On this day: July 18

Whole Team Falls Ill After Pregame Meal in 1911

On July 18, 1911, members of a professional baseball team became seriously ill after consuming a pregame meal, an episode later linked to foodborne poisoning that disrupted the club’s schedule and highlighted early 20th-century food-safety risks.

Man survives lightning strike while using phone during storm

On July 18, 2016, a man was struck by lightning while using his mobile phone during a summer storm. He survived with burns and was treated in hospital; accounts emphasize the rarity but real risk of using electronic devices outdoors in severe weather.

Tabloids Release Secret Royal Phone Recordings from 1992

In July 1992 British tabloids published illicitly recorded telephone conversations involving senior royals, intensifying public scrutiny of the monarchy during a year of personal and institutional crises.