Did you know
Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign, a close team known as the "Boiler Room Girls"
Notable Deaths on July 18
95 people
707 – 2025
July 18 has seen 95 notable figures pass away throughout recorded history — from 707 – 2025. Below are the most significant names who died on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1969 — Mary Jo Kopechne
American educator and secretary (born 1940)
Did you know
In 1969, she asphyxiated when a car driven by Robert's brother, U.S
Did you know
According to reports, Kennedy left the party at 11:15 p.m
Did you know
Mary Jo Kopechne was an American secretary, and one of the campaign workers for U.S
Did you know
Senator Ted Kennedy, left a narrow road on Chappaquiddick Island and overturned into Poucha Pond after they had left a party
Year 707 (DCCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 707 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent…
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707
Umayyad general (born 695)
Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqafī was an Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh, inaugurating the Umayyad campaigns in India. His military exploits led to the…
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715
912
Abbasid vizier (born 855)
Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Furat was a senior official of the Abbasid Caliphate who served three times as vizier under Caliph al-Muqtadir. Ali emerged into prominence as an able fiscal…
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924
patriarch of Constantinople
Stephen II of Constantinople was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 29 June 925 to 18 July 928.
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928
984
Frankish knight (born 1016)
Godfrey of Bouillon was a preeminent leader of the First Crusade, and the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100. Although initially reluctant to take the title of king, he agreed to rule as prince…
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1100
1185
king consort of Jerusalem (born c. 1150)
Guy of Lusignan was king of Jerusalem, first as the husband and co-ruler of Queen Sibylla from 1186 to 1190, then as disputed ruler from 1190 to 1192. He was also lord of Cyprus from 1192 to 1194. As king, Guy was…
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1194
Marcher Lord of Bramber and Gower
John de Braose, known as Tadody to the Welsh, was the Lord of Bramber and Gower.
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1232
Archbishop of Canterbury
Boniface of Savoy was a medieval Bishop of Belley in Savoy and Archbishop of Canterbury in England. He was the son of Thomas, Count of Savoy, and owed his initial ecclesiastical posts to his father. Other members of his…
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1270
Italian religious leader, founded the Apostolic Brethren (born 1240)
Gerard or Gherardo or Gherardino Segarelli or Segalelli was the founder of the Apostolic Brethren. He was burned at the stake in 1300.
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1300
1450
Italian explorer (born 1432)
Alvise Cadamosto was a Venetian explorer and slave trader, who was hired by the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator and undertook two known journeys to West Africa in 1455 and 1456, accompanied by the Genoese captain…
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1488
Spanish bishop and historian (born c.1484)
Bartolomé de las Casas, OP ; 11 November 1484 – 18 July 1566) was a Spanish lawyer, clergyman, writer, and activist best known for his work as a historian and social reformer. He arrived in Hispaniola as a layman, then…
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1566
Slovenian composer (born 1550)
Jacobus Gallus was a late-Renaissance composer of presumed Slovene ethnicity. Born in Carniola, which at the time was one of the Habsburg lands in the Holy Roman Empire, he lived and worked in Moravia and Bohemia during…
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1591
Elector of Brandenburg (born 1546)
Joachim Frederick, of the House of Hohenzollern, was Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1598 until his death.
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1608
Italian painter (born 1571)
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of his life, he moved between Naples, Malta, and…
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1610
German general (born 1604)
Bernard of Saxe-Weimar was a duke of Saxe-Weimar and a politically active Protestant general during the Thirty Years' War (1618–48). Known as one of the most capable field commanders of his age, he secured several…
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1639
English Royalist, hanged in London by Parliamentary forces as a spy (born 1615)
Robert Levinz, Levens or Levinge was an English Royalist during the English Civil War.
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1650
Dutch politician, Governor-general of the Dutch East Indies (born 1634)
Johannes Camphuys was the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1684 to 1691. Camphuys was born in Haarlem, in the Republic of the United Netherlands.
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1695
Swiss theologian and author (born 1633)
Johann Heinrich Heidegger, Swiss theologian, was born at Bäretswil, in the Canton of Zürich.
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1698
French painter (born 1684)
Jean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, as seen in the tradition of Correggio and Rubens. He revitalized the waning Baroque…
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1721
duc de Villeroy, French general (born 1644)
François de Neufville, 2nd Duke of Villeroy was a French Royal Army officer and nobleman.
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1730
Dutch poet and playwright (born 1683)
Pieter Langendijk was a damask weaver, city artist, dramatist, and poet.
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1756
Scottish-American admiral and diplomat (born 1747)
John Paul Jones was a British-American naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regarded by several…
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1792
English novelist (born 1775)
Jane Austen was an English writer known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century.
