May 18th
Holidays and Festivals
Flag Day (Haiti) * CLICK HERE
Revival, Unity & Poetry of Magtymguly Day (Turkmenistan)
Battle of Las Piedras Day (Uruguay)
Second Independence day (Somaliland)
World AIDS Vaccine Day
International Museum Day
No Dirty Dishes Day
Visit Your Relatives Day
Festival of the god Pan in Ancient Greece
Festival of Faunus in Ancient Rome
Send An Electronic Greeting Card Day
Liturgical feast day of Saint Eric of Sweden (Roman Catholic Church)
Feast day of Saint Dioscorus
Feast day of St. Felix of Cantalice
Feast day of Pope John I
Feast day of Venantius of Camerino
Feast day of Saint Alexandra in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Toast of The Day
"To our host, An excellent man.
For, is not a man fairly judged by the Company he keeps?"
- Anonymous
Drink of The Day
Smith and Wesson
1 Part Dark Cream De Cacao
1 Part Cream
Fill With Coke
- In Honor of Daniel Baird Wesson (co-founder) who was born Worcester, Massachusetts, May 18, 1825 and died August 4, 1906. (Horace Smith was born October 28, 1808 – January 15, 1893)
Wine of The Day
Alba NV Blueberry Wine
Style -Blueberry Wine
Warren Hills
$20
Beer of The Day
Victory Helios Ale (Pennsylvania, USA)
Brewer - Victory Brewing
Style Belgian Farmhouse ale
Flavor - floral, tasty
Joke of The Day
A good samaritan was walking home late one night when he came upon this drunk on the sidewalk. Wanting to help, he asked the drunk "do you live here?" "Yep". "Would you like me to help you upstairs?" "Yep". When they got up on the second floor, the good person asked "Is this your floor?" "Yep".
Then the good samaritan got to thinking that maybe he didn't want to face the man's irate and tired wife because she may think he was the one who got the man drunk. So, he opened the first door he came to and shoved him through it then went back downstairs. However, when he went back outside, there was another drunk. So he asked that drunk "Do you live here?" "Yep". "Would you like me to help you upstairs?" "Yep". So he did and put him in the same door with the first drunk. Then went back downstairs.
Where, to his surprise, there was another drunk. So he started over to him. But before he got to him, the drunk staggered over to a policeman and cried "Please officer, protect me from this man.
He's been doing nothing all night long but taking me upstairs and throwing me down the elevator shaft!"
Quote of The Day
"Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, where the heck is the ceiling."
- Unknown
Whiskey of The Day
$45
May Observances
ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease) Awareness Month
APS (Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome) Awareness Month
American Wetlands Month
Arthritis Awareness Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Awareness of Medical Orphans Month
Bicycle Safety Month
Borderline Personality Disorder Month
Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Carrots and Cauliflower Month
Celiac Awareness Month
Clean Air Month
Community Living Month (Ontario, Canada)
Creative Beginnings Month
Date Your Mate Month
EcoDriving Month
Family Wellness Month
Fibromyalgia Education and Awareness Month
Freedom Shrine Month
Gardening for Wildlife Month
Get Caught Reading Month
Gifts From The Garden Month
Go Fetch! Food Drive for Homeless Animals Month
Good Car-Keeping Month, Natl
Grapefruit and Kiwi Month
Haitian Heritage Month
Heal the Children Month
Healthy Vision Month
High Blood Pressure Education Mont
Huntington's Disease Awareness Month
Internal Audit Awareness Month, Intl
International Audit Month
International Business Image Improvement Month
International Civility Awareness Month
International Multiple Sclerosis Month
International Victorious Woman Month
Jewish-American Heritage Month
Latino Books Month
(World) Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Melanoma and Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month
National Arthritis Month
National Barbecue Month
National Better Hearing and Speach Month
National Bike Month
National Blood Pressure Month
National Cancer Research Month
National Correct Posture Month
National Egg Month
National Electric Safety Month
National Family Month (5/12 to 6/16)
National Foster Care Month
National Good Car Keeping Month
National Hamburger Month
National Hepatitis Awareness Month
National Inventors Month
National Lupus Awareness Month
National Meditation Month
National Mediterranean Diet Month
National Mental Health Month
National Military Appreciation Month
National Motorcycle Safety Month
National Moving Month
National Neurofibromatosis (NF) Awareness Month
National Older Americans Month
National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
National Photo Month
National Photograph Month
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
National Physiotherapy Month
National Prepare To Buy a Home Month
National Preservation Month
National Recommitment Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa (Food) Month
National Smile Month
National Stroke Awareness Month
National Sweet Vidalia Onions Month
National Teen Self-Esteem Month
National Tuberous Sclerosis Month
National Vinegar Month
National Week of The Ocean Festival Sea-son Thursday before the Second Saturday in March through Second Saturday in June
National Youth Traffic Safety Month
Personal History Month
Potatoes and Limes Month
Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month
Preeclampsia Awareness Month
Prepare Tomorrow's Parents Month (5/12-6/16)
REACT Month
Revise Your Work Schedule Month
Skin Cancer Awareness Month
Strike Out Strokes Month
Sweet Vidalia Month, Natl
Tay-Sachs and Canavan Diseases Awareness Month
Teen CEO Month
Teen Self Esteem Month
Tennis Month
Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month (5/15 - 6/15)
Toxic Encephalopathy and Chemical Injury Awareness Month
Ultra-violet Awareness Month
Women's Health Care Month
Young Achiever Month
Young Achievers of Tomorrow Month
Observances this Week
Arbour Week (Prince Edward Island, Canada)Third Week in May * CLICK HERE
National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, Third Week in May
National Educational Bosses' Week, Third Full Week of May
National New Friends, Old Friends Week, Third Full Week in May
National Bike to Work Week, Third Full Week in May
National Bike Week (USA), Third Full Week in May
National Medical Transcription Week, Third Full Week in May
National Backyard Games Week, Third Full Week in May
International Coaching Week, Third Full Week in May (Moved from February in 2013)
American Craft Beer Week, 7 Days Starting the Second Monday in May
World Trade Week, 12 Days Starting Second Monday in May
Children's Book Week, 7 Days Starting Monday of the Second Full Week in May
National Etiquette Week, 7 Days Starting Monday of the Second Full Week in May
National Safe Boating Week, 7 Days ending the last Friday before Memorial Day
Historical Events on May 18th
1096 Crusaders massacre Jews of Worm
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.
