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What happened in history on this day: May 18?
On May 18 in ...
- 526 - Saint John I dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope.
- 1096 - Crusaders massacre Jews of Worm.
- 1160 - King Erik of Sweden is killed by the Danish prince.
- 1291 - Sultan of Egypt and his son take last Christian stronghold of Acre.
- 1302 - Trades people assault on French garrison (Brugse Metten).
- 1385 - Peace of Doornik: Gent and Louis van Thoughts.
- 1410 - Ruprecht Roman catholics German king, dies.
- 1587 - Felix van Cantalice Italian saint, dies.
- 1596 - Willem Barents leaves Amsterdam for Novaya Zemlya.
- 1619 - Hugo the Great sentenced to life in prison.
- 1625 - Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas Spanish marquis of Denia, dies.
- 1631 - English colony Massachusetts Bay grants puritarian voting right.
- 1631 - John Winthrop is elected first governor of Massachusetts.
- 1642 - Colony governor Sieur de Maisonneuve founds Ville Marie, later Montreal, in North America.
- 1652 - Rhode Island enacts first law declaring slavery illegal.
- 1653 - Carel Reyniersz Governor-General (Netherlands East Indies), dies at age 48.
- 1675 - Jacques Marquette jesuit/missionaries (Chicago) dies at age 37.
- 1692 - Birth of Joseph Butler Wantage Berkshire, theologian.
- 1692 - Elias Ashmole antiquary, dies.
- 1703 - Dutch and English troops occupy Cologne.
- 1724 - Johann K Amman Swiss/Dutch doctor for deaf-mutes, dies at age 54.
- 1744 - Birth of Joseph Beer Bohemia clarinetist/composer (5th clarinet flap).
- 1745 - Treaty of Leopzig, or Union of Warsaw, with thrice-secret Treaty of Warsaw between Polish and Hungarian Majesty, for partitioning Prussia.
- 1794 - Second battle of Bouvines (France-Austria).
- 1797 - Birth of Frederik Augustus II; King of Saxon (1836-54).
- 1798 - Birth of Ethan Allen Hitchcock; US Major General (Union volunteers) (dies 1870).
- 1803 - Britain declares war on France after General Napoleon Bonaparte continues interfering in Italy and Switzerland.
- 1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed Emperor of France.
- 1810 - Argentines begin revolution in Buenos Aires.
- 1817 - Birth of James William Denver; US Brigadier General (Union volunteers) (dies 1892).
- 1828 - Battle of Las Piedras, ends conflict between Uruguay and Brazil.
- 1830 - Birth of Karl Goldmark Keszthely in Hungary; composer (Sakuhtala).
- 1830 - Edwin Budding of England signs an agreement for manufacture of his invention, the lawn mower.
- 1836 - Birth of Wilhelm Steinitz in Austria; world chess champion (1866-94).
- 1839 - Carolina [Maria A] Bonaparte, (countess Lipona) dies at age 57.
- 1843 - United Free Church of Scotland forms.
- 1846 - US troops attack Rio Grande, occupying Matamoros.
- 1848 - The first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) opens in Frankfurt, Germany.
- 1850 - Birth of Oliver Heaviside; physicist, predicted existence of ionosphere.
- 1852 - Massachusetts rules all school-age children must attend school.
- 1853 - A party of English ship HMS Resolute from the west meets with a party of HMS Investigator from the east in the Arctic, establishing the continuous Barrow Strait and the existence of the Northwest Passage.
- 1854 - Birth of Bernard Zweers; Dutch composer (To My Fatherland).
- 1861 - Battle of Sewall's Point, Virginia - first Federal offense against CSA.
- 1862 - William H Keim, USA Brigadier-General, dies in battle at age 48.
- 1864 - Birth of Jan P Veth in Bayern; Dutch painter/etcher/lithographer/art historian.
- 1864 - James Byron Gordon, Confederate Brigadier-General, dies at age 41.
- 1865 - Birth of William Heinemann in England; publisher (Chemical Instrumental).
- 1868 - Birth of Nicholas II Aleksandrovitsj; last tsar of Russia (1894-1917).