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1817
Maltese merchant and rebel leader (born 1777)
Vincenzo Maria Borg, also known by his nickname Brared, was a Maltese merchant who was one of the main insurgent leaders during the French blockade of 1798–1800. He was a lieutenant from 1801 until he was deposed in…
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1837
American colonel (born 1837)
Robert Gould Shaw was an American officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Born into an abolitionist family from the Boston upper class, he accepted command of the first all-black regiment in the…
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1863
Mexican lawyer and politician, 26th President of Mexico (born 1806)
Benito Pablo Juárez García was a Mexican politician, military officer, and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in 1872. A Zapotec, he was the first Indigenous president of Mexico…
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1872
Austrian geologist and academic (born 1829)
Christian Gottlieb Ferdinand Ritter von Hochstetter was a German-Austrian geologist. In 1857 he was appointed geologist on the Austrian Novara expedition to New Zealand, collecting natural history specimens and…
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1884
English journalist, author, and activist, co-founded the Women's Suffrage Journal (born 1827)
Lydia Ernestine Becker was a leader in the early British suffrage movement, as well as an amateur scientist with interests in biology and astronomy. She established Manchester as a centre for the suffrage movement and…
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1890
English travel agent, founded the Thomas Cook Group (born 1808)
Thomas Cook was the founder of the travel agency Thomas Cook & Son. He was born into a poor family in Derbyshire and left school at the age of ten to start work as a gardener's boy. He served an apprenticeship as a…
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1892
American novelist and journalist (born 1832)
Horatio Alger Jr. was an American author who wrote young adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to middle-class security and comfort through good works. His writings were…
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1899
American journalist and author (born 1835)
Benjamin Cummings Truman, was an American journalist and author; in particular, he was a distinguished war correspondent during the American Civil War, and an authority on duels. Truman could also be described as a…
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1916
Canadian cardinal (born 1840)
Louis-Nazaire Bégin was a Canadian cardinal of the Catholic Church. Begin held a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was later appointed Archbishop of Quebec by Pope Leo…
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1925
French author and diplomat, French Ambassador to the United States (born 1855)
Jean Adrien Antoine Jules Jusserand was a French author and diplomat. He was the French Ambassador to the United States from 1903 to 1925 and played a major diplomatic role during World War I.
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1932
English poet and academic (born 1908)
Julian Heward Bell was an English poet, and the son of Clive and Vanessa Bell. The writer Quentin Bell was his younger brother and the writer and painter Angelica Garnett was his half-sister.
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1937
Marie was the last queen consort of Romania from 10 October 1914 to 20 July 1927 as the wife of King Ferdinand I.
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1938
English author, poet, and playwright (born 1870)
Thomas Sturge Moore was a British poet, author and artist.
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1944
Estonian footballer and ice hockey player (born 1906)
Evald Tipner was an Estonian footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest Estonian goalkeepers of all time. He was capped 66 times for Estonia national football team, 7 times for bandy national team and once for…
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1947
Finnish historian, academic, and politician (born 1877)
Herman Gregorius Gummerus was a leading Finnish classical scholar, diplomat, and one of the founders of the Patriotic People's Movement (IKL).
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1948
Czech composer and educator (born 1870)
Vítězslav Augustín Rudolf Novák was a Czech composer and academic teacher at the Prague Conservatory. Stylistically, he was part of the neo-romantic tradition, and his music is considered an important example of Czech…
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1949
Guatemalan Army colonel and briefly Guatemalan head of state (born 1905)
Francisco Javier Arana Castro was a Guatemalan military leader and one of the three members of the revolutionary junta that ruled Guatemala from 20 October 1944 to 15 March 1945 during the early part of the Guatemalan…
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1949
American critic and biographer (born 1885)
Carl Clinton Van Doren was an American critic and biographer. He was the brother of critic and teacher Mark Van Doren and the uncle of Charles Van Doren.
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1950
Belgian architect and historian (born 1862)
Paul Saintenoy was a Belgian architect, teacher, architectural historian, and writer.
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1952
American gangster (born 1895)
George Kelly Barnes, better known by his nickname Machine Gun Kelly, was an American gangster from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thompson submachine…
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1954
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1942)
Robert Gaston Fuller was an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for "Let Her Dance" and his cover of the Crickets' "I Fought the Law," recorded with his group the Bobby Fuller Four.
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1966
Belgian physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1892)
Corneille Jean François Heymans was a Belgian physiologist. He studied at the Jesuit College of Saint Barbara and then at Ghent University, where he obtained a doctor's degree in 1920.
