At A Glance

18 August 1943 at a glance

Day of the week
18 August 1943 was a Wednesday.
Top Film of 1943
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1943 was For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Star sign
The star sign for 18 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 18 August 1943 fell in the Year of the Goat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 18 August 1943 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 18 August

  • 1938 The Thousand Islands Bridge, connecting New York, United States, with Ontario, Canada, over the Saint Lawrence River, is dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  • 1940 World War II: The Hardest Day air battle, part of the Battle of Britain, takes place. At that point, it is the largest aerial engagement in history with heavy losses sustained on both sides.
  • 1945 Sukarno takes office as the first president of Indonesia, following the country's declaration of independence the previous day.
  • 1945 Soviet-Japanese War: Battle of Shumshu: Soviet forces land at Takeda Beach on Shumshu Island and launch the Battle of Shumshu; the Soviet Union's Invasion of the Kuril Islands commences.
  • 1949 Kemi strike: Two protesters die in the scuffle between the police and the strikers' protest procession in Kemi, Finland.

Famous people born on 18 August

  • Robert Redford, American actor, director, and producer (1936–2025)
  • Patrick Swayze, American actor and dancer (1952–2009)
  • Edward Norton, American actor (born 1969)
  • Kaitlin Olson, American actress and comedian (born 1975)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1943 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1943 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 13 February – Nuffield Foundation established by William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield.
  • 5 March – the Gloster Meteor, the first operational military jet aircraft for the Allies, has its first test flight, at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.
  • 13 April – release of the Ministry of Information film Desert Victory, which will win this year's Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Life in 1943

Prime Minister

Winston Churchill

Monarch

George VI

Pint of Beer

4p

Loaf of Bread

2p

Average House

£625

Weekly Wage

£4.40

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1940s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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