May 18
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "May_18".

May 18 is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 227 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine.
• 1268 - The Principality of Antioch, a crusader state, falls to the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in the Battle of Antioch.
• 1302 - Bruges Matins, the nocturnal massacre of the French garrison in Bruges by members of the local Flemish militia.
• 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: The first great military triumph of the revolution of the Río de la Plata in Uruguay lead by Jose Artigas.
• 1848 - Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) in Frankfurt, Germany.
• 1863 - American Civil War: The Battle of Vicksburg begins.
• 1869 - Surrender and dissolution of the Ezo Republic to Japan.
• 1869 - The Public Credit Act is signed by Ulysses S. Grant, one of his first actions as President of the United States.
• 1876 - Wyatt Earp starts work in Dodge City, Kansas.
• 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 results 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 is passed, giving the President of the United States 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 D. 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 German paratroopers ("Fallschirmjäger") evacuate Monte Cassino.
• 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.
• 1958 - An F-104 Starfighter sets a world speed record of 2,259.82 km/h (1,404.19 mph).
• 1959 - Launching of the National Liberation Committee of Côte d'Ivoire in Conakry, Guinea.
• 1969 - Apollo program: Apollo 10 is launched.
• 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 - Gwangju Massacre: Students in Gwangju, South Korea begin demonstrations, calling for democratic reforms.
• 1983 - In Ireland, the government launches 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 of 515.3km/h.
• 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 but is unrecognised by the international community.
• 1992 - The Archivist of the United States officially announces the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution.
• 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, 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)
• 1851 - James Budd, Governor of California (d. 1908)
• 1868 - Nicholas II of Russia, Tsar 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)
• 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 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)
• 1930 - Warren Rudman, American politician
• 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
• 1962 - Mike Darnell, American television executive
• 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 writer/actress
• 1971 - Brad Friedel, American soccer player
• 1971 - Nobuteru Taniguchi, Japanese racing driver
• 1972 - Turner Stevenson, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1973 - Dario Franchitti, Scottish racecar driver
• 1974 - Nelson Figueroa, American baseball player
• 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
• 1979 - Julián Speroni, Argentine footballer
• 1980 - Jeff Roehl, American football player
• 1980 - Ali Zafar, Pakistani singer and model
• 1980 - Aileen Campbell, Scottish Politician
• 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 - Scarlett Keegan, Playboy Playmate
• 1984 - Joakim Soria, Mexican baseball player
• 1984 - Niki Terpstra, Dutch cyclist
• 1986 - Ryan Lamb, English rugby union player
• 1987 - Luisana Lopilato, Argentine actress and model
• 1988 - Ryan Cooley, Canadian television actor
• 1992 - Spencer Breslin, American actor
• 1997 - Alana Etheridge, American actress

Deaths

• 1401 - Władysław Opolczyk (German: Ladislaus von Oppel, count palatine of Hungary 1367-1372, governor of Halych-Volhynia 1372 - 1378, count palatine of Poland
• 1450 - Sejong the Great of Joseon, ruler of Korea (b. 1397)
• 1550 - John, Cardinal of Lorraine, French churchman (b. 1498)
• 1551 - Domenico di Pace Beccafumi, Italian Renaissance-Mannerist painter (d. 1486)
• 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)
• 1980 - David A. Johnston, a U.S. Volcanoligist was also a victim of Mount St. Helens eruption (b. 1949)
• 1980 - Reid Blackburn, a photojournalist for National Geographic was also a victim of Mount St. Helens eruption (b. 1952)
• 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, Jr., 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)
• 2000 - Maulana Yousuf Ludhianvi, Muslim scholar
• 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)
• 2007 - Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, French physicist (b. 1932)
• 2007 - Yoyoy Villame, Philippine novelty singer and movie actor (b. 1932)

Holidays and observances

• International Museum Day
• Renascence, Unity and Poetry Day of Makhtumkuli in Turkmenistan
• Festival of the god Pan in Ancient Greece
• Festival of Faunus in Ancient Rome
• Liturgical feast day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church:
  • Saint Eric of Sweden
  • Saint Dioscorus
  • St. Felix of Cantalice
  • Pope John I
  • Venantius of Camerino
• Feast day of Saint Alexandra in the Eastern Orthodox Church
• Flag Day in Haiti

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada