Nicosia, Cyprus. June 18 has seen a series of notable events across the world, ranging from political transitions and international agreements to attacks and milestones in exploration, space and religion.
Events on June 18
In 1928, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was lost in flight over the Arctic Ocean.
In 1953, Egypt was proclaimed a republic with General Neguib as its first president.
In 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space, aboard the shuttle Challenger.
In 1997, Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan resigned, ending a turbulent one-year tenure as the modern republic’s first Islamist leader.
In 1999, the Group of Seven leading industrial countries agreed at a summit in Cologne on an initiative to forgive $70 billion in debts owed by poor countries.
In 2002, in Israel, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up on a Jerusalem bus during morning rush hour, killing 19 people and wounding more than 50.
In 2003, Finnish Prime Minister Anneli Jaatteenmaki resigned after using leaked secret state information on Iraq during the March 2003 parliamentary election.
Also in 2003, the Italian parliament voted on a law to give Premier Silvio Berlusconi immunity from prosecution while he remained in office.
In 2006, the U.S. Episcopal Church chose Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as its first woman leader, a move unprecedented in the Anglican church.
