is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). There are 227 days remaining.

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.
• 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 France 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 - Gwangju Massacre: Students in Gwangju, South Korea begin demonstrations, calling for democratic reforms.
• 1980 - Peru: Terrorist group Shining Path attacked a voting poll in the town of Chuschi, Ayacucho starting their activities.
• 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.
• 1991 - Helen Sharman from Sheffield becomes the first Briton to orbit in Space
• 1991 - 18th May, Chinese Natural Disaster, Flood killing 210,232,227.
• 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.
• 2004 - Randy Johnson throws the 17th perfect game in Major League Baseball history and became the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game.
• 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 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
• 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 - Lord Bertrand Russell, English mathematician and philosopher, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature (d. 1970)
• 1876 - Hermann Müller, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1931)
• 1883 - Eurico Gaspar Dutra, President of Brazil (d. 1974)
• 1883 - Walter Gropius, German architect (d. 1969)
• 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)
• 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 - Charles Trenet, French singer and songwriter (d. 2001)
• 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 - 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
• 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
• 1965 - Christopher Hall, American musician (Stabbing Westward)
• 1966 - Michael Tait, American member of Christian rock group dc Talk and founder of Christian rock group Tait.
• 1967 - Heinz-Harald Frentzen, F1 driver
• 1969 - Martika, Cuban-American singer
• 1970 - Tina Fey, American writer, comedian, and actress (Saturday Night Live)
• 1970 - Daniel Sonenberg, American composer and performer
• 1971 - Brad Friedel, American football (soccer) 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 (Aston Villa F.C.)
• 1977 - Danny Mills, English footballer
• 1978 - Ricardo Carvalho, Portuguese footballer
• 1978 - Ciarán Toland, Northern Irish activist
• 1979 - Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
• 1982 - Eric West, American singer and actor
• 1983 - Vince Young, American football player (Tennessee Titans)
• 1983 - Gary O'Neil, English footballer (Portsmouth FC)

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?)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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. 1973?)

Holidays and Observances

• 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
  • Saint Alexandra

External links

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

May 17 - May 19 - April 18 - June 18 -- listing of all days

18 Mei | 18 مايو | 18 de mayo | 18 mê | 18 de mayu | 18 траўня | 18. maj | 18 май | 18 de maig | Çу, 18 | Mayo 18 | 18. květen | 18 di maghju | 18 Mai | 18. maj | 18. Mai | 18. mai | 18 Μαΐου | 18 de mayo | 18-a de majo | Maiatzaren 18 | 18. mai | 18 mai | 18 maaie | 18 di Mai | 18 Bealtaine | 18 de maio | 5월 18일 | 18. svibnja | 18 di mayo | Mayo 18 | 18 Mei | 18 de maio | 18 may | 18 майы | 18. maí | 18 maggio | 18 במאי | 18 Mei | 18 მაისი | 18 môja | 18'ê gulanê | 18 Maii | 18. Mee | Gegužės 18 | 18 mei | Május 18 | 18 мај | मे १८ | 18 Mei | 18 mei | 5月18日 | 18 'e maggio | 18. mai | 18. mai | 18 de mai | Mayu 18 | 18 maja | 18 de Maio | 18 mai | 18 мая | Mayo 18 | 18 Mey | 18 Maj | 18 di maiu | May 18 | 18. máj | 18. maj | 18. мај | 18. toukokuuta | 18 maj | Mayo 18 | 18. May | మే 18 | 18 พฤษภาคม | 18 tháng 5 | 18 Mayıs | 18 травня | 18 di may | 5月18日