May 18 in recent years
2009 (Monday)
2008 (Sunday)
2007 (Friday)
2006 (Thursday)
2005 (Wednesday)
2004 (Tuesday)
2003 (Sunday)
2002 (Saturday)
2001 (Friday)
2000 (Thursday)
May 18 is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are 226 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events [ ]
1152 - Henry II marries Eleanor of Aquitaine .
1268 - The Principality of Antioch , a crusader state , falls to the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in the Battle of Antioch ; Baibars ' destruction of the city of Antioch was so great as to permanently negate the city's importance.
1498 - Vasco da Gama reaches the port of Calicut
1593 - Playwright Thomas Kyd 's accusations of heresy lead to an arrest warrant for Christopher Marlowe .
1631 - In Dorchester , John Winthrop takes the oath of office and becomes the first Governor of Massachusetts .
1652 - Rhode Island passes the first law in North America making slavery illegal.
1765 - Fire destroys a large part of Montreal , Quebec .
1783 - First United Empire Loyalists reach Parrtown , Saint John , New Brunswick , Canada after leaving the United States .
1803 - Napoleonic Wars : The United Kingdom revokes the Treaty of Amiens and declares war on France .
1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor of the French by the French Senate .
1811 - Las Piedras Battle first great military triumph of the liberating revolution of the Río de la Plata in Uruguay leaded by Jose Artigas .
1825 - Theodoros Kolokotronis , general in the Greek War of Independence is released from prison.
1848 - Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung ) in Frankfurt , Germany .
1863 - American Civil War : The Siege of Vicksburg begins, ending on July 4 .
1869 - Surrender and dissolution of the Ezo Republic to Japan .
1869 - The Public Credit Act is passed by Ulysses S. Grant , one of his first actions as President of the United States . The Act endorsed the payment of the national debt after the American Civil War in gold currency instead of greenbacks .
1876 - Wyatt Earp starts work in Dodge City , Kansas under Marshal Larry Deger .
1896 - The United States Supreme Court rules in Plessy v. Ferguson that separate but equal is constitutional.
1896 - Khodynka Tragedy : a mass panic on Khodynka Field in Moscow during the festivities of the coronation of Russian Tsar Nicholas II resulted in the deaths of 1,389 people.
1897 - Dracula , a novel by Irish author Bram Stoker is published.
1900 - The United Kingdom proclaims a protectorate over Tonga .
1910 - The Earth passes through the tail of Comet Halley .
1917 - World War I : The Selective Service Act of 1917 passes the U.S. Congress giving the President the power of conscription .
1926 - Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson disappears while visiting a Venice , beach.
1927 - The Bath School Disaster : Forty-five people are killed by bombs planted by a disgruntled school-board member in Michigan .
1933 - New Deal : President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signs an act creating the Tennessee Valley Authority .
1944 - World War II : Battle of Monte Cassino - Conclusion after seven days of the fourth battle as Germans evacuate Monte Cassino and Allied forces take the stronghold after a struggle that claimed 20,000 lives over four months.
1944 - Deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union government.
1944 - World War II : SS troops burn down six villages in the Brkini hills in south western Slovenia .
1948 - The First Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China officially convenes in Nanking .
1953 - Jackie Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier (she flew in a F-86 Sabrejet at an average speed of 652.337 miles per hour (1049.835 km/h) at Rogers Dry Lake , California ).
1958 - An F-104 Starfighter sets a world speed record of 1,404.19 mph (2,259.82 km/h).
1959 - Launching of the National Liberation Committee of Côte d'Ivoire in Conakry , Guinea .
1969 - Apollo program : Apollo 10 launched. Crewed by astronauts Tom Stafford , Gene Cernan , and John Young . Dress-rehearsal flight for the moon landing missions that followed.
1974 - Nuclear test : Under project Smiling Buddha , India successfully detonates its first nuclear weapon becoming the sixth nation to do so.
1974 - Completion of the Warsaw radio mast , the tallest construction ever built at the time. It later collapses on August 8 , 1991 .
1974 - Willemstad, Curaçao Football Club: UNion DEportivo Banda Abou "UNDEBA"(UND)have been founded.
1980 - 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption : Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington , killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage.
1980 - Gwangju Massacre : Students in Gwangju , South Korea begin demonstrations, calling for democratic reforms.
