Important Events From This day in History – 18th November

Today in History

• 1978 Mass suicides in Jonestown

  Over 900 people committed suicide at the request of Jim Jones, the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple organization. Formed in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the mid-1050s, members of the group relocated to Guyana in 1974 and established Jonestown, a settlement outside Georgetown.

• 1963 Push button phones are used for the first time

  Bell systems began replacing rotary dial phones with push-button phones in the United States. To dial a number, push-button phones use keys or buttons.

• 1916 End of the Somme Offensive

  During the First World War, the battle was fought between German forces on one side and British and French forces on the other. One of the bloodiest battles of the twentieth century, the conflict began on July 1, 1916, and was fought on the banks of the Somme River in France.

• 1903 Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty signed between Panama and the US

  The treaty established the Panama Canal Zone and established the terms for the Panama Canal’s construction. The Panama Canal Zone was a United States territory until 1979. The French started building the Panama Canal in 1881 but had to stop due to engineering issues. The United States took over construction in 1904 and completed the canal in 1914.

• 1883 Canadian and American railroads adopt time zones

  Previously, most cities had their own local time, making it difficult for railways to stay on schedule and confusing passengers. To address this issue, private railways decided to divide the continent into four distinct time zones, the lines of which are very similar to the time zone lines that exist today.