The 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami occurred on August 17, 1976, at 00:11 local time near the Philippine islands of Mindanao and Sulu. On the moment magnitude scale, its magnitude was calculated to be as high as 8.0. It was the deadliest and most powerful earthquake to strike the Philippines in 58 years, since the Celebes Sea earthquake in 1918.

Sachin Pilgaonkar, better known by his stage name Sachin, is an Indian Marathi and Hindi-language actor, director, producer, writer, and singer who directed and acted in several Marathi films in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Disha Vakani is an Indian film and television actress who was born on August 17, 1978. She rose to prominence as Daya Jethalal Gada in the sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Disha Vakani was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to a Gujarati Jain family. She received her diploma in drama from Gujarat College in Ahmedabad.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (August 18, 1900 – December 1, 1990) was an Indian diplomat and politician who served as the sixth Governor of Maharashtra and the eighth President of the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the first woman to hold either position. Her brother, Jawaharlal Nehru, was the first Prime Minister of independent India, her niece, Indira Gandhi, was the first female Prime Minister of India, and her grand-nephew, Rajiv Gandhi, was the sixth Prime Minister of India.

Nirmala Sitharaman (born August 18, 1959) is an Indian economist and politician who has served as India's Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs since 2019. She has been a member of the Rajya Sabha, India's upper house, since 2014. Sitharaman previously served as India's Defence Minister, becoming the country's second female defense minister as well as the country's second female finance minister after Indira Gandhi and the first full-time female finance minister.

Sampooran Singh Kalra (born August 18, 1934) is an Indian poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director best known for his work in Hindi cinema. He began his career as a lyricist for music director S.D. Burman in the 1963 film Bandini and has worked with many music directors, including R. D. Burman, Salil Chowdhury, Vishal Bhardwaj, and A. R. Rahman. Gulzar also composes poetry, dialogues, and screenplays. During the 1970s, he directed films such as Aandhi and Mausam, and in the 1980s, he directed the TV series Mirza Ghalib. In 1993, he directed Kirdaar.

Andy Samberg (born August 18, 1978) is a comedian, actor, musician, producer, and writer from the United States. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and appeared on Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2012, where he and his fellow cast members are credited with popularising the SNL Digital Shorts.

The Double Eagle II balloon, piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman, became the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean when it landed in Miserey near Paris on August 17, 1978, 137 hours and 6 minutes after leaving Presque Isle, Maine.

On August 18, 2018, Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopra and singer Nick Jonas exchanged rings in a private engagement ceremony in Mumbai. The ceremony, which included Indian rituals, was held in their parents' presence. Following their engagement announcement, the famous couple received a lot of publicity and news coverage.

Subhas Chandra Bose was an Indian nationalist who lived from 23 January 1897 to 18 August 1945. His defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan left a legacy of authoritarianism, anti-Semitism, and military failure. The honorific Netaji (Hindustani for "Respected Leader") was bestowed upon Bose in early 1942 by Indian soldiers of the Indische Legion and German and Indian officials in Berlin's Special Bureau for India. It is now widely used in India.

On August 18, 1962, Ringo Starr made his debut as a member of the Beatles at a horticultural society dance in Port Sunlight. Following his appearance at the Cavern Club the next day, Best fans protested outside his house and at the club, chanting "Pete forever! Ringo never!"

Following India's partition on August 17, 1947, the Radcliffe Line was declared as the border between India and Pakistan. The line is named after Sir Cyril Radcliffe, who was tasked with dividing 4,50,000 square kilometres of land among 88 million people.

Daler Singh (born August 18, 1967) is an Indian singer, songwriter, author, and record producer better known as Daler Mehndi. He was instrumental in making Bhangra and Indian pop music popular outside of Bollywood. His dance songs, voice, turban, and long, flowing robes made him famous.

Initially, the IIT started functioning from 5, Esplanade East, Calcutta, and very soon shifted to Hijli in Sept. 1950. The present name 'Indian Institute of Technology was adopted before the formal inauguration of the Institute on August 18, 1951, by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.