1983 - In Ireland , scene of remarkable pirate radio broadcasting during the decade, the Government launched a crackdown, with the leading Dublin pirate Radio Nova being put off the air.
1990 - In France , a modified TGV train achieves a new rail world speed record - 515.3km/h - superseding the previous record of 406.9km/h set by the German InterCityExperimental train
1991 - Helen Sharman from Sheffield becomes the first Briton to orbit in Space
1991 - Northern Somalia declares independence from the rest of Somalia as the Republic of Somaliland however it is unrecognised by the international community.
1992 - The Archivist of the United States issues a proclamation to officially announce that the 27th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has been ratified, despite more than 200 years for completion of the ratification process by the state legislatures .
1998 - United States v. Microsoft : The United States Department of Justice and 20 U.S. states file an antitrust case against Microsoft .
2006 - The post Loktantra Andolan government passes a landmark bill curtailing the power of the monarchy and making Nepal a secular country.
Births [ ]
1048 - Omar Khayyám , Persian mathematician, poet and philosopher (d. 1131 )
1186 - Konstantin of Rostov , Prince of Novgorod (d. 1218 )
1474 - Isabella d'Este , Marquise of Mantua (d. 1539 )
1610 - Stefano della Bella , Italian printmaker (d. 1664 )
1616 - Johann Jakob Froberger , German composer (d. 1667 )
1662 (O.S. ) - George Smalridge , English bishop of Bristol (d. 1719 )
1692 (O.S. ) - Joseph Butler , English bishop and philosopher (d. 1752 )
1711 - Ruđer Josip Bošković , Croatian atomic theorist (d. 1787 )
1778 - Charles William Vane (d. 1854 )
1785 - John Wilson , Scottish writer (d. 1854 )
1797 - Frederick Augustus II of Saxony (d. 1854 )
1850 - Oliver Heaviside , English physicist (d. 1925 )
1851 - James Budd , Governor of California (d. 1908 )
1868 - Nikolai Aleksandrovich Romanov , Nicholas II, Last Emperor of Russia (d. 1918 )
1872 - Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell , English mathematician, writer and philosopher, Nobel laureate (d. 1970 )
1876 - Hermann Müller , Chancellor of Germany (d. 1931 )
1882 - Babe Adams , American baseball player (d. 1968 )
1883 - Eurico Gaspar Dutra , President of Brazil (d. 1974 )
1883 - Walter Gropius , German architect (d. 1969 )
1886 - Jeanie MacPherson , American actress and screenwriter (d. 1946 )
1889 - Thomas Midgley , American chemist and inventor (d. 1944 )
1891 - Rudolf Carnap , German philosopher (d. 1970 )
1892 - Ezio Pinza , Italian-born bass (d. 1957 )
1897 - Frank Capra , American film producer, director, and writer (d. 1991 )
1901 - Vincent du Vigneaud , American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1978 )
1902 - Meredith Willson , American composer (d. 1984 )
1904 - Jacob K. Javits , American politician (d. 1986 )
1905 - Hedley Verity , English cricketer (d. 1943 )
1907 - Carl Mydans , American photographer (d. 2004 )
1909 - Fred Perry , British former tennis player (d. 1995 )
1911 - Big Joe Turner , American blues singer (d. 1985 )
1912 - Richard Brooks , American film director, writer and producer (d. 1992 )
1912 - Perry Como , American singer (d. 2001 )
1912 - Walter Sisulu , South African anti-apartheid activist (d. 2003 )
1913 - Jane Birdwood , British anti-Semitic activist (d. 2000 )
1913 - Charles Trenet , French singer and songwriter (d. 2001 )
1913 - Neelam Sanjiva Reddy , Fifth President of India (d. 1996 )
1914 - Pierre Balmain , French fashion designer (d. 1982 )
1918 - George Welch , American pilot and war hero (d. 1954 )
1918 - Massimo Girotti , Italian actor (d. 2003 )
1919 - Dame Margot Fonteyn , English ballet dancer (d. 1991 )
1920 - Pope John Paul II (d. 2005 )
1920 - Lucia Mannucci , Italian singer (Quartetto Cetra )
1922 - Gerda Boyesen , Norwegian-born body psychotherapist (d. 2005 )
1922 - Bill Macy , American actor
1922 - Kai Winding , Danish-born musician (d. 1983 )
1923 - Hugh Shearer , Prime Minister of Jamaica (d. 2004 )
1923 - Jean-Louis Roux , French Canadian actor and artistic director
1924 - Priscilla Pointer , American actress
1924 - Jack Whitaker , American sportscaster
