History & Celebrations Today – April 18

Celebrations Today – April 18

Holidays and observances

Celebrations Today – USA: April 18

National Animal Crackers Day
National Columnists’ Day
National Lineman Appreciation Day
National Blah, Blah, Blah Day
International Ford Mustang Day
International Haiku Poetry Day
Malbec World Day
National Kickball Day
National Nothing Like a Dame Day
World Hemophilia Day

Today in US History: April 18

Earthquake!

At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, a magnitude 8.3 (Richter Scale) earthquake struck San Francisco. With thousands of un-reinforced brick buildings and closely-spaced wooden Victorian dwellings, the city was poorly prepared for the quake. Collapsed buildings, broken chimneys, and a water shortage due to broken mains, led to several large fires that soon coalesced into a citywide holocaust. The fire raged for three days, sweeping over nearly a quarter of the city, including the entire downtown area.

Ruins of San Francisco
Ruins of San Francisco, from the Site of the Mechanics’ Pavilion,
San Francisco, California, copyright 1906.
Taking the Long View: Panoramic Photographs, 1851-1991

Over 3,000 people are estimated to have died as a result of the disaster. For those who survived, the first few weeks were hard; as aid poured in from around the country, thousands slept in tents in city parks, and citizens were asked to do their cooking in the street. A severe shortage of public transportation made a taxicab out of anything on wheels. Numerous businesses relocated temporarily to Oakland, and many refugees found lodgings outside the city. Most of the cities of central California were badly damaged. However, reconstruction proceeded at a furious pace, and by 1908, San Francisco was well on the way to recovery.

Three years after the earthquake, San Francisco
Three Years After the Quake, San Francisco, California, April 1909.
Taking the Long View: Panoramic Photographs, 1851-1991

Today in History – April 18-External Links

Today’s Weather in History
Today in Earthquake History
This Day in Naval History
Today’s Document from the National Archives
Today’s Events, Births & Deaths –Wikipedia
Today in History by AP
On this Day -1950 to 2005 – Today’s Story–BBC
On This Day: The New York Times
This Day in History –History.com
Today in Canadian History – Canada Channel
History of Britain that took place On This Day
Russia in History –Russiapedia