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1968
English actor (born 1910)
John Edward Hawkins was an English actor, who worked on stage and in film from the 1930s until the 1970s. He was known for his portrayal of military men, said to "endow the countless figures of authority he played with…
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1973
American illustrator (born 1941)
Vaughn Bodē was an American underground cartoonist and illustrator known for his character Cheech Wizard and his artwork depicting voluptuous women. A contemporary of Ralph Bakshi, Bodē has been credited as an influence…
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1975
Swedish lawyer (born 1890)
Sonja Branting-Westerståhl was a Swedish lawyer and politician. She was one of the first female lawyers in Sweden and specialised in matrimonial law. A social democrat, she was active in raising awareness of the rise of…
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1981
Russian–American linguist and theorist (born 1896)
Roman Osipovich Jakobson was a Russian linguist and literary theorist. A pioneer of structural linguistics, Jakobson was one of the most celebrated and influential linguists of the twentieth century. With Nikolai…
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1982
1984
Estonian director and screenwriter (born 1926)
Grigori Kromanov was an Estonian theatre and film director. He directed some of the best-known Estonian movies, including Viimne reliikvia and "Hukkunud Alpinisti" hotell.
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1984
Brazilian sociologist, anthropologist, historian, writer, painter, journalist and congressman (born 1907)
Gilberto de Mello Freyre was a Brazilian sociologist, anthropologist, historian, writer, painter, journalist and congressman born in Recife. Considered one of the most important sociologists of the 20th century, his…
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1987
1988
Portuguese composer and conductor (born 1924)
José Manuel Joly Braga Santos, ComSE was a Portuguese composer and conductor, who was born and died in Lisbon. He wrote six symphonies.
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1988
American baseball player (born 1954)
Donnie Ray Moore was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals (1980), Milwaukee Brewers (1981), Atlanta Braves (1982–1984) and California Angels…
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1989
American model and actress (born 1967)
Rebecca Lucile Schaeffer was an American actress and model. She began her career as a teen model before moving on to acting. In 1986, she landed the role of Patricia "Patti" Russell in the CBS comedy My Sister Sam. The…
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1989
American psychiatrist and author (born 1896)
Karl Augustus Menninger was an American psychiatrist, author, and activist. He was a member of the Menninger family of psychiatrists who founded the Menninger Foundation and the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas.
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1990
South Korean politician, 2nd President of South Korea (born 1897)
Yun Po-sun was a South Korean politician and activist who served as the second president of South Korea from 1960 to 1962. He was the only president of the short-lived Second Republic of Korea, and served as little more…
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1990
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1945)
Margarita Mimi Baez Fariña was an American singer-songwriter and activist, the youngest of three daughters of mother Joan Chandos Bridge and Mexican-American physicist Albert Baez. She was the younger sister of the…
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2001
Turkish journalist and author (born 1924)
Metin Toker was a Turkish journalist and writer.
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2002
Belgian-French historian and author (born 1911)
André Castelot, born André Storms, was a French writer and scriptwriter born in Belgium. He was the son of the Symbolist painter Maurice Chabas and Gabrielle Storms-Castelot, and the brother of the film actor Jacques…
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2004
French wine maker (born 1912)
Émile Peynaud was a French oenologist and researcher who has been credited with revolutionizing winemaking in the latter half of the 20th century, and has been called "the forefather of modern oenology".
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2004
Australian cyclist and rower (born 1976)
Amy Elizabeth Gillett was an Australian track cyclist and rower who represented Australia in both sports. She was killed when a driver crashed into the Australian squad of cyclists with whom she was training in Germany.…
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2005
American general (born 1914)
William Childs Westmoreland was a United States Army general, most notably the commander of United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from…
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2005
American theater writer (born 1917)
Henry Hewes was an American theater writer who worked as the drama critic for the Saturday Review weekly literary magazine from 1955 to 1979. He was the first major critic to regularly review regional and international…
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2006
American tenor (born 1952)
Jerry Hadley was an American operatic tenor. He received three Grammy Awards for his vocal performances in the recordings of Jenůfa, Susannah, and Candide. Hadley was a leading American tenor for nearly two decades. He…
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2007
Japanese politician (born 1908)
Kenji Miyamoto was a Japanese communist politician. He was the leader of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) from 1958 to 1977.