1926 - Dirch Passer , Danish actor (d. 1980 )
1928 - Pernell Roberts , American actor
1929 - Jack Sanford , American baseball player (d. 2000 )
1931 - Don Martin , American cartoonist (d. 2000 )
1931 - Robert Morse , American actor
1933 - Bernadette Chirac , French politician
1934 - Dwayne Hickman , American actor and television executive
1937 - Brooks Robinson , American baseball player
1937 - Jacques Santer , Luxembourg statesman
1939 - Giovanni Falcone , Italian magistrate (d. 1992 )
1939 - Gordon O'Connor , Canadian politician
1941 - Lobby Loyde , Australian guitarist and songwriter (d. 2007 )
1942 - Albert Hammond , British musician and composer
1942 - Nobby Stiles , English footballer
1943 - James Reiher , American professional wrestler
1944 - W. G. Sebald , German-born writer (d. 2001 )
1946 - Bruce Gilbert , English musician (Wire )
1946 - Frank Hsieh , former Premier of Taiwan
1946 - Reggie Jackson , American baseball player
1946 - Andreas Katsulas , American actor (d. 2006 )
1947 - John Bruton , ninth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland
1949 - Rick Wakeman , English composer and musician (Yes )
1949 - Bill Wallace , Canadian musician (The Guess Who )
1950 - Thomas Gottschalk , German television show host
1950 - Mark Mothersbaugh , American composer, musician, and singer (Devo )
1952 - Diane Duane , American writer
1952 - George Strait , American musician
1952 - Jeana Yeager , American aviator
1955 - Chow Yun-Fat , Hong Kong actor
1957 - Michael Cretu , German musician (Enigma )
1958 - Toyah Willcox , English actor and singer
1959 - Jay Wells , Canadian ice hockey player
1960 - Jari Kurri , Finnish ice hockey player
1960 - Yannick Noah , French tennis player
1962 - Mike Whitmarsh , American Volleyball Player
1962 - Nanne Grönvall , Swedish singer
1962 - Sandra Cretu , German singer
1965 - Ingo Schwichtenberg , German drummer (d. 1995 )
1966 - Michael Tait , American musician (dc Talk , Tait )
1967 - Heinz-Harald Frentzen , German F1 driver
1969 - Martika , Cuban-American singer
1970 - Tina Fey , American comedian/actress
1971 - Brad Friedel , American soccer player
1971 - Nobuteru Taniguchi , Japanese racing driver
1972 - Turner Stevenson , Canadian ice hockey player
1973 - Brian Heffron , American professional wrestler better known as the "Blue Meanie"
1975 - John Higgins , Scottish snooker player
1975 - Jack Johnson , American musician
1975 - Peter Iwers , Swedish bass player (In Flames )
1976 - Oleg Tverdovsky , Ukrainian ice hockey player
1977 - Lee Hendrie , English footballer
1977 - Danny Mills , English footballer
1978 - Ricardo Carvalho , Portuguese footballer
1979 - Mariusz Lewandowski , Polish footballer
1979 - Michal Martikán , Slovak slalom canoiest
1980 - Jeff Roehl , American football player
1980 - Ali Zafar , Pakistani singer and model
1981 - Mahamadou Diarra , Malian footballer
1982 - Jason Brown , English-born footballer
1982 - Eric West , American singer and actor
1983 - Gary O'Neil , English footballer
1983 - Luis Terrero , Dominican baseball player
1983 - Vince Young , American football player
1984 - Niki Terpstra , Dutch cyclist
1987 - Luisana Lopilato , Argentine actress and model
1988 - Ryan Cooley , Canadian television actor
1991 - Michael Edwards , Lacrosse player
1992 - Spencer Breslin , American actor
1997 - Alana Etheridge , American actress
Deaths [ ]
1450 - Sejong the Great of Joseon , ruler of Korea (b. 1397 )
1550 - John , French churchman (b. 1498 )
1584 - Ikeda Motosuke , Japanese samurai commander (b. 1559 )
1675 - Stanisław Lubieniecki , Polish astronomer (b. 1623 )
1675 - Jacques Marquette , French Jesuit missionary and explorer (b. 1637 )
1692 - Elias Ashmole , English antiquarian (b. 1617 )
1733 - Georg Böhm , German organist (b. 1761 )
1780 - Charles Hardy , British governor of Newfoundland
1781 - Túpac Amaru II , Peruvian Indian revolutionary, a descendant of the last Inca ruler, Túpac Amaru (b. 1742 )
1799 - Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais , French playwright (b. 1732 )
1800 - Alexander Suvorov , Russian general (b. 1729 )
1807 - John Douglas , Scottish Anglican bishop and man of letters (b. 1721 )
1808 - Elijah Craig , American minister and inventor (b. 1738 ?)
