An Empire Proclaimed in the Enemy's Palace: Germany, 1871
On January 18, 1871, Prussia's Wilhelm I was proclaimed German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, forging a new empire in the palace of a defeated France.
On January 18
Eleven Sails in Botany Bay: The First Fleet Reaches Australia
On January 18, 1788, the lead ship of Britain's First Fleet sailed into Botany Bay, beginning the European settlement of Australia — and the dispossession of its first peoples.
Strange Sails on the Horizon: Captain Cook Sights Hawaii
On January 18, 1778, Captain James Cook's ships sighted Oahu, the first known European encounter with the Hawaiian Islands.