archangel, Russia, stay 10 months. [1] September 12 During WW I, US forces launch an attack on German-occupied Saint Mihiel. [1] September 26 Meuse-Argonne offensive against Germany began during WW I. [1] September 29 Allied forces scored a decisive breakthrough of the Hindenburg Line. [1] October 3 Boris becomes king of Bulgaria. [1] October 8 Sgt Alvin York single-handedly kills 25, captures 132 Germans. [1] October 12 First use of iron lung (Boston's Children Hospital). [1] Cloquet Minnesota and 25 other communities destroyed by forest fire, 559 die. [1] October 17 Yugoslavia proclaims itself a republic. [1] October 21 Margaret Owen sets world typing speed record of 170 wpm for one min. [1] October 25 Canadian steamship "Princess Sophia" hit a reef off Alaska, 398 die. [1] October 28 Czechoslovakia gains independence as Austria-Hungary breaks up. [1] October 30 Slovakia asks for creation of Czechoslovakian state. [1] October 31 Count Stephen Tisza Hungarian Prime Minister assassinated by soldiers. [1] November 1 97 die in New York City subway's worst accident. [1] November 3 Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolves. [1] Poland proclaims independence from Russia after WW I. [1] November 6 Republic of Poland proclaimed. [1] November 7 Goddard demonstrates tube-launched solid propellant rockets. [1] United Press erroneously reports WW I armistice had been signed. [1] November 9 Bavaria proclaims itself a republic. [1] Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates after German defeat in WW I. [1] November 10 Independence of Poland proclaimed by Jozef Pilsudski. [1] November 11 Armistice Day-WW I ends (at 11 AM on Western Front). [1] November 12 Emperor Karl of Austria-Hungary abdicates, Austria becomes a republic. [1] November 14 Republic of Czechoslovakia created with T.G. Masaryk as President. [1] November 16 Hungarian People's Republic declared. [1] November 18 Latvia declares independence from Russia. [1] December 1 Danish parliament passed an act to grant Iceland independence. [1] Serbian-Croatian-Slovic kingdom proclaimed in Belgrade. [1] December 2 Margit Kaffka writer, dies at 38. [1] December 4 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) proclaimed. [1] President Wilson sails for Versailles Peace Conference in France, first chief executive to travel outside US while in office. [1] December 5 Oil refinery on Curaçao opens. [1] December 9 French troops occupies Mainz. [1] December 11 Ivan Cankar Slavic author (Hlapec Jernej), dies at 42. [1] December 13 US army of occupation crosses the Rhine, enters Germany. [1] Woodrow Wilson, becomes first to make a foreign visit as President (France). [1] December 14 Giacomo Puccini's opera "Il Trittico" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] Sidonio Pais prince of Portugal, murdered. [1] December 15 American Jewish Congress holds its first meeting. [1] December 16 Jack Dempsey knocks out Carl Morris in 14 seconds. [1] December 18 Henryk Jarecki composer, dies at 72. [1] December 19 Robert Ripley began his "Believe It or Not" column (New York Globe). [1] December 20 Eugene O'Neill's "Moon of the Caribees" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] December 22 Albijn van de Abeele Flemish author/mayor/painter, dies at 83. [1] December 26 Bertram Luard-Selby composer, dies at 65. [1] December 28 George H White last post Reconstruction congressman (Pennsylvania), dies. [1] December 30 John E Hoover decides to be called J Edgar Hoover. [1]