18 August

Across recorded history, 1,389 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 18 August. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← August 17 August 19 →

Kofi Annan

1938–2018

7th Secretary-General of the United Nations

Kofi Annan served as the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Honoré de Balzac

1799–1850

French novelist and playwright

Honoré de Balzac was a French novelist and playwright who produced a vast body of literary work.

Federico García Lorca

1898–1936

Spanish poet, dramatist and prose writer

Federico García Lorca was a Spanish poet and playwright known for his significant contributions to twentieth-century literature.

Alain Delon

1935–2024

French actor

Alain Delon was a French actor who appeared in numerous films throughout his career.

Kim Dae-jung

1924–2009

8th President of the Republic of Korea

Kim Dae-jung was a politician who served as the eighth President of the Republic of Korea.

B. F. Skinner

1904–1990

American behaviorist

B. F. Skinner was an American psychologist who developed the theory of behaviorism.

Subhas Chandra Bose

1897–1945

Indian nationalist leader

Subhas Chandra Bose was an Indian nationalist leader who advocated for the independence of India from British colonial rule.

Ernst Thälmann

1886–1944

German communist politician, leader of Communist Party of Germany

Ernst Thälmann was a German communist politician who served as the leader of the Communist Party of Germany.

Richard Laurence Millington Synge

1914–1994

British biochemist

Richard Laurence Millington Synge was a British biochemist who conducted research in the field of partition chromatography.

Maria Prymachenko

1909–1997

Ukrainian folk art painter

Maria Prymachenko was a Ukrainian folk art painter known for her distinctive visual style.

Frederick Ashton

1904–1988

British dancer and choreographer

Frederick Ashton was a British choreographer who created numerous works for the Royal Ballet.

Richard Avenarius

1843–1896

German philosopher

Richard Avenarius was a philosopher who developed the system of empiriocriticism.

Albert Edelfelt

1854–1905

Finland Swedish painter and illustrator

Albert Edelfelt was a painter and illustrator who achieved international recognition for his work depicting Finnish history and culture.

Christopher McCandless

1968–1992

American hiker and explorer

Christopher McCandless was an American explorer who traveled across North America before living in the Alaskan wilderness.

Anita Loos

1888–1981

American screenwriter, playwright, author, actress and television producer

Anita Loos was an American screenwriter and novelist best known for writing the novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Elmer Bernstein

1922–2004

American composer and conductor

Elmer Bernstein was a film score composer who worked as a conductor.

Walter Percy Chrysler Sr.

1875–1940

(1875-1940) American automotive industry executive

Walter Percy Chrysler Sr. was an American automotive industry executive who founded the Chrysler Corporation.

Khaled Asaad

1932–2015

Syrian archeologist

Khaled Asaad was a Syrian archaeologist who served as the head of antiquities at the ancient city of Palmyra.

André-Jacques Garnerin

1769–1823

inventor of the frameless parachute

Inventor André-Jacques Garnerin is recognized for the development of the frameless parachute.

John Sturges

1910–1992

American film director

John Sturges was an American film director known for his work in the Western and action genres.

Ben Cross

1947–2020

British actor

Ben Cross was a British actor known for his performances in film and television.

Scott McKenzie

1939–2012

American singer and songwriter

Scott McKenzie was an American singer and songwriter known for his musical contributions.

Ernst Nolte

1923–2016

German historian and philosopher

Ernst Nolte was a German historian and philosopher known for his research on the ideological origins of twentieth-century totalitarian movements.

Hans Jeschonnek

1899–1943

German military officer and aircraft pilot

Hans Jeschonnek was a German military officer who served as a pilot and senior staff member.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.