1291 Sultan of Egypt & his son take last Christian stronghold of Acre
1302 Bruges Matins, the nocturnal massacre of the French garrison in Bruges by members of the local Flemish militia.
1385 Peace of Doornik, Gent & Louis van Thoughts
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.
1596 Willem Barents leaves Amsterdam for Novaya Zemlya
1619 Hugo the Great sentenced to life in prison
1631 English colony Massachusetts Bay grants puritarian voting right
1631 In Dorchester, Massachusetts, John Winthrop takes the oath of office and becomes the first Governor of Massachusetts.
1642 Montreal Canada founded
1652 Rhode Island passes the first law in North America making slavery illegal.
1703 Dutch & English troops occupy Cologne
1756 England declares war on France
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.
1794 2nd battle of Bouvines (France-Austria)
1803 The United Kingdom revokes the Treaty of Amiens and declares war on France after Napoleon Bonaparte continues interfering in Italy & Switzerland
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.
1812 John Bellingham was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging for the assassination of British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval.
1830 Edwin Budding of England signs an agreement for manufacture of his invention, lawn mower. Saturdays are destroyed forever
1843 In Edinburgh of the United Free Church of Scotland forms from the Church of Scotland.
1846 US troops attack Rio Grande occupying Matamoros
1848 Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) in Frankfurt, Germany.
1851 Amsterdam-Nieuwediep telegraph connection linked
1852 Massachusetts rules all school-age children must attend school
1860 Abraham Lincoln wins the Republican Party nomination over William H. Seward, who later becomes the United States Secretary of State.t
1861 Battle of Sewall's Point VA-1st Federal offense against South
1861 Friedrich Hebbels "Kriemhildes Rache," premieres in Weimar
1863 American Civil War, The Siege of Vicksburg begins.
1863 Siege of Vicksburg, MS
1864 Battle of Yellow Bayou, LA (Bayou de Glaize, Old Oaks)
1866 French government of De Putte resigns
1869 Surrender and dissolution of the Ezo Republic to Japan.
1880 6th Kentucky Derby, George Lewis aboard Fonso wins in 2:37.5
1887 Emmanuel Chabriers opera "Le Roi Malgré Luis," premieres in Paris
1889 Jules Massenets opera "Esclarmonde," premieres in Paris
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.
1896 The United States Supreme Court rules in Plessy v. Ferguson that separate but equal is constitutional (affirms race separation).
1897 Dracula, a novel by Irish author Bram Stoker is published.
1897 Irish Music Festival 1st held (Dublin)
1897 NY Giant William Joyce sets record of 4 triples in 1 game
1897 Paul Dukas "L'Apprenti Sorcier Pruimtabak on the Market," premieres
1899 World Goodwill Day-26 nations meet in 1st Hague Peace Conference
1900 The United Kingdom proclaims a protectorate over Tonga.
1904 American Ion Perdicaris kidnapped in Morocco
1910 Passage of Earth through tail of Halley's Comet causes near-panic
1911 Pres/dictator Jose Porfirio Diaz of Mexico term ends
1912 A's beat Tigers 24-2, who use amateurs protesting Ty Cobbs suspension
1912 Maurits Binger establishes 2 Dutch movie companies
1916 US pilot Kiffin Rockwell shoots down German aircraft
1917 Satie/Massine/Picasso's ballet "Parade," premieres in Paris
1917 The Selective Service Act of 1917 is passed, giving the President of the United States the power of conscription, World War I.
1918 Neth Indian Volksraad installed in Batavia
1918 TNT explosion in chemical factory in Oakdale Penn kills 200
1920 46th Preakness, Clarence Kummer aboard Man o' War wins in 1:51.6
1922 Dutch 2nd Chamber agrees to 48 hour work week (was 45 hrs)
1926 Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson vanished in Venice California She showed up a month later & said she had been kidnapped
1927 "Slide Lake" in Gros Ventre Wyoming collapses
1927 Grauman's Chinese Theater opens in Hollywood Calif
1927 Ritz Hotel opens in Boston
1927 The Bath School Disaster, Forty-five people are killed by bombs planted by a disgruntled school-board member in Michigan.
1929 55th Kentucky Derby, Linus McAtee on Clyde Van Dusen wins in 2:10.8
1929 Dodgers beat Phillies 20-16 & lost 8-6 in 2nd game (record 50 runs)
1933 1st major league All-Star Game announced for July 6 at Comiskey Park It will be played as part of the Chicago World's Fair
1933 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an act creating the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), to build dams (part of the New Deal).