- 1869 - Birth of Ruprecht; crown prince of Bavaria/general-fieldmarshall.
- 1872 - Birth of Bertrand Russell in England; mathematician/philosopher (Nobel Prize 1950).
- 1880 - 6th Kentucky Derby: George Lewis aboard Fonso wins in 2:37.5.
- 1883 - Birth of Walter Gropius in Berlin, Germany; architect (founded Bauhaus school of design).
- 1885 - Birth of Eurico Gaspar Dutra; President of Brazil (1945-50).
- 1889 - French company Cie. Universelle du Canal Interocéanique de Panama ceases work, after moving 72 million cubic yards of earth, and capitalization of 600+ million francs.
- 1891 - Birth of Rudolf Carnap; philosopher (German Logical Positivist).
- 1892 - Birth of Ezio Pinza in Rome, Italy; bass singer (New York Metropolitan - South Pacific).
- 1896 - US Supreme Court affirms "separate but equal" racial policy (Plessy versus Ferguson).
- 1897 - Birth of Frank Capra in Palermo, Sicily, Italy; movie director (It's a Wonderful Life, Arsenic and Old Lace).
- 1897 - Birth of Jack Raine in London, England; actor (Quartet).
- 1897 - Irish Music Festival first held (Dublin).
- 1897 - New York Giants' William Joyce sets record of four triples in one game.
- 1898 - Birth of Juan J Domenchina; Spanish poet/interpreter (sombra desterrada).
- 1899 - World Goodwill Day: 26 nations meet in first Hague Peace Conference.
- 1900 - Birth of Sarah Miriam Peale; American portrait painter (General Lafayette-1825).
- 1900 - Britain proclaims protectorate over kingdom of Tonga.
- 1901 - Birth of Henri-Pierre Sauguet in Bordeaux, France; composer (La Chotte).
- 1902 - Birth of [Robert] Meredith Willson in Mason City, Iowa, USA; composer (Music Man).
- 1903 - Birth of George E Stone in Lodz, Poland; actor (Viva Villa, Last Mile).
- 1904 - American businessman Ion Perdicaris is kidnapped in Morocco.
- 1904 - Birth of Jacob K Javits; American politician (Senator-Republican-New York).
- 1905 - Birth of Hedley Verity; cricket player (terrific slow lefty for England pre-WWII).
- 1907 - Birth of Clifford Curzon in London, England; pianist (MacFarren Gold Medal).
- 1908 - US Congress mandates that "In God We Trust" appear on all US coins.
- 1909 - Birth of Fred Perry in Stockport, England; tennis star/commentator (Wimbledon 1934-36).
- 1909 - George Meredith, English poet/writer (Diana of Crossways), dies at age 81.
- 1910 - Passage of Earth through tail of Halley's Comet causes near-panic.
- 1911 - Birth of Big Joe Turner in Kansas City, Missouri, USA; blues singer ("Corrine Corrina", "Shake Rattle and Roll").
- 1911 - Birth of Sigrid Gurie in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Algiers, Sofia, Refugee).
- 1911 - Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer (Children's Death Songs), dies at age 50.
- 1911 - Mexican President/dictator José Porfirio Diaz' term ends.
- 1912 - Birth of Georg von Opel; German auto manufacturer.
- 1912 - Birth of Perry [Pierino] Como in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA; singer/TV host (Perry Como Show).
- 1912 - Birth of Richard Brooks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; director (Blackboard Jungle, In Cold Blood).
- 1914 - Birth of Boris Christoff; Bulgaria/Italian bass (Boris Godunov).
- 1914 - Birth of Pierre A Balmain in France; fashion designer (1940s "New Look").
- 1917 - Birth of James Donald in Aberdeen, Scotland; actor (The Bridge on the River Kwai, Vikings).
- 1917 - US passes Selective Service Act.
- 1917 - Death of Bela Lyon Pratt; US gold coin designer.
- 1918 - Birth of Karol Wojtyla AKA Pope John Paul II; 264th Roman Catholic pope (1978-).
- 1918 - Netherlands Indian Volksraad installed in Batavia.
- 1918 - TNT explosion in chemical factory in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, USA kills 200.
