What happened this day in history May 18

What are the important events that happened on May 18? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

May 18: Facts & Myths About This Day

May 18 is the 138th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 227 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Sunday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is May 5, 2025 – a Sunday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 29,125,440 minutes has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘hectatriacontaoctagon’ day.

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Taurus is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Emerald is the modern birthstone for this month. Sapphire is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 275 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,531 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

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May 18 Historical Events

  • 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.
  • 1848
    Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) in Frankfurt, Germany.
  • 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
    After being founded for 20 years, the Government of the Republic of China approves Tongji University to be among the first national universities of the Republic of China.
  • 1944
    Deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union government.
  • 1944
    World War II: Battle of Monte Cassino – Conclusion after seven days of the fourth battle as German paratroopers evacuate Monte Cassino.
  • 1974
    Completion of the Warsaw radio mast, the tallest construction ever built at the time. It collapsed on August 8, 1991.
  • 2009
    Sri Lankan Civil War: The LTTE are defeated by the Sri Lankan government, ending almost 26 years of fighting between the two sides.

Who were born on May 18?

  • 1048
    Omar Khayyám, Persian mathematician, poet and philosopher (d. 1131)
  • 1785
    John Wilson, Scottish writer (d. 1854)
  • 1913
    Jane Birdwood, Canadian-born British far right activist (d. 2000)
  • 1913
    Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Indian politician (d. 1996)
  • 1919
    Dame Margot Fonteyn, English ballet dancer (d. 1991)
  • 1931
    Don Martin, American cartoonist (d. 2000)
  • 1948
    Yi Munyol, South Korean writer
  • 1952
    George Strait, American country musician
  • 1955
    Lena T. Hansson, Swedish actor
  • 1976
    Oleg Tverdovsky, Ukrainian ice hockey player

Who died on May 18?

  • 1401
    Władysław Opolczyk (lang-de Ladislaus von Oppel), count palatine of Hungary 1367-1372, governor of Halych-Volhynia 1372 – 1378, count palatine of Poland
  • 1675
    Stanisław Lubieniecki, Polish Socinian theologist (b. 1623)
  • 1781
    Túpac Amaru II, Peruvian Indian revolutionary, a descendant of the last Inca ruler, Túpac Amaru (b. 1742)
  • 1800
    Alexander Suvorov, Russian general (b. 1729)
  • 1829
    Maria Josepha of Saxony, queen consort of Spain (b. 1803)
  • 1958
    Jacob Fichman, Israeli poet and essayist (b. 1881)
  • 1981
    William Saroyan, American author (b. 1908)
  • 1988
    Daws Butler, American voice actor (b. 1916)
  • 2003
    Barb Tarbox, Canadian anti-smoking crusader (b. 1961)
  • 2004
    Vladislav Terzyul, Ukrainian mountaineer (b. 1953)

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