1934 Academy Award 1st called Oscar in print (Sidney Skolsky)
1934 Congress approves "Lindbergh Act," makes kidnapping a capital offense
1934 Jimmie Foxx hits 1st HR in Comiskey Park center field bleachers
1934 TWA began commercial service
1935 Harold Gimblett scores 123 in 80 mins on debut for Somerset
1940 German troops conquer Brussels
1941 An Egyptian steamer sinks
1941 Italian army under general Aosta surrenders to Britain in Ethiopia
1941 Jewish veterans honor their dead
1942 NYC ends night baseball games for rest of WW II
1943 Allied bombers attack Pantelleria in the Mediterranean Sea
1944 Deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union government.
1944 Expulsion of more than 200,000 Tartars from Crimea by Soviet Union begins, they are accused of collaborating with the Germans
1944 Polish 2nd Army corps captures convent of Monte Cassino Italy
1944 Battle of Monte Cassino Conclusion after seven days of the fourth battle as German paratroopers ("Fallschirmjäger") evacuate Monte Cassino in World War II.
1945 Tigers & A's both have 7 straight games postponed due to rain
1947 A's catcher Warren Rosar catches his 147th game without an error
1948 "Ballet Ballads" opens at Music Box Theater NYC for 62 performances
1948 Arab Legion captures fort on Mt Scopus
1948 Saudi Arabia joins invasion of Israel
1948 The First Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China officially convenes in Nanking.
1949 Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America incorporates
1950 "Liar" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 12 performances
1950 Tommy Glaviano makes 3 consecutive errors on grounders
1951 UN moves HQ to NYC
1951 US General Collins predicts use of atom bomb in Korea
1952 Professor WF Libby said Stonehedge dates back to 1848 BC
1953 Jackie Cochran (USA) becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier.
1954 European Convention on Human Rights goes into effect
1955 28.7 cm rain falls at Lake Maloya New Mexico (state record)
1955 Atkinson & Depeiaza take WI from 6-187 to 6-494 in day v Aust
1955 Queen Juliana opens E55 fair in Amsterdam
1956 First ascent of Lhotse 8,516 metres, by a Swiss team.
1956 Hungarian party leader Matyas Rákosi enforces his own policy
1956 Mickey Mantle hits HR from both sides of plate for record 3rd time
1956 Queen Juliana opens Rembrandt fairs in Amsterdam
1957 83rd Preakness, Eddie Arcaro aboard Bold Ruler wins in 1:56.2
1958 An F-104 Starfighter sets a world speed record of 2,259.82 km/h (1,404.19 mph).
1958 Wiffi Smith wins LPGA Peach Blossom Golf Open
1959 "Castin' My Spell" by Johnny Otis Show hits #52
1959 "Judy" by David Seville hits #86
1959 "Russian Band Stand" by Spencer & Spencer hits #91
1959 Launching of the National Liberation Committee of Côte d'Ivoire in Conakry, Guinea.
1960 Eillen Fulton begins playing Lisa on As the World Turn (for > 30 yrs)
1960 Jean Genets "Le Balcon," premieres in Paris
1961 "Donnybrook!" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 68 performances
1963 "Beast in Me" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 4 performances
1963 "If You Wanna Be Happy" by Jimmy Soul hits #1
1963 89th Preakness, Bill Shoemaker aboard Candy Spots wins in 1:56.2
1964 David Frost interviews Paul McCartney on BBC
1964 Supreme Court rules unconstitutional to deprive naturalized citizens of citizenship if they return to home country for more than 3 years
1965 Gene Roddenberry suggests 16 names including Kirk for Star Trek Capt
1965 WTAF TV channel 29 in Philadelphia, PA (IND) begins broadcasting
1967 Silver hits record $1.60 an ounce in London
1967 Tenn Gov Ellington repeals "Monkey Law," upheld in 1925 Scopes Trial
1968 94th Preakness, Ismael Valenzuela aboard Forward Pass wins in 1:56.8
1968 AL Kaline hits his 307th HR, surpassing Hank Greenberg as a Tiger
1968 Frank Howard ties AL record with HR in his 6th consecutive game his 10 home runs in the most in 6 games
1969 "Canterbury Tales" closes at Eugene O'Neill NYC after 122 perfs
1969 Apollo 10 (Stafford/Cernan/Young) is launched toward lunar orbit
1969 Sandra Haynie wins LPGA St Louis Women's Golf Invitational
1971 4th ABA Championship, Utah Stars beat Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3
1971 Bulgarian constitution goes into effect
1971 Pres Nixon rejects 60 demands of Congressional Black Caucus
1971 Stanley Cup, Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 4 games to 3
1971 Vampire rapist Wayne Bodens last victim found
1972 "Me & The Chimp," last airs on CBS-TV
1972 John Sebastian makes 63 consecutive free throws while blindfolded
1973 Russian party leader Brezhnev visits West Germany
1973 WIBC Bowling Queens won by Dotty Fothergill
1974 "Streak" by Ray Stevens hits #1
1974 100th Preakness, Miguel Rivera aboard Current Little wins in 1:54.6
1974 Completion of the Warsaw radio mast, the tallest construction ever built at the time. It later collapses on August 8, 1991.
1974 Indian Nuclear test, Under project Smiling Buddha, India successfully detonates its first nuclear weapon becoming the sixth nation to do so.
1977 Juventus wins 6th UEFA Cup at Bilbao
1977 Menachem Begin becomes Israel's Prime Minister
1977 Nightclub in Cincinnati fire kills 164
1978 Italy legalizes abortion
1978 Russian dissident Yuri Orlov exiled to compulsory work
1980 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, United States, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage.