- 1919 - Birth of Margot Fonteyn in Surrey, England; ballerina (Giselle/partner of Nureyev).
- 1920 - Birth of Karol Jozef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland; ordained priest (1946), auxiliary bishop of Krakow (1958), cardinal (1967), Pope John Paul II (1978).
- 1920 - 46th Preakness: Clarence Kummer aboard Man O' War wins in 1:51.6.
- 1922 - Birth of Bill Macy in Revere, Massachusetts, USA; actor (Walter - Maude, Oh! Calcutta).
- 1922 - Birth of GMcC Kitson; British principal (Central School of Speech/Drama).
- 1922 - Dutch second Chamber agrees to 48-hour work week (was 45 hours).
- 1923 - Birth of Liam Sullivan in Jacksonville, Illinois, USA; actor (Mapoy - Monroes).
- 1924 - Birth of Jack Whitaker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; sportscaster (ABC, CBS).
- 1924 - Birth of Priscilla Pointer in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Rebecca - Dallas, Call to Glory).
- 1927 - "Slide Lake" in Gros Ventre, Wyoming, USA collapses.
- 1928 - Birth of Pernell Roberts in Waycross, Georgia, USA; actor (Adam Cartwright - Bonanza, Trapper John MD).
- 1929 - 55th Kentucky Derby: Linus McAtee on Clyde Van Dusen wins in 2:10.8.
- 1929 - Birth of Johan N Block; aviation pioneer (Martinair/Transavia/Air Holland).
- 1929 - Brooklyn Dodgers beat Philadelphia Phillies 20-16 and lose 8-6 in second game (record 50 runs).
- 1930 - Birth of Barbara Goldsmith in New Rochelle, New York, USA; author (Little Gloria Happy At Last).
- 1930 - Birth of Don Leslie Lind in Midvale, Utah, USA; astronaut (STS 51-B).
- 1930 - Birth of Fred[erick Thomas] Saberhagen; American sci-fi author (Book of Swords).
- 1930 - Birth of Geoffrey Littler; CEO (County NatWest Group).
- 1930 - Birth of Warren B Rudman; American politician (Senator-Republican-New Hampshire, 1980-).
- 1931 - Birth of Robert Morse in Newton, Massachusetts, USA; American actor (That's Life, Jack Frost).
- 1932 - Birth of John Clement; chairman (Unigate Group).
- 1933 - First 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 - Tennessee Valley Act (TVA) signed by President Franklin Roosevelt, to build dams for electricity generation.
- 1934 - Birth of Dwayne Hickman in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Dobie Gillis, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini).
- 1934 - US Congress approves "Lindbergh Act", makes kidnapping a capital offense.
- 1934 - Jimmie Foxx hits first homerun in Comiskey Park center field bleachers.
- 1934 - Trans-World Airlines begins commercial service.
- 1935 - Harold Gimblett scores 123 in 80 minutes on cricket debut for Somerset.
- 1937 - Birth of Brooks Robinson; Baltimore Orioles' third baseman (1955-77).
- 1937 - Birth of Ildikó Sagi-Retjö in Hungary; foils (Olympics-2 gold/3 silver/2 bronze-1960-1976).
- 1937 - Birth of Jacques Santer; President (European Commission).
- 1939 - Birth of Glen Hardin in Texas, USA; rocker (Crickets).
- 1939 - Birth of Patrick Cormack; British Member of Parliament.
- 1940 - Birth of Pat Trimborn; cricket pace bowler (South African in four Tests 1966-70).
- 1940 - The German 18th Army, lead by Georg Küchler, pierces the outer ring of fortresses of Antwerp, Belgium, in two places, quickly capturing the city.
- 1940 - The Netherlands commander of the Zeeland Islands offers capitulation to Germany.
- 1941 - Birth of Diane McBain in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; actress (Surfside Six, Spinout, Donner Pass).
- 1941 - Italian army under General Aosta surrenders to Britain in Ethiopia.
- 1942 - Birth of Keith Hellawell; Chief Constable (West Yorkshire).
- 1942 - Birth of Rodney Dillard; rocker (Glittergrass).