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2007
English soldier (born 1896)
Henry William Allingham was an English supercentenarian. He is the longest-lived man ever recorded from the United Kingdom, a First World War veteran, and, for one month, was the verified oldest living man in the world.…
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2009
English actress (born 1925)
Jill Angela Henriette Balcon was a British actress. She was known for her work in film, television, radio and on stage. She made her film debut in Nicholas Nickleby (1947). She was the second wife of poet Cecil…
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2009
Lithuanian-Israeli rabbi and author (born 1910)
Yosef Shalom Elyashiv was a Haredi rabbi and posek who lived in Jerusalem. Until his death at the age of 102, Rav Elyashiv was the paramount leader of both Israel and the Diaspora Lithuanian-Haredi community, and many…
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2012
French politician and diplomat, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1928)
Jean François-Poncet was a French politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing from 1978 to 1981. From 1983 until 2011, he was a member of the Senate for…
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2012
Syrian general and politician, Syrian Minister of Defense (born 1947)
Dawoud Abdallah Rajiha was a Syrian military officer who served as the Minister of Defense of Syria from August 2011 to July 2012 when he was assassinated along with other senior government officials and military…
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2012
Syrian general and politician (born 1950)
Assef Shawkat was a Syrian military officer and intelligence chief who was the Deputy Minister of Defense of Syria from September 2011 until his death in July 2012. He was the brother-in-law of former Syrian President…
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2012
Syrian general and politician, Syrian Minister of Defense (born 1935)
Hasan Ali Turkmani was a Syrian military officer and politician who served as Syria's Minister of Defense from 2004 to 2009.
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2012
Indian actor (born 1942)
Rajesh Khanna was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Regarded as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, he is considered the first Superstar…
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2012
2013
French-American cardiologist and academic (born 1953)
Olivier Ameisen was a French-American cardiologist who wrote a best-selling book about curing alcoholism using the drug baclofen.
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2013
German footballer (born 1980)
Andreas Biermann was a German professional footballer who played as a defender.
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2014
Brazilian journalist, author, and academic (born 1941)
João Ubaldo Ribeiro was a Brazilian writer, journalist, screenwriter and professor. Several of his books and short stories have been turned into movies and TV series in Brazil. Ribeiro was a member of the Brazilian…
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2014
Austrian-Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1926)
Dietmar Otto Schönherr was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in 120 films between 1944 and 2014. He was famous for playing the role of Major Cliff Allister McLane in the German science fiction series Raumpatrouille.…
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2014
American actor (born 1936)
Alex Rocco was an American actor. Known for his distinctive, gravelly voice, he was often cast as villains, including Moe Greene in The Godfather (1972) and his Primetime Emmy Award–winning role in The Famous Teddy Z.…
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2015
American songwriter, producer and publisher (born 1941)
Perry Carlton "Buddy" Buie was an American songwriter, producer and publisher. He is most commonly associated with Roy Orbison, the Classics IV and the Atlanta Rhythm Section.
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2015
American food critic (born 1960)
Jonathan Gold was an American food and music critic. He was for many years the chief food critic for the Los Angeles Times and also wrote for LA Weekly and Gourmet, in addition to serving as a regular contributor on…
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2018
American radio personality (born 1938)
Adrian Joseph Cronauer was an American radio personality and United States Air Force Sergeant, whose experiences as an innovative disc jockey on American Forces Network during the Vietnam War inspired the 1987 film Good…
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2018
English comedian (born 1939)
Thomas Patrick O'Connor was a British comedian, television presenter, and actor. Originally a comedian in working men's clubs, he progressed to hosting TV game shows such as Crosswits, The Zodiac Game, Name That Tune,…
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2021
Indian politician, former Chief Minister of Kerala (born 1943)
Oommen Chandy was an Indian lawyer and statesman who served as the 10th chief minister of Kerala, serving from 2004 to 2006 and 2011 to 2016. He served also as the leader of the opposition in the Kerala Legislative…
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2023
American political commentator and television host (born 1945)
Louis Carl Dobbs was an American conservative political commentator, author, and television host who presented Moneyline from 1980 to 2009 and 2011 to 2021. From 2021 until his death, he hosted The Great America Show on…
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2024
American football player (born 1937)
Abner Haynes was an American professional football player who was a halfback and return specialist in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the North Texas State Eagles and was selected by…
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2024
American comedian and actor (born 1929)
George Robert Newhart was an American comedian and actor. Newhart was known for his deadpan and stammering delivery style. Beginning his career as a stand-up comedian, he transitioned his career to acting in television.…
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2024
American political scientist (born 1941)
Edwin John Feulner Jr. was an American political scientist, think tank executive, congressional aide and foreign relations consultant who was co-founder of The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in 1973. He…
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2025
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Notable deaths
Who died on July 18?
Mary Jo Kopechne — American teacher, secretary, and campaign specialist (1940–1969)
FeaturedMary Jo Kopechne
Death year1969
Known forSenator Robert F
Deaths on this date95 (707 – 2025)
Explore July 18
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on July 18 in History
2019
A man sets fire to an anime studio in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan, killing 36 people and injuring dozens of others. Wikipedia →
2014
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant requires Christians to either accept dhimmi status, emigrate from ISIL lands, or be killed. Wikipedia →
2013
See all events on July 18
The Government of Detroit, with up to $20 billion in debt, files for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Wikipedia →
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