1980 Belgium 3rd government of Martens forms
1980 China PR launch 1st intercontinental rocket
1980 Donna White wins LPGA Coca-Cola Golf Classic
1980 Fernando Belaunde Terry elected president of Peru
1980 Gwangju Massacre, Students in Gwangju, South Korea begin demonstrations, calling for democratic reforms.
1982 Tigers outfielder Larry Herndon is 14th to hit 4 consecutive HRs
1982 Unification Church founder Rev Sun Myung Moon convicted of tax evasion
1983 In Ireland, the government launches a crackdown, with the leading Dublin pirate Radio Nova being put off the air.
1983 Senate revises immigration laws, gives millions of illegal aliens legal status under an amnesty program
1985 "One Night In Bangkok" by Murray Head hits #3
1985 1st remote location for "Nightline" (South Africa)
1985 111th Preakness, Pat Day aboard Tank's Prospect wins in 1:53.4
1986 "Singin' in the Rain" closes at Gershwin Theater NYC after 367 perfs
1986 Becky Pearson wins LPGA Chrysler-Plymouth Golf Classic
1986 Chung Kwung Ying did 2,750 "atomic" hand-stand push-ups
1986 David Goch finishes swimming 55,682 miles in a 25-yd pool
1986 South African army occupies Botswana, Zimbabwe & Zambia
1988 Bayer Leverkusen wins 17th UEFA Cup at Leverkusen
1988 In just Oakland's 39th of the season, pitcher Dave Stewart breaks record with his 12th balk en route to 16
1989 Lisa Strawberry files for divorce from Darryl
1990 2 Germanys sign a monetary union treaty
1990 Cubs Ryne Sandberg ends 2nd baseman record 123 errorless game streak
1990 In France, a modified TGV train achieves a new rail world speed record of 515.3km/h.
1990 Judy Carne arrested at JFK airport on an 11 year old drug warrant
1990 Return To Green Acres TV movie airs
1991 117th Preakness, Jerry Bailey aboard Hansel wins in 1:54
1991 France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island
1991 Northern Somalia declares independence from the rest of Somalia as the Republic of Somaliland but is unrecognised by the international community.
1991 USSR launches 2 cosmonauts to MIR space station
1992 Supreme Court rules states could not force mentally unstable criminal defendants to take anti-psychotic drugs
1992 The Archivist of the United States officially announces the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution.
1993 Danish people vote in favor of ratifying the Maastricht Treaty
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 are fired.
1993 Italian police arrest Mafia boss Benedetto "Nitto" Santapaola
1994 AC Milan wins Europe Cup 1: 4-0 against Barcelona
1994 Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip
1994 Tropical Butterfly Garden at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opens
1995 WIBC Bowling Queens won by Sandra Postma
1996 122nd Preakness, Pat Day aboard Louis Quatorze wins in 1:53.2
1996 WIBC Bowling Queens won by Lisa Wagner
1997 "King David," opens at New Amsterdam Theater NYC
1997 43rd McDonald's LPGA Championship won by Chris Johnson
1997 Cadillac NFL Senior Golf Classic
1997 Tiger Woods wins Byron Nelson Golf Classic
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
2009 Sri Lankan Civil War, The LTTE are defeated by the Sri Lankan government, ending almost 26 years of fighting between the two sides
2010 Police officer James Crooker is asked to leave the Red and Black Café in Portland, Oregon after co-owner John Langley claimed Crooker's uniformed presence made him uncomfortable
2013 RC Toulonnais defeat ASM Clermont Auvergne to win the rugby Heineken Cup final
2013 Gary Stevens aboard Oxbow wins the 138th Preakness in 1:57.54
2013 Emmelie de Forest for Denmark wins the 58th Eurovision Song Contest singing "Only Teardrops" in Malmo
2014 "A League of Their Own" Best Comedy, "Broadchurch" Best Drama at the 60th British Academy Television Awards
2014 Adam Scott overtakes Tiger Woods as the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world
2014 Swiss voters reject a $25 per hour minimum wage
Born on May 18th
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 George Smalridge, English bishop of Bristol (d. 1719)
1692 Joseph Butler, English bishop and philosopher (d. 1752)
1711 Ruggiero G Boscovich (Ruder Josip Boškovic), Croatian atomic theorist (d. 1787)
1744 Joseph Beer, Bohemia clarinetist, composer (5th clarinet flap)
1759 Charles Duquesnoy, composer
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)
1788 Hugh Clapperton, Annan Scotland, African explorer
1797 Frederick Augustus II, King of Saxony (1836-54) (d. 1854)
1798 Ethan Allen Hitchcock, Major General (Union volunteers) (d. 1870)
1815 Thomas Stanhope Bocock, rep (Confederacy) (d. 1891)
1817 James William Denver, Brigadier General (Union volunteers) (d. 1892)
1819 Julius Hopp, composer
1830 Karl Goldmark, Keszthely Hungary, composer (Sakuhtala)
1836 Isidor Vorobchievici, composer
1850 Oliver Heaviside, English physicist (predicted ionosphere) (d. 1925)
