50 Fun Facts About 2018

Which US state received a false ballistic missile alert on January 13, 2018?

It took 38 minutes for officials to confirm the alert was a mistake, blamed on a miscommunicated drill.

Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua, announced in January 2018, were the first cloned what?

Chinese scientists used the same somatic cell nuclear transfer technique that produced Dolly the sheep in 1996.

Which company flew its Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time on February 6, 2018?

It launched from the same Kennedy Space Center pad as the Apollo missions, with Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster as the test payload.

The 2018 Winter Olympics were held in Pyeongchang in which country?

Norway topped the medal table with 39, and its 14 golds tied with Germany for the most.

Which country won the most medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics, with 39?

Germany was second with 31 and Canada third with 29. It was Norway's best-ever Winter Games haul.

Jacob Zuma resigned as president of which country in February 2018?

After nine years in power he was replaced by his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, amid corruption allegations.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with Novichok in which English city in March 2018?

More than 20 countries expelled over 100 Russian diplomats in response.

In March 2018, China removed term limits for its leader, benefiting whom?

The constitutional change allowed him to serve beyond the two five-year terms previously permitted.

The world's last male northern white rhinoceros died in March 2018 in which country?

Sudan, aged 45, left only two females at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, making the subspecies functionally extinct.

Which airline launched the first non-stop flights between Australia and the UK in March 2018?

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner route from Perth to Heathrow takes about 17 hours.

Which film was the first shown when cinemas reopened in Saudi Arabia in April 2018 after 35 years?

Cinemas had been banned in the kingdom since 1983. Women were permitted to drive for the first time two months later.

Miguel Díaz-Canel replaced Raúl Castro as president of which country in April 2018?

It was the first time since 1959 that Cuba was not led by a Castro, though Raúl stayed on as Communist Party first secretary.

Which African kingdom officially changed its English name to Eswatini in April 2018?

King Mswati III announced the change on the 50th anniversary of independence, partly to stop confusion with Switzerland.

In April 2018, Kim Jong Un crossed the DMZ to meet which South Korean president?

No North Korean leader had crossed the line since the zone was created in 1953.

Which separatist group in Spain announced its final dissolution in May 2018 after 40 years?

The Basque group had been blamed for more than 800 deaths since the late 1960s.

NASA's InSight probe, launched in May 2018, landed on which planet that November?

It carried a seismometer and a heat probe to study the planet's interior, and recorded the first 'marsquakes'.

Netta Barzilai won the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Toy' for which country?

The contest was held in Lisbon. Israel's win brought the 2019 edition to Tel Aviv.

Mahathir Mohamad's coalition ended 61 years of one-party rule in which country in May 2018?

At 92, he became the world's oldest serving head of government, returning to a job he had held from 1981 to 2003.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married on May 19, 2018, at which venue?

An estimated 1.9 billion people watched worldwide. The couple became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that morning.

Which EU privacy law took effect on May 25, 2018, prompting a flood of policy-update emails?

The General Data Protection Regulation applies to any company handling EU citizens' data, wherever it is based.

Which country voted by 66.4% in May 2018 to repeal its constitutional ban on abortion?

The vote repealed the Eighth Amendment, adopted in 1983. Northern Ireland decriminalised abortion the following year.

Real Madrid beat which club 3–1 in the 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv?

Gareth Bale's overhead kick and two Loris Karius errors decided Madrid's third straight European title.

Which team won the 2018 Stanley Cup, beating the expansion Vegas Golden Knights?

It was the Capitals' first Cup in 44 seasons, and Alexander Ovechkin was named playoff MVP.

The first summit between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader was held where in 2018?

Trump and Kim met at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island. A second summit in Hanoi in 2019 ended without a deal.

A June 2018 deal with Greece ended a 27-year naming dispute with which country?

The 27-year naming dispute had blocked the country's path into NATO and the EU.

France beat which country 4–2 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final in Moscow?

It was Croatia's first World Cup final. Kylian Mbappé became the first teenager to score in a final since Pelé in 1958.

