January 1918

[January 1], 1918 (Tuesday)

• The Stavropol Soviet Republic was established around Stavropol, Russia until it eventually merged with North Caucasian Soviet Republic in December.
• The Royal Flying Corps established air squadrons No. 117, No. 120, No. 121, No. 122, and No. 141.
• The Luftstreitkräfte, the air arm of the Imperial German Army, established air squadrons Jagdstaffel 54, 55, and 56.
• The Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York was established as the replacement for the Coroner of New York City, with Charles Norris as the first chief medical examiner.
• The Mare Island Marines of California beat the Camp Lewis Army from American Lake, Washington 19–7 in the fourth Rose Bowl football game.
• Popular British novelist and wartime propagandist Hall Caine was made an Order of the British Empire.
• The operetta Where the Lark Sings, by Hungarian composer Franz Lehár, premiered at the Royal Opera House in Budapest.
• The Serbian-Croatian literary magazine Literary south released its first edition as a medium to promote Yugoslavism in literary culture.
• Born:
• * Patrick Anthony Porteous, British army officer, commander of the No. 4 Commando unit during World War II, recipient of the Victoria Cross; in Abbottabad, British India
• * Jaja Wachuku, Nigerian politician, first Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria from 1961 to 1965; in Nbawsi, Southern Region, British Nigeria
• Died: William Wilfred Campbell, 57, Canadian poet, known for his poetry collections including Lake Lyrics and Other Poems, member of the Confederation Poets

  [January 2], 1918 (Wednesday)

• The Air Ministry for the Government of the United Kingdom was established with Lord Rothermere appointed as its first minister.
• The hockey team Montreal Wanderers disbanded following the destruction of the Montreal Arena by fire.
• Popular British novelist Marie Corelli was convicted under wartime legislation for hoarding food.
• U.S. President Woodrow Wilson established the Distinguished Service Cross on the recommendation of General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces. Pershing suggested Americans serving in World War I should receive an award similar to those cited by European armed forces as opposed to the tradition Medal of Honor usually awarded for heroic action in American military operations. By the end of war, over 6,309 awards were made to 6,185 recipients.
• Died: Katharine A. O'Keeffe O'Mahoney, 62-66, American poet and educator, noted instructor to Robert Frost, author of ''Famous Irishwomen''

  [January 3], 1918 (Thursday)

• The Daily Mail published an editorial strongly criticizing the British Army's policy of not disclosing the names of successful Royal Flying Corps pilots unless they were killed, and that naming successful pilots as done in France and Germany would improve public morale.
• The Air Council for the newly established Air Ministry of the United Kingdom was formed.
• The United States Marine Corps established the 11th Marine Regiment as part of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade in France.
• Sri Lankan newspaper baron D. R. Wijewardena founded the English-language newspaper Daily News.
• Died: Edwin Dodgson, 71, English clergy, missionary to Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic Ocean, youngest brother to Lewis Carroll

  [January 4], 1918 (Friday)

• Finland was officially recognized as a sovereign nation by Russia.
• British hospital ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bristol Channel by German submarine, killing four people with the rest of the 566 on board rescued.
• The South Indian Railway Company opened a new rail line between Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram, India, including stations for Eravipuram, Mayyanad and Paravur.
• Born: Robert L. Floyd, American politician, 24th Mayor of Miami; in Cincinnati, United States

  [January 5], 1918 (Saturday)

• A massive fire caused by a series of explosions destroyed four hangars and five airships at the Imperial German Navy airship base in Tondern, Denmark. Four civilian workers and 10 naval personnel were killed, while another 134 were injured.
• The United States Army established the 8th Infantry Division, known for its nickname "Pathfinder".
• The New York City Subway system added more stations to the BMT Broadway Line, including City Hall, Cortlandt Street, Rector Street, 23rd Street and 28th Street.
• Born:
• * Jack Kramer, American baseball player, pitcher for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox, New York Giants, and New York Yankees from 1939 to 1951; as John Henry Kramer, in New Orleans, United States
• * Robert Richardson, American air force pilot, commander of the 4th Fighter Wing during World War II, recipient of the Legion of Merit, Air Medal, and Croix de guerre; in Rockford, Illinois, United States

  [January 6], 1918 (Sunday)

• German flying ace Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp was killed when his plane was shot down by Royal Flying Corps aces Frank Granger Quigley and William Mayes Fry during an air battle over Ypres. He had 28 victories to his credit when he died.
• The Luftstreitkräfte established air squadrons Jagdstaffel 57, 58, and 59.
• Died: Georg Cantor, 72, German mathematician, developed set theory for mathematical study

