Important Events From This day in History – 18 March

Today in History

• 1990 East Germany holds its first and only free parliamentary elections

  The election took place between the peaceful revolution that led to the demise of the German Democratic Republic in 1989 and the reunification of Germany in 1990.

• 1971 A 100 feet (30 meter) high wave destroys a Peruvian mining camp and kills hundreds of people

  A massive rock avalanche crashed into Lake Yanahuani from a height of 1300 feet, causing the tsunami (400 meters).

• 1965 Russian cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to walk in space

  During the 12-minute tethered spacewalk, Leonov ventured up to 10 metres from his spacecraft, Voskhod 2.

• 1962 The Évian Accords are signed, ending the Algerian War

  Algeria gained its independence from France as a consequence.

• 1892 Lord Stanley of Preston pledges to donate a challenge cup for the best ice hockey team in Canada

  Today, the Stanley Cup is the world’s most prestigious ice hockey trophy.