Canada became the second country to legalise recreational cannabis in 2018, after which nation?

Uruguay legalised it in 2013. Canada was the first G7 country to do so.

Eritrea formally ended a 20-year conflict with which neighbour in July 2018?

Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize largely for the rapprochement.

In July 2018, scientists reported the first known body of liquid water on which planet?

The subglacial lake lies 1.5 km beneath the southern polar ice cap and stretches about 20 km across.

Which company became the first public firm worth $1 trillion, on August 2, 2018?

Amazon crossed the line a month later. Apple would reach $2 trillion just two years on, in August 2020.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe, launched in August 2018, was sent to study what?

It became the fastest human-made object ever and the first spacecraft to fly through the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona.

The Morandi Bridge, which collapsed in August 2018 killing 43 people, was in which Italian city?

A replacement designed by Genoa-born architect Renzo Piano opened in August 2020.

Which Swedish teenager began skipping school in August 2018 to protest climate inaction?

She was 15. Her solo sit-in outside parliament grew into the global Fridays for Future movement within a year.

KSI boxed which fellow YouTuber at Manchester Arena in August 2018?

The bout was scored a draw. Their professional rematch in Los Angeles the next year went to KSI on a split decision.

Hurricane Michael hit Mexico Beach in which US state as a Category 5 storm in October 2018?

With 160 mph winds it was the most intense hurricane to hit the US mainland since Camille in 1969.

The BepiColombo spacecraft, launched in October 2018, began a seven-year journey to which planet?

The joint European-Japanese mission needs nine planetary flybys to slow down enough to enter orbit.

The world's longest sea-crossing bridge, opened in 2018, links Hong Kong and Macau with which city?

The 55 km crossing includes a 6.7 km undersea tunnel between two artificial islands.

Which Rockstar Games western was released on October 26, 2018?

It went on to sell more than 50 million copies, making it one of the ten best-selling games of all time.

Who was elected president of Brazil in October 2018 with 55% of the vote?

He had been stabbed at a campaign rally the previous month and did much of his campaigning from a hospital bed.

Which NASA probe crossed the heliopause into interstellar space in November 2018?

Its twin had done the same in 2012. Both were launched in 1977 and are still sending data.

The Camp Fire, California's deadliest wildfire, destroyed which town in November 2018?

It killed 88 people and destroyed more than 18,000 buildings in Butte County; utility PG&E later pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges.

Chinese scientist He Jiankui shocked the world in November 2018 by announcing he had done what?

He said the CRISPR edits were meant to make the girls resistant to HIV. He was jailed for three years in 2019.

Drone sightings shut down which London airport for about 36 hours in December 2018?

Around 140,000 passengers and 1,000 flights were affected, the biggest disruption since the 2010 Icelandic ash cloud.

Which quarterback caught a touchdown on the 'Philly Special' and was MVP of Super Bowl LII?

The backup led the Eagles past the Patriots 41–33 for the franchise's first Super Bowl win and first NFL title since 1960.

Who was Finals MVP when the Warriors swept the Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Finals?

It was his second straight Finals MVP and the first Finals sweep since 2007, in the fourth consecutive Warriors–Cavs matchup.

The Boston Red Sox beat which team in five games to win the 2018 World Series?

Journeyman Steve Pearce was MVP and Alex Cora became the first Puerto Rican manager to win the Series, in his rookie season.

Which 2018 release became the first superhero film to gross $2 billion worldwide?

Black Panther was the year's number two at $1.3 billion and became the first superhero film nominated for Best Picture.

Which Guillermo del Toro film won Best Picture at the Oscars in March 2018?

It was only the second fantasy film to win, after The Return of the King, and del Toro also took Best Director.

Which Marvel Comics legend died on November 12, 2018, aged 95?

Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man, had died just months earlier in June. Lee's final cameo appeared in Avengers: Endgame.

Which 'Queen of Soul' died on August 16, 2018?

Her Detroit funeral ran more than eight hours, with performances from Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson and Ariana Grande.