On This Day for December 18 - Slavery abolished in the United States, Paul Klee is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. December 18 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Paul Klee READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1865 Slavery abolished in the United States READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2019: President Donald Trump became the third U.S. president to be impeached by the House of Representatives, which charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. [ Read about nine American political scandals.] 2011: Czech playwright, poet, and political dissident Václav Havel—who served as president of Czechoslovakia (1989–92) and of the Czech Republic (1993–2003) and had been a prominent participant in the liberal reforms of 1968 (the Prague Spring)—died in Hrádeček, Czech Republic. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about famous Europeans.] 1966: The TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, an adaptation of Dr. Seuss's classic children's book, aired for the first time and became a holiday staple. [Test your knowledge of classic children's books.] 1963: American actor Brad Pitt , known for his portrayal of unconventional characters, was born. [Take our quiz about A-list actors.] 1946: American film director Steven Spielberg—who enjoyed great critical and commercial success with such movies as Jaws (1975), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Schindler's List (1993), and Saving Private Ryan (1998)—was born. [How much do you know about the Academy Awards?] 1943: British guitarist Keith Richards of the rock band the Rolling Stones was born. [Test your knowledge of all things rock 'n' roll.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1963 Brad Pitt American actor 1946 Steven Spielberg American film director and producer 1980 Christina Aguilera American pop singer 1863 Franz Ferdinand, archduke of Austria-Este Austrian archduke 1879 Paul Klee Swiss-German artist 1856 J.J. Thomson British physicist 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