1851 James Budd, Governor of California (d. 1908)
1852 Gertrude Käsebier, American photographer (d. 1934)
1854 Bernard Zweers, Dutch composer and music teacher (To my Fatherland) (d. 1924)
1862 Freiherr Albert von Schrenk-Notzing, German para-psychologist
1864 Jan P Veth, Bayern, Dutch painter/etcher/lithographer/art historian
1865 William Heinemann, England, publisher (Chemical Instrumental)
1868 Nicholas II of Russia, last Tsar of Russia (1894-1917) (d. 1918)
1869 Ruprecht, crown prince of Bavaria/general-fieldmarshall
1871 Franiska zu Reventlow, writer
1872 Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, English mathematician, writer and philosopher (Nobel laureate 1950) (d. 1970)
1875 Guido Alberto Fano, composer
1876 Hermann Müller, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1931)
1881 Georgi Atanasov, composer
1882 Babe Adams, American baseball player (d. 1968)
1882 Eduardo Fabini, composer
1883 Eurico Gaspar Dutra, President of Brazil (d. 1974)
1883 Walter Gropius, German architect (Bauhaus school of design) (d. 1969)
1885 Eurico Gaspar Dutra, president of Brazil (1945-50)
1886 Ole Windingstad, composer
1887 Ernst Wiechert, writer
1887 Jeanie MacPherson, American actress and screenwriter (d. 1946)
1889 G Gunnarson, writer
1889 Thomas Midgley, American chemist and inventor (d. 1944)
1891 Rudolf Carnap, German philosopher (German Logical Positivist) (d. 1970)
1892 Ezio Pinza, Italian-born bass (d. 1957)
1896 Walter Fitzgerald, Keyhan Devonport England
1897 Frank Capra, American film producer, director (Its a Wonderful Life, Arsenic & Old Lace), and writer (d. 1991)
1897 Jack Raine, London England, actor (Quartet)
1898 Juan J Domenchina, Spanish poet/interpreter (sombra desterrada)
1900 Sarah Miriam Peale, US, portrait painter (Gen Lafayette-1825)
1901 Harry Robert Wilson, composer
1901 Henri-Pierre Sauguet, Bordeaux France, composer (La Chotte)
1901 Vincent du Vigneaud, American biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1978)
1902 (Robert) Meredith Willson, American composer (Music Man) (d. 1984)
1903 George E Stone, Lodz Poland, actor (Viva Villa, Last Mile)
1904 Jacob K. Javits, American politician (Sen-R-NY) (d. 1986)
1905 Eric Zeisl, composer
1905 Hedley Verity, English cricketer (d. 1943)
1907 Carl Mydans, American photographer (d. 2004)
1907 Clifford Curzon, London England, pianist (MacFarren Gold Medal)
1907 Robley D Evans, nuclear physicist
1909 Fred Perry, English tennis star and commentator (Wimbledon, 1934-36) (d. 1995)
1910 Arthur van Schendel, Dutch art historian
1911 (Big) Joe Turner, American blues singer (Corrine Corrina, Shake Rattle & Roll) (d. 1985)
1911 Lord Hartwell
1911 Sigrid Gurie, Brooklyn NY, actor (Algiers, Sofia, Refugee)
1912 Georg von Opel, German auto manufacturer
1912 Perry Como (Pierino), American singer TV star (Perry Como Show) (d. 2001)
1912 Richard Brooks, American film director (Blackboard Jungle, In Cold Blood), writer and producer (d. 1992)
1912 Walter Sisulu, South African anti-apartheid activist (d. 2003)
1913 Charles Trenet, French singer and songwriter (d. 2001)
1913 Jane Birdwood, British anti-Semitic activist (d. 2000)
1913 Mary Howard de Liagre, American actress (d. 2009)
1913 Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Indian politician (d. 1996)
1914 Anthony Fell, British MP
1914 Boris Christoff, Bulgaria/Italian bass (Boris Godunov)
1914 Pierre Balmain, French fashion designer (1940's "New Look") (d. 1982)
1914 Robert J. Wilke, American actor (d. 1989)
1915 Leon Shenandoah, native American leader
1917 Charles Wintour, journalist
1917 James Donald, Aberdeen Scotland, actor (Bridge on River Kwai, Vikings)
1918 George Welch, American pilot and war hero (d. 1954)
1918 Massimo Girotti, Italian actor (d. 2003)
1919 Margot Fonteyn, English prima ballerina (Giselle) (d. 1991)
1920 John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla), Polish 264th Roman Catholic Pope (1978-2005) (d. 2005)
1920 Lucia Mannucci, Italian singer (Quartetto Cetra)
1921 Anthony Epstein, FRS/pathologist
1922 Bill Macy, American actor (Walter-Maude, Oh! Calcutta)
1922 GMcC Kitson, British principal (Central School of Speech/Drama)
1922 Gerda Boyesen, Norwegian-born body psychotherapist (d. 2005)
1922 Kai Winding, Danish-born Jazz musician (d. 1983)
1923 Hugh Shearer, Prime Minister of Jamaica (d. 2004)
1923 Jean-Louis Roux, French Canadian actor and artistic director
1923 Liam Sullivan, Jacksonville Ill, actor (Mapoy-Monroes)
1924 Jack Whitaker, American sportscaster (ABC, CBS)
1924 Priscilla Pointer, American actress
1926 Dirch Passer, Danish actor (d. 1980)
1927 Richard Body, MP
1928 G R Hall, nuclear scientist
1928 P G Hammersley, British Rear-Admiral
1928 Pernell Roberts, American actor (Adam-Bonanza, Trapper John MD) (d. 2010)
1929 Jack Sanford, American baseball player (d. 2000)
