In History, Today on September 18

Harold Godwinson, King of England, lands on the Isle of Wight with his army, preparing to defend against the impending Norman invasion.

Philip Augustus becomes King of France, succeeding his father Louis VII.

Christopher Columbus lands at Costa Rica on his fourth and final voyage to the New World.

The cornerstone of the United States Capitol is laid by George Washington.

Chile declares its independence from Spain, marking the beginning of the Chilean War of Independence.

The first edition of The New-York Daily Times, which later becomes The New York Times, is published.

The Siege of Paris begins during the Franco-Prussian War.

The Panic of 1873 begins, triggering a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States.

A typhoon with tsunami kills an estimated 10,000 people in Hong Kong.

The Mukden Incident occurs, leading to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.

The United States Air Force becomes an independent branch of the U.S. military.

UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld dies in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia.

The Bahamas, East Germany, and West Germany are admitted to the United Nations.

The French National Assembly votes to abolish capital punishment.

Joe Kittinger completes the first solo balloon crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.

Liechtenstein becomes a member of the United Nations.

The first of several anthrax letters was mailed from Princeton, New Jersey, targeting media outlets and government officials in the United States.

The Royal Thai Army staged a coup d'état against the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra while he was at the United Nations in New York City, leading to the establishment of a military junta.

The United States House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Scotland held a referendum on independence from the United Kingdom, resulting in a vote to remain part of the UK.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 global goals designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030.

The United States Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the second time in 2019, amid concerns about a global economic slowdown.