From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (139th in leap years). There are 227 days remaining.
[edit] 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, India
- 1593 - Playwright Thomas Kyd's accusations of heresy lead to an arrest warrant for Christopher Marlowe.
- 1631 - In Dorchester, Massachusetts, 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 during the festivities of the coronation of Russian Tsar Nicholas II resulted in the deaths of 1389 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 passes the U.S. Congress giving the President the power of conscription.
- 1926 - Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson disappears while visiting a Venice, California, 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 - Germans evacuate Monte Cassino and Allied forces take the stronghold after a struggle that claimed 20,000 lives.
- 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 launches.
- 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.
- 1980 - 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption: Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage.
- 1980 - Ian Curtis, Joy Division singer, committed suicide in his own house.
- 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.
- 1995 - Alain Juppé becomes Prime Minister of France.
- 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.
[edit] Births
- 1048 - Omar Khayyám, Persian poet (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, Serbian atomic theorist (d. 1787)
- 1778 - Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry (d. 1854)
- 1785 - John Wilson, Scottish writer (d. 1854)
- 1797 - Frederick Augustus II of Saxony (d. 1854)
- 1850 - Oliver Heaviside, English physicist (d. 1925)
- 1868 - Nikolai Aleksandrovich Romanov, Nicholas II, Last Emperor of Russia (d. 1918)
- 1872 - Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, English mathematician and philosopher, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature (d. 1970)
- 1876 - Hermann Müller, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1931)
- 1882 - Babe Adams, Baseball player (d. 1968)
- 1883 - Eurico Gaspar Dutra, President of Brazil (d. 1974)
- 1883 - Walter Gropius, German architect (d. 1969)
- 1887 - 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 producer, director, and writer (d. 1991)
- 1901 - Vincent du Vigneaud, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1978)
- 1902 - Meredith Willson, American composer (d. 1984)
- 1905 - Hedley Verity, English cricketer (d. 1943)
- 1907 - Carl Mydans, American photographer (d. 2004)
- 1911 - Big Joe Turner, American blues singer (d. 1985)
- 1912 - Perry Como, American singer (d. 2001)
- 1912 - Richard Brooks, American film director, writer and producer (d. 1992)
- 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)
- 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 - 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
- 1926 - Dirch Passer, Danish actor (d. 1980)
- 1928 - Pernell Roberts, American actor
- 1929 - Jack Sanford, baseball player (d. 2000)
- 1931 - Don Martin, American cartoonist (d. 2000)
- 1931 - Robert Morse, American actor
- 1934 - Dwayne Hickman, American actor and television executive
- 1937 - Brooks Robinson, baseball player
- 1937 - Jacques Santer, Luxembourg statesman
- 1939 - Giovanni Falcone, Italian magistrate (d. 1992)
- 1942 - Albert Hammond, British musician and composer
- 1942 - Nobby Stiles, English footballer
- 1943 - James Reiher, American professional wrestler
- 1946 - Reggie Jackson, 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 - Rodney Milburn, American athlete (d. 1997)
- 1950 - Mark Mothersbaugh, American composer, musician, and singer (Devo)
- 1952 - George Strait, American musician
- 1952 - Diane Duane, American writer
- 1955 - Chow Yun-Fat, Hong Kong actor
- 1957 - Michael Cretu, German musician (Enigma)
- 1959 - Jay Wells, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1960 - Jari Kurri, Finnish hockey player
- 1960 - Yannick Noah, French tennis player
- 1962 - Nanne Grönvall, Swedish singer
- 1962 - Sandra Cretu, German singer
- 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
- 1970 - Daniel Sonenberg, American composer and performer
- 1971 - Brad Friedel, American soccer player
- 1973 - Brian Heffron, 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
- 1980 - Jeff Roehl, American football player
- 1981 - Mahamadou Diarra, Malian footballer
- 1982 - Eric West, American singer and actor
- 1983 - Vince Young, American football player
- 1983 - Gary O'Neil, English footballer
- 1988 - Ryan Cooley, Canadian television actor
[edit] Deaths
- 1450 - Sejong the Great of Joseon, ruler of Korea (b. 1397)
- 1550 - John, Cardinal of Lorraine, 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?)
- 1889 - Isabella Glyn Dallas, British 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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, British musician, singer and lyricist (Joy Division) (b. 1956)
- 1981 - William Saroyan, American author (b. 1908)
- 1988 - Daws Butler, American voice actor (b. 1916)
- 1990 - Jill Ireland, British actress (b. 1936)
- 1992 - Marshall Thompson, American actor (b. 1925)
- 1995 - Elisha Cook Jr., American actor (b. 1903)
- 1995 - Alexander Godunov, Russian ballet dancer and actor (b. 1949)
- 1995 - Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress (b. 1933)
- 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, wrestler
- 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)
- 2006 - Andrew Martinez, U.C. Berkeley's "Naked Guy" (b. 1972)
[edit] Holidays and Observances
[edit] External links