- 1942 - New York City ends night baseball games for the rest of war.
- 1943 - Allied bombers attack Pantelleria in the Mediterranean Sea.
- 1944 - Birth of Peter Ryan; British national director (Police Training).
- 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.
- 1945 - Birth of Bhagwat Chandrasekhar; cricket player (brilliant Indian leggie 1964-79).
- 1945 - Birth of Maarten van Traa; Dutch Member of Parliament (PvdA).
- 1945 - Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics both have seven straight games postponed due to rain.
- 1946 - Birth of Reggie Jackson "Mr October"; baseball rightfielder (New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics).
- 1947 - Philadelphia Athletics' catcher Warren Rosar catches his 147th game without an error.
- 1947 - Birth of Candice Azzara in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actress (Fatso).
- 1947 - Birth of John Bruton; Prime Minister (Republic of Ireland).
- 1948 - Arab Legion captures fort on Mount Scopus.
- 1948 - Birth of Felix MH Troch; Flemish actor/director (Gekkenbriefje).
- 1948 - Birth of Joe Bonsall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; country singer (Oak Ridge Boys - "Elvira").
- 1948 - Saudi Arabia joins invasion of Israel.
- 1949 - Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America incorporates.
- 1949 - Birth of Bill Wallace; rocker (Guess Who).
- 1949 - Birth of Rick Wakeman; rock keyboardist (Yes - "Fish Out of Water").
- 1949 - Birth of Stuart Gannes in Detroit, Michigan, USA; writer (Fortune).
- 1949 - James T Adams; US historian (Pulitzer 1921).
- 1950 - Birth of Rodney Milburn Junior; American hurdler (Olympics-gold-1972).
- 1950 - Birth of Thomas Gottschalk in Bamberg, Germany; TV host (Telespiele).
- 1951 - Birth of Angela Voigt in the German Democratic Republic; long jumper (Olympics-gold-1976).
- 1951 - Birth of Denny Dillon; comedian (Saturday Night Live, Dream On).
- 1951 - Birth of James Stephens in Mount Kisko, New York, USA; actor (Paper Chase, Devil's Island).
- 1951 - Birth of Rodger Davis in Sydney, New South Wales; Australasia golfer.
- 1951 - United Nations moves headquarters to New York City.
- 1951 - US General Collins predicts use of atom bomb in Korea.
- 1952 - Birth of Diane E[lizabeth] Duane; American sci-fi author (Door into Fire).
- 1952 - Birth of George Strait in Pearsall, Texas, USA; country singer ("All My Ex's Live in Texas", "Beyond the Blue Neon").
- 1952 - Birth of Martin R Hoke; American politician (Representative-Republican-Ohio).
- 1952 - Professor WF Libby says Stonehenge dates back to 1848 BCE.
- 1953 - Birth of [Feliciano] Butch Tavares; rocker (Tavares).
- 1953 - Tom Killick, cricket player (at the crease two Tests for England 1929), dies.
- 1954 - Birth of Wreckless Eric; rocker (Waxworks, Be Stiff).
- 1954 - European Convention on Human Rights goes into effect.
- 1955 - 28.7cm rain falls at Lake Maloya, New Mexico, USA (state record).
- 1955 - Atkinson and Depeiaza take West Indies from 6-187 to 6-494 in day versus Australia.
- 1955 - Birth of Yun Fat Chow in Nam Nga Island, Hong Kong; actor (Better Tomorrow).
- 1955 - Edwin Scharff, German painter/sculptor (Rossebändiger), dies at age 68.
- 1955 - Mary McLeod Bethune, educator and civil rights leader, dies at age 79.
- 1956 - Birth of Joe [Naomichi] Ozaki in Tekushima, Japan; golfer (1995 Phoenix Open-8th).
- 1956 - Maurice Tate, cricket player (39 Tests for England, 155 wickets), dies.
- 1956 - Mickey Mantle hits homerun from both sides of plate for record third time.
- 1956 - Queen Juliana opens Rembrandt fairs in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- 1957 - 83rd Preakness: Eddie Arcaro aboard Bold Ruler wins in 1:56.2.