1929 Johan N Block, aviation pioneer (Martinair/Transavia/Air Holland)
1929 Kai Winding, Denmark, American Jazz composer, (d. 1983)
1929 Lord St John of Fawsley
1929 Roger Matton, composer
1930 Barbara Goldsmith, New Rochelle, author (Little Gloria Happy At Last)
1930 Don Leslie Lind, Midvale Utah, astronaut (STS 51-B)
1930 Fred(erick Thomas) Saberhagen, US, sci-fi author (Book of Swords)
1930 Geoffrey Littler, CEO (County NatWest Group)
1930 Warren B Rudman,
1930 Warren B Rudman, American politician (Sen-R-NH, 1980)
1931 Don Martin, American cartoonist (d. 2000)
1931 Robert Morse, American actor (That's Life, Jack Frost)
1932 John Clement, chairman (Unigate Group)
1933 Bernadette Chirac, French politician
1933 Don Whillans, English mountaineer (d. 1985)
1934 Dwayne Hickman, American actor and television executive (Dobie Gillis, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini)
1937 Brooks Robinson, American baseball player, Baltimore Oriole 3rd baseman (1955-77)
1937 Jacques Santer, Luxembourg statesman, Pres (European Commission)
1939 Giovanni Falcone, Italian magistrate (d. 1992)
1939 Glen Hardin, Texas, rocker (Crickets)
1939 Gordon O'Connor, Canadian politician
1939 Patrick Cormack, MP
1940 A Marshall Stoneham, FRS, physicist
1940 Pat Trimborn, cricket pace bowler (South African in 4 Tests 1966-70)
1941 Diane McBain, Cleve Ohio, actress (Surfside Six, Spinout, Donner Pass)
1941 Lobby Loyde, Australian guitarist and songwriter (d. 2007)
1941 M S Longair, astronomer
1941 Miriam Margolyes, British actress
1942 Albert Hammond, British musician and composer
1942 Keith Hellawell, Chief Constable (West Yorkshire)
1942 Marquess of Reading
1942 (N. P.) Nobby Stiles, English footballer
1942 Rodney Dillard, rocker (Glittergrass)
1943 James Reiher, American professional wrestler
1944 Peter Ryan, British national director (Police Training)
1944 W. G. Sebald, German-born writer (d. 2001)
1945 Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, cricketer (brilliant Indian leggie 1964-79)
1945 John Richard Patterson, businessman
1945 Maarten van Traa, Dutch MP (PvdA)
1946 Andreas Katsulas, American actor (d. 2006)
1946 Bruce Gilbert, English musician (Wire)
1946 Frank Hsieh, former Premier of Taiwan
1946 George Alexander, rocker
1946 Reggie Jackson "Mr October", American baseball player, rightfielder (Yankees, A's)
1947 Candice Azzara, Brooklyn NY, actress (Fatso)
1947 John Bruton, Prime Minister, ninth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland
1948 Felix MH Troch, Flemish actor/director (Gekkenbriefje)
1948 Joe Bonsall, Phila, country singer (Oak Ridge Boys-Elvira)
1948 Tom Udall, American politician
1948 Yi Munyol, South Korean writer
1949 Bill Wallace, Canadian musician (The Guess Who)
1949 Rick Wakeman, English composer and keyboardist (Yes)
1949 Stuart Gannes, Detroit Mich, writer (Fortune)
1950 Mark Mothersbaugh, American composer, musician, and singer (Devo)
1950 Rodney Milburn Jr, USA, hurdler (Olympic-gold-1972)
1950 Thomas Gottschalk, German television show host (Telespiele)
1951 Angela Voigt, German DR, long jumper (Olympic-gold-76)
1951 Denny Dillon, comedian (SNL, Dream On)
1951 James Stephens, Mount Kisko NY, actor (Paper Chase, Devil's Island)
1951 Jim Sundberg, American baseball player
1951 Rodger Davis, Sydney NSW, Australasia golfer
1952 Diane E[lizabeth] Duane, American sci-fi author (Door into Fire)
1952 George Strait, American musician, country singer (All My Exes Live in Texas)
1952 Jeana Yeager, American aviator
1952 Martin R Hoke, (Rep-R-Ohio)
1953 Helen Chadwick, artist
1953 (Feliciano) Butch Tavares, rocker (Tavares)
1954 Martyn Wiley, writer/broadcaster
1954 Reinhold Heil, German composer
1954 Wreckless Eric, musician (Waxworks, Be Stiff)
1955 Chow Yun-Fat, Hong Kong actor (Better Tomorrow)
1955 Lena T. Hansson, Swedish actor
1956 Joe (Naomichi) Ozaki, Tekushima Japan, golfer (1995 Phoenix Open-8th)
1957 Michael Cretu, Romanian musician (Enigma)
1958 Ray Donaldson, NFL center (Dallas Cowboys)
1958 Toyah Willcox, English actor and singer (I Want to Be Free)
1959 Graham Dilley, cricketer (England wicket-taker of 80's)
1959 Jay Wells, Canadian ice hockey player
1960 Jari Kurri, Finnish ice hockey player, NHL left wing (NY Rangers, LA Kings, Colo)
1960 Tom Jackson, Oakville Ont, Canadian Tour golfer (1991 CPGA Winter)
1960 Yannick Noah, French tennis player (French 1983)
1961 Jim Bowden, American baseball executive
1962 Mike Darnell, American television executive
1962 Mike Whitmarsh, American Volleyball Player, beach (Olympics-silver-96)
1962 Nanne Grönvall, Swedish singer
1962 Sandra Cretu, German singer
1963 Marty McSorley, NHL hockey player, defenseman (LA Kings, NY Rangers)
1963 Sam Vincent, American basketball player
1964 Will Wolford, NFL tackle (Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers)
1965 Erik Hanson, Kinnelon NJ, pitcher (Toronto Blue Jays)