1829 - Maria Josepha of Saxony , queen consort of Spain (b. 1803 )
1844 - Richard McCarty , American politician (b. 1780 )
1889 - Isabella Glyn Dallas, Scottish Shakepearean actress (b. 1823 )
1900 - Jean Gaspard Felix Ravaisson-Mollien , French philosopher (b. 1813 )
1909 - George Meredith , English novelist and poet (b. 1828 )
1909 - Isaac Albéniz , Spanish pianist and composer (b. 1860 )
1910 - Pauline Garcia-Viardot , French mezzo-soprano and composer (b. 1821 )
1910 - Eliza Orzeszkowa , Polish novelist (b.1841 )
1911 - Gustav Mahler , Austrian composer (b. 1860 )
1922 - Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran , French physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1845 )
1927 - Andrew Kehoe , American mass murderer (b. 1872 )
1941 - Werner Sombart , German economist and sociologist (b. 1863 )
1955 - Mary McLeod Bethune , American educator and activist (b. 1875 )
1956 - Maurice Tate , English cricketer (b. 1895 )
1963 - Ernie Davis , American football player (b. 1939 )
1967 - Andy Clyde , American actor (b. 1892 )
1971 - Aleksandr Gennadievich Kurosh , Russian mathematician (b. 1908 )
1973 - Jeannette Rankin , first U.S. Congresswoman (b. 1880 )
1975 - Leroy Anderson , American composer (b. 1908 )
1980 - Ian Curtis , English musician, singer and lyricist (Joy Division ) (b. 1956 )
1980 - Harry Truman , victim of Mount St. Helens eruption (b. 1896 )
1981 - Arthur O'Connell , American actor (b. 1908 )
1981 - William Saroyan , American author (b. 1908 )
1988 - Daws Butler , American voice actor (b. 1916 )
1990 - Jill Ireland , English actress (b. 1936 )
1992 - Skip Stephenson , American TV personality (b. 1940 )
1992 - Marshall Thompson , American actor (b. 1925 )
1995 - Elisha Cook , American actor (b. 1903 )
1995 - Alexander Godunov , Russian ballet dancer and actor (b. 1949 )
1995 - Elizabeth Montgomery , American actress (b. 1933 )
1997 - Bridgette Andersen , American actress (b. 1975 )
1999 - Augustus Pablo , Jamaican singer (b. 1954 )
1999 - Betty Robinson , American runner (b. 1911 )
2000 - Stephen M. Wolownik , Russian musician and arranger (b. 1946 )
2002 - Davey Boy Smith , English professional wrestler (b. 1962 )
2003 - Anna Santisteban , Puerto Rican beauty contest organizer (b. 1914 )
2003 - Barb Tarbox , Canadian anti-smoking crusader (b. 1961 )
2004 - Elvin Jones , American jazz drummer (b. 1927 )
2004 - Serge Turgeon , Quebec actor and union leader (b. 1946 )
2006 - Andrew Martinez , U.C. Berkeley 's "Naked Guy" (b. 1972 )
2006 - Marissa Cooper , fictional character on FOX's "The O.C." (b. 1988 )
2007 - Pierre-Gilles de Gennes , French physicist (b. 1932 )
2007 - Yoyoy Villame , Philippine novelty singer and movie actor (b. 1932 )
Holidays and observances [ ]
External links [ ]
137 Familypedia people were born on May 18
182 Familypedia people died on May 18
104 Familypedia people were first married on May 18