- 1957 - Birth of Michael Cretu; rocker (Enigma).
- 1958 - Birth of Ray Donaldson; NFL center (Dallas Cowboys).
- 1958 - Birth of Toyah Wilcox in Birmingham, England; rocker ("I Want to Be Free").
- 1958 - Wiffi Smith wins LPGA Peach Blossom Golf Open.
- 1959 - Birth of Graham Dilley; cricket player (England wicket-taker of 1980s).
- 1960 - Birth of Jari Kurri in Helsinki, Finland; NHL left wing (New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche).
- 1960 - Birth of Tom Jackson in Oakville, Ontario, Canada; Canadian Tour golfer (1991 CPGA Winter).
- 1960 - Birth of Yannick Noah in France; tennis player (French 1983).
- 1960 - Eileen Fulton begins playing Lisa on TV show As the World Turns (continues for over 30 years).
- 1961 - Henry O'Neill, actor (Lady Killer, Nothing But Trouble), dies.
- 1962 - Birth of Mike Whitmarsh in San Diego, California, USA; beach volleyball player (Olympics-silver-1996).
- 1963 - "If You Wanna Be Happy" by Jimmy Soul hits #1.
- 1963 - 89th Preakness: Bill Shoemaker aboard Candy Spots wins in 1:56.2.
- 1963 - Birth of Marty McSorley in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; NHL defenseman (Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers).
- 1964 - Birth of Will Wolford; NFL tackle (Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers).
- 1964 - US Supreme Court rules it is unconstitutional to deprive naturalized citizens of citizenship if they return to home country for more than three years.
- 1965 - Birth of Erik Hanson in Kinnelon, New Jersey, USA; pitcher (Toronto Blue Jays).
- 1965 - Birth of Rufus Porter; NFL linebacker (New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
- 1965 - Eduard J Dijksterhuis, mathematician (Archimedes), dies at age 72.
- 1966 - Birth of Mike Inez; US rock bassist (Alice in Chains - "Facelift").
- 1966 - Paul Althaus, German theologist (That Christian Wahrheit), dies at age 78.
- 1967 - Silver on London exchange hits record US$1.60 per troy ounce. The US government stops selling stockpile at $1.2929, and bans export of silver coins.
- 1967 - Death of Andy Clyde at age 75; actor (Mack Sennett Comedies, California Carlson - Hopalong Cassidy radio show, Real McCoys TV show, No Time for Sergeants, Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Fury, The Texan, Gunsmoke, The Tall Man, Circus Boy).
- 1967 - Birth of Jaime Gomez in Arlington, Texas, USA; Nike golfer (1992 Boise Open).
- 1967 - Birth of Karl Dunbar; NFL defensive tackle (Arizona Cardinals).
- 1967 - Richard Ainley, actor (I Dood It, Above Suspicion), dies at age 56.
- 1967 - Tennessee Governor Ellington repeals "Monkey Law", upheld in 1925 Scopes Trial.
- 1967 - US Treasury bans the private melting or export of US silver coins.
- 1968 - 94th Preakness: Ismael Valenzuela aboard Forward Pass wins in 1:56.8.
- 1968 - Al Kaline hits his 307th homerun, surpassing Hank Greenberg as a Detroit Tiger.
- 1968 - Birth of Ernie Logan; NFL defensive end (Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets).
- 1968 - Frank Howard ties American League record with homerun in his sixth consecutive game; his ten homeruns are the most in six games.
- 1969 - Apollo 10 (Stafford/Cernan/Young) launched toward lunar orbit.
- 1969 - Birth of Jean-Chris Filippin; hockey defenseman (Team France 1998).
- 1969 - Birth of Martika [Marta Marrero] in Whittier, California, USA; singer (Toy Soldiers).
- 1969 - Sandra Haynie wins LPGA Saint Louis Women's Golf Invitational.
- 1970 - Birth of Clemens Zwijnenberg; soccer player (FC Twente).
- 1970 - Birth of Vicky Sunohara; ice hockey forward (Canada, Olympics-1998).
- 1971 - 4th ABA Championship: Utah Stars beat Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3.
- 1971 - Birth of Ben Coleman; guard/offensive tackle (Jacksonville Jaguars).
