On This Day for November 18 - Jonestown massacre, Wyndham Lewis is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. November 18 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Wyndham Lewis READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1978 Jonestown massacre READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2015: New Zealand rugby union football player Jonah Lomu, who was perhaps rugby's first global icon, died of a heart attack at age 40 after a long battle with kidney disease. [ Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about rugby sevens.] 2009: American Democratic politician Robert C. Byrd became the longest-serving member of Congress, with a combined service in the House of Representatives and Senate of 56 years 319 days; he died the following year. [Read our Read our list of 10 Democrats who made history.] 1959: The American dramatic film Ben-Hur, arguably the best of Hollywood's biblical epics, had its world premiere; it later won an unprecedented 11 Academy Awards. [How much do you know about the Academy Awards?] 1941: John Christian Watson, the first Labour prime minister of Australia, died in Sydney. [Take our quiz about the Australian system of government.] 1923: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., the first U.S. astronaut to travel in space, was born in New Hampshire. [ Learn about five unforgettable moments in space exploration.] 1905: Prince Charles (Carl) of Denmark was elected king of Norway as Haakon VII. [Test your knowledge of kings and emperors.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1953 Alan Moore British writer 1939 Margaret Atwood Canadian author 1923 Alan B. Shepard, Jr. American astronaut 1940 Qaboos bin Said sultan of Oman 1787 Louis Daguerre French painter and physicist 1909 Johnny Mercer American composer, vocalist, and businessman SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help