1965 Ingo Schwichtenberg, German drummer (d. 1995)
1965 Rufus Porter, NFL linebacker (NO Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
1966 Michael Tait, American musician (dc Talk, Tait)
1966 Mike Inez, US rock bassist (Alice in Chains-Facelift)
1967 Heinz-Harald Frentzen, German Formula One racing driver
1967 Jaime Gomez, Arlington TX, Nike golfer (1992 Boise Open)
1967 Karl Dunbar, NFL defensive tackle (Arizona Cardinals)
1967 Nancy Juvonen, American film producer
1967 Nina Björk, Swedish feminist and author
1967 Rob Base, American rapper
1968 Ernie Logan, NFL defensive end (Jacksonville Jaguars, NY Jets)
1969 Jean-Chris. Filippin, hockey defenseman (Team France 1998)
1969 Martika (Marta Marrero), Cuban-American singer (Toy Soldiers)
1970 Billy Howerdel, American guitarist (A Perfect Circle)
1970 Clemens Zwijnenberg, soccer player (FC Twente)
1970 Tim Horan, Australian rugby player
1970 Tina Fey, American writer/actress (SNL, 30 Rock)
1970 Vicky Sunohara, ice hockey forward (Canada, Oly-98)
1971 Ben Coleman, guard/offensive tackle (Jacksonville Jaguars)
1971 Brad Friedel, American soccer player
1971 Clifton Sunada, Honolulu HI, extra-lightweight judoka (Olympics-96)
1971 Craig Hentrich, NFL punter (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31)
1971 Daniel Gowing, Germany, NZ judoka (Olympics-96)
1971 Desiree Horton, American helicopter pilot/television reporter
1971 Karen Bye, ice hockey forward (USA, Oly-98)
1971 Lael Perlstrom, Laguna Beach Cal, WPVA volleyballer (US Open-25-1995)
1971 Nobuteru Taniguchi, Japanese racing driver
1971 Rich Garces, Maracay Aragua Venezuela, pitcher (Boston Red Sox)
1972 Turner Stevenson, Canadian ice hockey player, NHL right wing (Montreal Canadiens)
1973 Brian Heffron, American professional wrestler
1973 Dario Franchitti, Scottish racecar driver
1973 Darren Van Impe, Saskatoon, NHL defenseman (Anaheim Mighty Ducks)
1973 David Bailey, WLAF tackle (Frankfurt Galaxy)
1973 Donyell Marshall, American basketball player, NBA forward (Golden State Warriors)
1973 Markus Brunner, hockey forward (Team Italy 1998)
1973 Tory James, NFL defensive back (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32)
1973 Walter Scott, NFL defensive tackle (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31)
1974 Nelson Figueroa, American baseball player
1975 Jack Johnson, American musician
1975 John Higgins, Scottish snooker player
1975 Peter Iwers, Swedish bass player (In Flames)
1976 Oleg Tverdovsky, Ukrainian ice hockey player
1976 Ron Mercer, American basketball player, NBA guard (Boston Celtics)
1977 Danny Mills, English footballer
1977 Lee Hendrie, English footballer
1978 Jennifer Streblow, Oshkosh Wisconsin, Miss America-Wisconsin (1997)
1978 Marcus Giles, American baseball player
1978 Ricardo Carvalho, Portuguese footballer
1979 Anna Chatziathanassiou, Greek figure skater
1979 David Nail, country singer
1979 Julián Speroni, Argentine footballer
1979 Kaci Thompson, Miss Nevada Teen USA (1997)
1979 Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
1979 Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoiest
1979 Milivoje Novakovic, Slovenian footballer
1980 Aileen Campbell, Scottish Politician
1980 Ali Zafar, Pakistani singer and model
1980 Jeff Roehl, American football player
1980 Matt Long, American actor
1980 Reggie Evans, American basketball player
1981 Mahamadou Diarra, Malian footballer
1982 Eric West, American singer and actor
1982 Jason Brown, English footballer
1983 Gary O'Neil, English footballer
1983 Luis Terrero, Dominican baseball player
1983 Vince Young, American football player
1984 Joakim Soria, Mexican baseball player
1984 Niki Terpstra, Dutch cyclist
1984 Scarlett Keegan, Playboy Playmate
1985 Dalma Kovács, Romanian singer and actress
1985 Francesca Battistelli, American singer
1986 Ahmed Hamada, Egyptian Racer
1986 Ryan Lamb, English rugby union player
1987 Luisana Lopilato, Argentine actress and model
1988 Koji Seto Japanese actor and singer
1988 Ryan Cooley, Canadian television actor
1988 Tae Yang Member & Singer Of South Korean Boy Group, Big Bang (band)
1992 Josh Phelps, Soccer Player
1992 Spencer Breslin, American actor
1997 Alana Etheridge, American actress
Died on May 18th
526 John I, Pope (523-26)
1160 Erik IX Helgi (The Saint), King of Sweden
1372 1378, count palatine of Poland
1401 Władysław Opolczyk (German: Ladislaus von Oppel, count palatine of Hungary 1367-1372, governor of Halych-Volhynia
1410 Ruprecht, Roman catholics German king, dies
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)
1587 Felix van Cantalice, Italian saint
1625 Francisco Gomez de Sandoval y Rojas, Spanish marquis of Denia
1653 Carel Reyniersz, gov-gen (Neth East Indies)
1675 Jacques Marquette, French Jesuit missionary (Chicago) and explorer (b. 1637)
1675 Stanislaw Lubieniecki, Polish Socinian theologist, astronomer (b. 1623)
