Today in history...
May 18th
* 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 – Battle of Las Piedras: The first great military triumph of the revolution of the Río de la Plata in Uruguay lead by Jose Artigas.
* 1843 – The Disruption in Edinburgh of the Free Church of Scotland from the Church of Scotland.
* 1848 – Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) in Frankfurt, Germany.
* 1863 – American Civil War: The Siege of Vicksburg begins.
* 1869 – Surrender and dissolution of the Ezo Republic to Japan.
* 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.
* 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.
* 1956 – First ascent of Lhotse 8,516 metres, by a Swiss team.
* 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 – 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.
* 1993 – EU-riots in Nørrebro, Copenhagen caused by the approval of the four Danish exceptions in the Maastricht Treaty referendum. Police opened fire against civilians for the first time since World War II and injured 11 demonstrators. In total 113 bullets were fired.
* 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.
Birthdays today...
* 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)
* 1777 – John George Children, British chemist, mineralogist and zoologist (d. 1852)
* 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)
* 1854 – Bernard Zweers, Dutch composer and music teacher (d. 1924)
* 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
* 1933 – Don Whillans, English mountaineer (d. 1985)
* 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
* 1940 – Gaston Laperse, Belgian stone sculptor
* 1941 – Lobby Loyde, Australian guitarist and songwriter (d. 2007)
* 1941 – Miriam Margolyes, British actress
* 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
* 1948 – Tom Udall, American politician
* 1948 – Yi Munyol, South Korean writer
* 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)
* 1951 – Jim Sundberg, American baseball player
* 1952 – Diane Duane, American writer
* 1952 – George Strait, American musician
* 1952 – Jeana Yeager, American aviator
* 1954 – Reinhold Heil, German composer
* 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
* 1961 – Jim Bowden, American baseball executive
* 1962 – Mike Whitmarsh, American Volleyball Player
* 1962 – Nanne Grönvall, Swedish singer
* 1962 – Sandra Cretu, German singer
* 1962 – Mike Darnell, American television executive
* 1963 – Marty McSorley, hockey player
* 1965 – Ingo Schwichtenberg, German drummer (d. 1995)
* 1966 – Michael Tait, American musician (dc Talk, Tait)
* 1967 – Heinz-Harald Frentzen, German Formula One racing driver
* 1967 – Rob Base, American rapper
* 1969 – Martika, Cuban-American singer
* 1970 – Tina Fey, American writer/actress
* 1971 – Brad Friedel, American soccer player
* 1971 – Desiree Horton, American helicopter pilot/television reporter
* 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
* 1976 – Oleg Tverdovsky, Ukrainian ice hockey player
* 1977 – Lee Hendrie, English footballer
* 1977 – Danny Mills, English footballer
* 1978 – Ricardo Carvalho, Portuguese footballer
* 1978 – Marcus Giles, American baseball player
* 1979 – Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
* 1979 – Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoiest
* 1979 – David Nail, country singer
* 1979 – Julián Speroni, Argentine footballer
* 1979 – Milivoje Novakovič, Slovenian 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 footballer
* 1983 – Gary O'Neil, English footballer
* 1983 – Luis Terrero, Dominican baseball player
* 1983 – Vince Young, American football player
* 1984 – Scarlett Keegan, American model
* 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
* 1988 – Koji Seto Japanese actor and singer
* 1992 – Spencer Breslin, American actor
Famous 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
* 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 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. Volcanologist 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)
* 2008 – Joseph Pevney, American television director
* 2009 – Velupillai Prabhakaran, founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Holidays and observances...
* International Museum Day
* World AIDS Vaccine Day
* Haiti: Flag Day
* Somaliland: Independence Day
* Turkmenistan: Revival, Unity, and Poetry of Magtymguly Day
* Uruguay: Battle of Las Piedras Day
* Canada: Victoria Day
Have a great Monday...
~Brian
