On this day

18 November in history.

5 moments from 1865 to 1985: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

The original 1928 poster for Steamboat Willie, starring Mickey Mouse.

1928

Steamboat Willie brings sound to cartoons. Audiences saw Steamboat Willie, the first cartoon with sound fully matched to the pictures.

Wikipedia: Steamboat Willie

Photo: Walt Disney / Ub Iwerks / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

More from 18 November

  1. Cover of an early edition of The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.

    1865

    Mark Twain's first big hit

    "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was published and became Mark Twain's first great success as a writer.

    Wikipedia: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras CountyWikipedia: Mark Twain

    Photo: Mark Twain / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  2. 1883

    North America gets standard time zones

    On the "day of two noons", American and Canadian railways switched to four standard time zones, replacing thousands of confusing local times.

    Wikipedia: Time zoneWikipedia: Time in the United States

  3. 1963

    The push-button phone arrives

    Bell Telephone introduced the first telephone with push buttons instead of a dial.

    Wikipedia: Bell Telephone CompanyWikipedia: Push-button telephone

  4. 1985

    Calvin and Hobbes first appear

    Calvin and Hobbes made their first appearance, in a comic strip printed in ten newspapers.

    Wikipedia: Calvin and Hobbes

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.