1692 Elias Ashmole, English antiquarian (b. 1617)
1724 Johann K Amman, Swiss/Dutch doctor for deaf-mutes
1733 Georg Böhm, German organist (b. 1761)
1767 Thaddaus Ferdinand Lipowsky, composer
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)
1808 Jacob Albright (Albrecht), German/US preacher
1829 Bernardo Bittoni, composer
1829 Maria Josepha of Saxony, queen consort of Spain (b. 1803)
1832 Bonafacio Asioli, composer
1839 Carolina (Maria A) Bonaparte (countess Lipona)
1844 Richard McCarty, American politician (b. 1780)
1848 William A Leidesdorf, black
1862 William H Keim, US Union brig-general, dies in battle
1864 James Byron Gordon, Confederate brig-gen
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 (Diana of Crossways) (b. 1828)
1909 Isaac Albéniz, Spanish pianist and composer (b. 1860)
1910 Eliza Orzeszkowa, Polish novelist (b. 1841)
1910 Flor van Duyse, composer
1910 Pauline Viardot, French mezzo-soprano and composer (b. 1821)
1911 Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer (Children's Death Songs) (b. 1860)
1913 Otto Reubke, composer
1918 Toivo Kuula, composer
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)
1930 Joao Marcellino Arroyo, composer
1936 Alick Maclean, composer
1941 Werner Sombart, German economist and sociologist (b. 1863)
1949 James T Adams, US historian (Pulitzer 1921)
1952 Rossetter Gleason Cole, composer
1953 Tom Killick, cricketer (at the crease 2 Tests for Eng 1929)
1955 Mary McLeod Bethune, American educator and civil rights activist (b. 1875)
1956 Maurice Tate, English cricketer (b. 1895)
1958 Jacob Fichman, Israeli poet and essayist (b. 1881)
1961 Henry O'Neill, actor (Lady Killer, Nothing But Trouble)
1963 Ernie Davis, American football player (b. 1939)
1965 Eduard J Dijksterhuis, mathematician (Archimedes)
1966 Paul Althaus, German theologist (That Christian Wahrheit)
1967 Andy Clyde, American actor, Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick (b. 1892)
1967 Richard Ainley, actor (I Dood It, Above Suspicion)
1971 Aleksandr Gennadievich Kurosh, Russian mathematician (b. 1908)
1972 Eero Aukusti Sipila, composer
1973 Jeannette Rankin, American politician and first U.S. Congresswoman (1917-19, 41-43) (b. 1880)
1974 Daniel R Topping, US owner (NY Yankees)
1975 Leroy Anderson, American composer (b. 1908)
1980 David A. Johnston, a U.S. Volcanoligist was also a victim of Mount St. Helens eruption (b. 1949)
1980 Harry Randall Truman, victim of Mount St. Helens eruption (b. 1896)
1980 Ian Curtis, English musician, singer and lyricist (Joy Division), commit suicide (b. 1956)
1980 Reid Blackburn, a photojournalist for National Geographic was also a victim of Mount St. Helens eruption (b. 1952)
1980 Victims of Mount St. Helens eruption
1981 Arthur O'Connell, American actor (Mr Peepers, 2nd Hundred Years) (b. 1908)
1981 William Saroyan, American author (Time of your life) (b. 1908)
1985 Tex Terry, actor (Apache Rose, Timberjack)
1986 John Bubbles Sublett, tap dancer (Black & Bubbles)
1987 Wilbur J Cohen, 1st employee of Social Security System
1988 Daws Butler, American voice actor (Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound) (b. 1916)
1989 Dorothy Ruth, American horse breeder; adopted daughter of Babe Ruth (b. 1921)
1990 Jill Ireland, English actress (Carry on Nurse, Family) (b. 1936)
1991 Edwina Booth, actress (Trader Horn)
1992 Marshall Thompson, American actor (Bog) (b. 1925)
1992 Skip Stephenson, American TV personality (Real People) (b. 1940)
1993 Heinrich Albertz, theologist/mayor of Berlin (1966-67)
1993 Pamela M Cunnington, English architect/writer
1995 Alexander Godunov, Russian ballet dancer and actor (Witness) (b. 1949)
1995 Elisha Cook, Jr., American actor (Maltese Falcon, Shane) (b. 1903)
1995 Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress (Bewitched) (b. 1933)
1995 Gordon Reynolds, musician
1995 Robert Harris, actor (Werewolf of London)
1996 Dermot O'Callaghan Grubb, prison governor
1996 Simon Weinstock, businessman/racehorse owner
1997 Bridgette Andersen, American actress (b. 1975)
1999 Augustus Pablo, Jamaican singer (b. 1954)
1999 Betty Robinson, American runner (b. 1911)
2000 Maulana Yousuf Ludhianvi, Indian Muslim scholar (b. 1932)
2000 Stephen M. Wolownik, Russian musician and arranger (b. 1946)
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" and American nudism advocate(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 (b. 1911)
2009 Dolla American Rapper a.k.a. Roderick Anthony Burton II (b.1987)
2009 Velupillai Prabhakaran,Sri Lankan founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (b. 1954)
2009 Wayne Allwine, American voice actor (b.1947)
2012 Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German baritone
2013 Steve Forrest, American actor (SWAT)
2014 Wubbo Ockels, Dutch physicist and astronaut
2014 Jerry Vale, American singer