At A Glance

18 August 1949 at a glance

Day of the week
18 August 1949 was a Thursday.
Top Film of 1949
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1949 was Samson and Delilah.
Bestselling Novel of 1949
“The Egyptian” by Mika Waltari was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1949.
Star sign
The star sign for 18 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 18 August 1949 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 18 August 1949 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 18 August

  • 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.
  • 1958 Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in the United States.
  • 1958 Brojen Das from Bangladesh swims across the English Channel in a competition as the first Bengali and the first Asian to do so, placing first among the 39 competitors.

Famous people born on August 18

  • 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 1949 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1949 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 25 – The first Emmy Awards are presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club.
  • March 24 – The 21st Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Robert Montgomery, is held at the Academy Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
  • April 4 – The North Atlantic Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., creating the NATO defense alliance.
More events of 1949 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in the US in 1949

President

Harry S. Truman

Gas (per gallon)

$0.27

Loaf of Bread

$0.14

Average House

$5,700

Weekly Wage

$52

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.

Dolly Parton19 January 1946Singer-songwriterView their day →Donald Trump14 June 1946President of the United StatesView their day →Sylvester Stallone6 July 1946Actor & filmmakerView their day →Robert De Niro17 August 1943ActorView their day →Mitch McConnell20 February 1942Politician & lawyerView their day →George W. Bush6 July 1946President of the United StatesView their day →Michael Douglas25 September 1944Actor & producerView their day →Arnold Schwarzenegger30 July 1947Actor & bodybuilderView their day →

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

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