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 139th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 227 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Saturday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is May 5, 2024 – a Saturday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 28,599,840 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 ‘hectatriacontaenneagon’ day.
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 256 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 4,166 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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May 18 Historical Events
- 1631 –In Dorchester, Massachusetts, John Winthrop takes the oath of office and becomes the first Governor of Massachusetts.
- 1860 –Abraham Lincoln wins the Republican Party presidential nomination over William H. Seward, who later becomes the United States Secretary of State.
- 1896 –The United States Supreme Court rules in Plessy v. Ferguson that the “separate but equal” doctrine is constitutional.
- 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.
- 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 meters, by a Swiss team.
- 1980 –1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens: Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, United States, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage.
Who were born on May 18?
- 1186 –Konstantin of Rostov, Prince of Novgorod (d. 1218)
- 1905 –Hedley Verity, English cricketer (d. 1943)
- 1911 –Big Joe Turner, American blues singer (d. 1985)
- 1912 –Walter Sisulu, South African anti-apartheid activist (d. 2003)
- 1928 –Pernell Roberts, American actor (d. 2010)
- 1952 –George Strait, American country musician
- 1973 –Donyell Marshall, American basketball player
- 1974 –Nelson Figueroa, American baseball player
- 1979 –David Nail, American country singer
- 1980 –Matt Long, American actor
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
- 1551 –Domenico di Pace Beccafumi, Italian Renaissance-Mannerist painter (d. 1486)
- 1780 –Charles Hardy, British governor of Newfoundland
- 1808 –Elijah Craig, American minister and inventor
- 1844 –Richard McCarty, American politician (b. 1780)
- 1910 –Eliza Orzeszkowa, Polish novelist (b. 1841)
- 1975 –Leroy Anderson, American composer (b. 1908)
- 2004 –Serge Turgeon, Quebec actor and union leader (b. 1946)
- 2007 –Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, French physicist (b. 1932)
- 2007 –Yoyoy Villame, Philippine novelty singer and movie actor (b. 1932)
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