- 1971 - Birth of Clifton Sunada in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; extra-lightweight judoka (Olympics-1996).
- 1971 - Birth of Craig Hentrich; NFL punter (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31).
- 1971 - Birth of Daniel Gowing in Germany; New Zealand judoka (Olympics-1996).
- 1971 - Birth of Karen Bye; ice hockey forward (USA, Olympics-1998).
- 1971 - Birth of Lael Perlstrom in Laguna Beach, California, USA; WPVA volleyball player (US Open-25-1995).
- 1971 - Birth of Rich Garces in Maracay, Aragua, Venezuela; pitcher (Boston Red Sox).
- 1971 - Bulgarian constitution goes into effect.
- 1971 - US President Richard Nixon rejects the 60 demands of Congressional Black Caucus.
- 1971 - Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 4 games to 3.
- 1972 - Me and The Chimp last airs on CBS-TV.
- 1972 - Birth of Turner Stevenson in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada; NHL right wing (Montreal Canadiens).
- 1972 - John Sebastian makes 63 consecutive free throws while blindfolded.
- 1973 - Birth of Darren Van Impe in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; NHL defenseman (Anaheim Mighty Ducks).
- 1973 - Birth of David Bailey; WLAF tackle (Frankfurt Galaxy).
- 1973 - Birth of Donyell Marshall; NBA forward (Golden State Warriors).
- 1973 - Birth of Markus Brunner; hockey forward (Team Italy 1998).
- 1973 - Birth of Tory James; NFL defensive back (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32).
- 1973 - Birth of Walter Scott; NFL defensive tackle (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31).
- 1973 - Jeannette Rankin, first US Congresswoman (1917-19, 1941-43), dies at age 92.
- 1973 - Russian party leader Brezhnev visits Federal Republic of Germany.
- 1973 - WIBC Bowling Queens won by Dotty Fothergill.
- 1974 - "The Streak" by Ray Stevens hits #1.
- 1974 - 100th Preakness: Miguel Rivera aboard Current Little wins in 1:54.6.
- 1974 - Daniel R Topping, US owner (New York Yankees), dies at age 61.
- 1974 - India becomes sixth nation to explode an atomic bomb.
- 1976 - Birth of Ron Mercer; NBA guard (Boston Celtics).
- 1977 - A nightclub fire in Cincinnati, Ohio kills 164.
- 1977 - Juventus wins 6th UEFA Cup at Bilbao.
- 1977 - Menachem Begin becomes Israel's Prime Minister.
- 1978 - Sarajevo is selected to host the 1984 Winter Olympics and Los Angeles is selected to host the 1984 Summer Olympics.
- 1978 - (to May 19) Belgian and French paratroopers fly to Zaire to aid the fight against the rebels.
- 1978 - Soviet dissident Yuri Orlov is sentenced to 7 years hard labor for distributing 'counterrevolutionary material'.
- 1978 - Birth of Jennifer Streblow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Miss America-Wisconsin (1997).
- 1978 - Italy legalizes abortion.
- 1978 - The final episode of US TV show Baretta airs.
- 1979 - Birth of Kaci Thompson; Miss Nevada Teen USA (1997).
- 1980 - At Mount Saint Helens, Washington, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurs, preceeding an eruption by seconds.
- 1980 - Mount Saint Helens erupts in Washington, killing 57 and causing US$3 billion in damage. 396 metres of the top of the mountain explodes in a gigantic dust cloud.
- 1980 - Death of David A. Johnston, American volcanoligist, victim of Mount Saint Helens' eruption (born 1949).
- 1980 - Belgium's third Government of Martens forms.
- 1980 - People's Republic of China launches first intercontinental rocket.
- 1980 - Donna White wins LPGA Coca-Cola Golf Classic.
- 1980 - Fernando Belaúnde Terry elected President of Peru.
- 1980 - Ian Curtis, English rock vocalist (Joy Division), commits suicide at age 23 (born 1956).
- 1980 - (to May 27) Students in Gwangju, South Korea begin demonstrations, calling for democratic reforms.