  [January 7], 1918 (Monday)

• Responding to public pressure from British newspapers, the British Army published in the Daily Mail "Our Wonderful Airmen – Their Names At Last," the first article identifying living Royal Flying Corps pilots by name. Included in the article were the exploits of British flying aces Philip Fuller and James McCudden.
• The musical Oh, Lady! Lady!!, written by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse with music by Jerome Kern, premiered in Albany, New York before being revised for Broadway a month later.
• Born: Kevin A. Lynch, American urban planner, author of The Image of the City; in Chicago, United States
• Died: Julius Wellhausen, 73, German historian, leading expert on biblical and Islamic history, author of ''Prologue to the History of Israel''

  [January 8], 1918 (Tuesday)

• Shamkhor massacre - An Azerbaijani unit under orders from the Military Council of Nationalities of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic moved to engage and disarm a retreating and disorganized Russian army column in the South Caucasus region, meeting up with thousands of Russian troops at a rail line near the village of Shamkhor in what is now Azerbaijan. After Russian soldiers refused to give up their arms, the conflict escalated until shots were fired and the Azerbaijanis stormed the train, killing hundreds before disarming the column and seizing 20 artillery pieces and 70 machine guns.
• Billy Hughes resigned as Prime Minister of Australia as promised following the defeat of the referendum on conscription. He was immediately sworn in again by the Governor-General of Australia as there were no alternative candidates.
• U.S. President Woodrow Wilson delivered his Fourteen Points speech to United States Congress outlining the statement of principles the United States would use in peace negotiations following the end of World War I.
• A group of wineries in Paarl, South Africa formed the Co-operative Winemakers Union' of South Africa, or KWV for its Afrikaner acronym, becoming known for its international brand of wines, spirits, and liqueurs.
• Born: Bruce Kingsbury, Australian soldier, member of the 2/14th Australian Battalion, recipient of the Victoria Cross for action at the Battle of Isurava during World War II; in Melbourne, Australia
• Died: Ellis H. Roberts, 90, American politician, 20th Treasurer of the United States

  [January 9], 1918 (Wednesday)

• An election for 301 deputies to the Ukrainian Constituent Assembly was called, with the elected assembly to convene by January 20. However, Bolshevik uprisings in major Ukrainian cities during the following weeks prevented the assembly from happening, even though unofficial election results had 70 percent of the electorate voting for Ukrainian political parties as opposed to Soviet ones.
• U.S. President Woodrow Wilson pledged the United States House of Representatives pass an amendment to the U.S. Constitution for women to have the right to vote.
• Federal troops engaged Yaqui Indian warriors at the Battle of Bear Valley in Arizona, a minor skirmish and one of the last battles of the American Indian Wars between the United States and Native Americans.
• German submarine was depth charged and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Algeria with the loss of all 31 crew.
• According to a Japanese government official report, a powder snow avalanche hit in Mitsumata village,, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The resulting death toll number was 158 persons, the worst avalanche accident in nation's history.
• German flying ace Max Ritter von Müller was killed during a dog fight with three British planes over Moorslede, Belgium. Bullets struck the fuel tank of the German pilot's Albatros airplane, causing it to ignite. Müller was forced to abandon the plane without a parachute and plummeted to his death. He was credited with 36 kills, making him the 15th-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I.
• Born: Alma Ziegler, American baseball player, infielder and pitcher for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1944 to 1954; in Chicago, United States
• Died: Émile Reynaud, 73, French inventor, developed the praxinoscope, precursor to modern film projection

  [January 10], 1918 (Thursday)

• A Russian delegation headed by Leon Trotsky recognized the Ukrainian People's Republic as a sovereign nation during opening peace negotiations with the Central Powers.
• The United States House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment to extend voting rights to women by two-thirds of the House, with only one vote to spare. However, the Senate held off debate on the vote until October.
• Born:
• * Arthur Chung, Guyanese state leader, first President of Guyana, first Asian head of state of a non-Asian country; in West Demerara, British Guiana
• * Gunnar Sønsteby, Norwegian army officer, commander of Norwegian Independent Company 1, most decorated Norwegian soldier during World War II including the War Cross, Distinguished Service Order, Defence Medal, and Medal of Freedom; in Rjukan, Norway
• Died: María Dolores Rodríguez Sopeña, 69, Spanish clergy, founder of the Sisters of the Catechetical Institute, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003, in Vélez-Rubio, Spain