This Day In History, January 18th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on January 18th.
474 - Leo II becomes Byzantine Emperor at the age of 7, but dies 10 months later.
1486 - King Henry VII of England married Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV.
1778 - English explorer Captain James Cook becomes the first European to discover the Hawaiian Islands, which he names the "Sandwich Islands" after his sponsor, the Earl of Sandwich.
1919 - The Paris Peace Conference opens in Versailles, France, to negotiate the terms of the peace settlement ending World War I.
1990 - Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry is arrested for drug possession in an FBI sting operation, an incident that leads to his conviction and imprisonment for six months.
Leo II becomes Byzantine Emperor at the age of 7, but dies 10 months later.
Leo II, a Byzantine co-emperor with his father Zeno, took the throne at the age of four in 473. He was the grandson of the Byzantine Emperor Leo I. At the age of 7, Leo II succeeded Zeno as the only emperor following his passing in 474. Sadly, he passed away 10 months later, possibly from a disease. His brief reign precluded any meaningful influence on Byzantine history.
King Henry VII of England marries Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV.
The Wars of the Roses were finally put to an end when Henry VII and Elizabeth of York reconciled the feuding factions of the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The Tudor dynasty, which ruled England from 1485 until 1603, was also established as a result of it. After years of civil conflict, the marriage was celebrated with tremendous fanfare and ceremony and was viewed as a sign of optimism and healing.
English explorer Captain James Cook becomes the first European to discover the Hawaiian Islands, which he names the "Sandwich Islands" after his sponsor, the Earl of Sandwich.
On his third and last round-the-world journey, Captain James Cook of the British Empire discovered the Hawaiian Islands on January 18, 1778, making him the first European to do so. In recognition of his supporter, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, he gave the islands the name "Sandwich Islands". Cook and his crew explored the islands for several weeks, mapping their seas and interacting with the local Hawaiians. Hawaii's discovery had a big impact on European Pacific exploration and colonization, and the islands later played a key role in trade and commerce between Asia and the Americas.
1919 - The Paris Peace Conference opens in Versailles, France, to negotiate the terms of the peace settlement ending World War I.
The Paris Peace Conference began on January 18, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles, France. The conference was called to negotiate the terms of the peace settlement that would end World War I. Representatives from more than 30 nations attended, including the victorious Allied powers and the defeated Central powers. The "Big Four" - the leaders of the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy - dominated the conference and sought to establish a framework for a lasting peace.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry is arrested for drug possession in an FBI sting operation, an incident that leads to his conviction and imprisonment for six months
The FBI conducted a sting operation on January 18, 1990, and Marion Barry, the mayor of Washington, D.C., was detained for narcotics possession. The incident was a component of a larger investigation into drug abuse and corruption in the city government. Barry was caught on camera smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room with a former girlfriend. Barry had previously been re-elected despite claims of drug use and other scandals. Barry's arrest and subsequent trial attracted a lot of media attention, and his reputation was further damaged by his conviction and six-month sentence of imprisonment. Nevertheless, Barry remained a popular figure in the city's African American community and was eventually re-elected to public office after his release from prison.