By Day: Historical Events on February 18th

Henry I of England marries Matilda of Scotland, securing a crucial alliance.

The Sixth Crusade ends with the surrender of the Egyptian city of Damietta to the crusaders.

Battle of the Golden Spurs: Flemish militia defeat French knights in Kortrijk, Belgium.

Battle of Roslin: Scots under John Comyn and Simon Fraser defeat English forces.

Richard II of England orders the execution of Henry Percy, sparking the rebellion known as the Percy Rebellion.

Pope Innocent VIII launches the Spanish Inquisition to combat heresy, contributing to the persecution of Jews and Muslims in Spain.

Pope Julius II issues a papal bull against slavery, condemning the enslavement of indigenous peoples in the Americas.

The dwarf planet Pluto is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Tombaugh, was 24-year-s old at the time and had no formal training in astronomy.

 The first 10 episodes of "Roots," a groundbreaking TV miniseries about slavery, air in the United States.

FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested for spying for Russia for more than 15 years.

NASA's Perseverance rover successfully lands on Mars, beginning its mission to explore the planet's surface.