Today in History for 18th December 2025

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Historical Events

1898 - First automobile speed record set of 63 kph (39 mph) by French Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat of Paris
1968 - Musical-fantasy film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", co-written by Roald Dahl and director Ken Hughes, starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes, with songs by Sherman and Sherman, premieres in NYC
1969 - "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", 6th James Bond Film starring George Lazenby and Diana Rigg, premieres in London
1979 - Stuntman Stanley Barrett unofficially breaks the land speed record and the sound barrier in his three-wheeled vehicle the Budweiser Rocket (739.666 mph or Mach 1.01). The speed was never officially recorded and the attempt remains controversial.
2018 - Nevada becomes the first US state with a female-majority legislature with new appointments taking it to 51%

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Famous Birthdays

1927 - Roméo LeBlanc, Canadian politician, 25th Governor General of Canada (1995-99), born in Memramcook, New Brunswick (d. 2009)
1939 - Sandro Lopopolo Italian lightweight boxer (Olympic-Silver-1960), born in Milan, Italy (d. 2014)
1963 - Karl Dorrell, American football coach, born in Alameda, California
1972 - Lawrence Wong, Singapore economist and politician, Prime Minister (2024-), born in Singapore
2001 - Billie Eilish, American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter (When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?), born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1633 - Theodoor Galle, Flemish engraver, buried at 62
1832 - Philip Freneau, American poet of the American Revolution (The American Village), dies at 80
1990 - Paul Tortelier, French concert cellist, composer, and teacher, dies at 76
2002 - Wayne Owens, former U.S. Congressman (D-Utah) (b. 1937)
2007 - Jack Linkletter, American TV host (Haggis Baggis, Hootenanny), dies at 70

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