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◆ On this day

December 18

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4 sourced moments from December 18 in history: Antonio Stradivari, master violin maker, died (1737); The 13th Amendment was officially proclaimed in effect (1865); The Nutcracker Premiered in St. Petersburg (1892), plus 1 more.

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4 things happened on December 18

newest first ↓
1958 Space · Space Exploration

The first communications satellite was a whole Atlas rocket

Project SCORE, launched December 18, 1958, rode an entire Atlas missile into orbit and replayed Eisenhower's taped Christmas message, the first human voice from space.

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1892 Culture & Arts · Performing Arts

The Nutcracker Premiered in St. Petersburg

The world's most-performed Christmas ballet flopped on opening night, dismissed by critics who could not hear what they were watching.

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1865 Society & Economy · Politics & Law

The 13th Amendment was officially proclaimed in effect

The day the abolition of slavery formally became part of the U.S. Constitution, certified by the Secretary of State.

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1737 Culture & Arts · Music

Antonio Stradivari, master violin maker, died

The Cremona luthier who set the standard for the violin died in 1737, leaving instruments still prized as the finest ever made.

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