Historical Events on May 18

  • 332: In Constantinople, Constantine the Great announces that food will be distributed to citizens for free.
  • 1096: Approximately eight hundred Jews are massacred during the First Crusade in Worms, Germany.
  • 1794: During the War of the First Coalition, the Battle of Tourcoing starts.
  • 1803: The U.K revokes the Treaty of Amiens and declares war on France during the Napoleonic Wars.
  • 1804: Napoleon Bonaparte becomes the French Emperor.
  • 1860: Abraham Lincolns wins the Republican Party Presidential nomination. He defeated William H. Seward, who would later become the U.S Secretary of State.
  • 1863: During the American Civil War, the Siege of Vicksburg starts on this day.
  • 1896: Plessy v. Ferguson is upheld as constitutional by the U.S Supreme Court.
  • 1917: During World War I, the Selective Service Act of 1917 is passed. This act gives the President of the U.S the power to draft (conscript) citizens for the military.
  • 1933: The Tennessee Valley Authority is established when U.S President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a act authorizing it on this day.
  • 1944: German paratroopers begin to evacuate Monte Cassino at the Battle of Monte Cassino during World War 2.
  • 1969: Apollo 10 is launched on this day.
  • 1974: India becomes the next Nuclear Power when it detonates its first nuclear weapon during Project Smiling Buddha. They are the 6th nation to test a nuclear weapon.
  • 1980: In Washington, Mount St. Helens erupts. This volcanic eruption kills almost 60 people and causes approximately $3 billion USD in damage.

Famous Birthdays on May 18

  • Italian-American screenwriter, producer and director, Frank Capra is born in 1897.
  • American singer and TV host, Perry Como is born in 1912.
  • American baseball player Reggie Jackson is born in 1946.
  • American actress Gail Strickland is born in 1947.
  • Hong Kong screenwriter and actor, Chow Yun Fat is born in 1955.
  • American comedian, actress and screenwriter, Tina Fey is born in 1970.
  • American basketball player Ron Mercer is born in 1976.
  • American baseball player Marcus Giles is born in 1978.