Today is Wednesday, July 18, the 200th day of 2012. There are 166 days left in the year.
64 ― Great Fire of Rome begins (Nero didn't fiddle)
1536 ― Pope's authority declared void in England
1872 ― Britain introduces secret ballot voting
1936 ― Spanish Civil War begins, Gen. Francisco Franco led uprising
1940 ― First successful helicopter flight, Stratford, Conn.
1955 ― First electric power generated from atomic energy sold commercially
1966 ― Carl Sagan turns 1 billion seconds old
1978 ― Billy Martin suspends Reggie Jackson for not bunting
1980 ― Rohini 1, first Indian satellite, launches into orbit
1986 ― Videotapes released showing Titanic's sunken remains