January 18

Events

• 532: The Nika riots are put down by General Belisarius. 30,000 rioters are slain in Constantinople.
• 1854: Greek guerrilas attack Turkish positions near Komboti, Arta, Epirus.
• 1913: The Naval Battle of Lemnos ends in Greek victory.
• 1957: EOKA guerilla fighter, Markos Drakos, is ambushed and slain by the British at Solea, Cyprus.
• 1982: A major earthquake (7.0 on the Richter scale) strikes off the coast of Thasos.
• 1996: Costas Simitis becomes leader of PASOK and Prime Minister of Greece
• 1997: A powerful earthquake (6.6 on the Richter scale) strikes Zakynthos.

Vasilis Tsitsanis was born this day

Sports

• 1899: The first football game in Patras is held as Panachaikos G.S. (ancestor of Panachaiki FC) defeat the team of British Ship «Boxier» 4-2.

Births

• 1913: Yiannis Papaioannou, rebetika songwriter.
• 1915: Vassilis Tsitsanis, composer.

Deaths

• 474: Leo I, Byzantine emperor
• 1957: Markos Drakos
• 1984: Vassilis Tsitsanis
• 1997: Paul Tsongas, Greek-American politician.
• 1998: Dan Georgiadis, football coach.

Namesday

• Saint Athanasius