- 1981 - William Saroyan, American stagewriter (Time of your life), dies at age 72 (born 1908).
- 1981 - Death of Arthur O'Connell at age 73 from Alzheimer's Disease; actor (Mr. Peepers TV show, Second Hundred Years).
- 1982 - Unification Church founder Reverend Sun Myung Moon convicted of tax evasion.
- 1982 - Detroit Tigers' outfielder Larry Herndon is 14th to hit four consecutive homeruns.
- 1983 - US Senate revises immigration laws, gives millions of illegal aliens legal status under an amnesty program.
- 1983 - Death of Frank Aiken, Irish Foreign Minister (born 1898).
- 1985 - 111th Preakness: Pat Day aboard Tank's Prospect wins in 1:53.4.
- 1985 - First remote location for TV show Nightline (South Africa).
- 1985 - Tex Terry, actor (Apache Rose, Timberjack), dies at age 82.
- 1986 - Becky Pearson wins LPGA Chrysler-Plymouth Golf Classic.
- 1986 - Chung Kwung Ying does 2,750 "atomic" hand-stand push-ups.
- 1986 - David Goch finishes swimming 55,682 miles in a 25-yard pool.
- 1986 - John Bubbles Sublett, tap dancer (Black and Bubbles), dies at age 84.
- 1986 - South African army occupies Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
- 1987 - Wilbur J Cohen, first employee of US Social Security System, dies at age 73.
- 1988 - Bayer Leverkusen wins 17th UEFA Cup at Leverkusen.
- 1988 - Daws Butler, cartoon voice (Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound), dies at age 71 (born 1916).
- 1988 - In Torino, Italy a building is struck by a falling meteorite.
- 1988 - In the Oakland Athletics' 39th game of the season, pitcher Dave Stewart breaks major league record with his 12th balk en route to 16.
- 1990 - The United States Postal Service introduces the world's first sheet of postage stamps designed for dispensing by automated bank teller machine. The sheet of twelve peel-and-stick 25-cent stamps is the same thickness and dimensions of paper currency, and sells for $3, the face value of the stamps.
- 1990 - Return To Green Acres TV movie airs.
- 1990 - Chicago Cubs' Ryne Sandberg ends second baseman record 123 errorless game streak.
- 1990 - German Democratic Republic and Federal Republic of Germany sign a monetary union treaty.
- 1990 - Jill Ireland, English actress (Carry on Nurse, Family), dies of cancer at age 54 (born 1936).
- 1991 - 117th Preakness: Jerry Bailey aboard Hansel wins in 1:54.
- 1991 - Edwina Booth, actress (Trader Horn), dies of heart failure at age 86.
- 1991 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island.
- 1991 - USSR launches two cosmonauts to MIR space station.
- 1992 - Death of Marshall Thompson of congestive heart failure at age 66; actor (Daktari TV show, Bog).
- 1992 - Skip Stephenson, comedian/TV host (Real People), dies of heart attack at age 52.
- 1992 - US Supreme Court rules states could not force mentally unstable criminal defendants to take anti-psychotic drugs.
- 1993 - Danish people vote in favor of ratifying the Maastricht Treaty.
- 1993 - Heinrich Albertz, theologist/mayor of Berlin (1966-67), dies at age 78.
- 1993 - Italian police arrest Mafia boss Benedetto "Nitto" Santapaola.
- 1993 - Pamela M Cunnington, English architect/writer, dies at age 67.
- 1994 - AC Milan wins Europe Cup 1: 4-0 against Barcelona.
- 1994 - (to May 19) The Israeli Defense Forces withdraw from most of the Gaza Strip.
- 1994 - Tropical Butterfly Garden at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opens.
- 1995 - Alexander Gudonov, Russian dancer/actor (Witness), dies at age 45 (born 1949).
- 1995 - Disney announces it is buying 25 percent of the California Angels baseball team.
- 1995 - Elisha Cook Junior, American actor (Maltese Falcon, Shane), dies at age 91 (born 1903).
- 1995 - Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress (Bewitched), dies of cancer at age 62 (born 1933).
- 1995 - Robert Harris, actor (Werewolf of London), dies at age 95.
- 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 - 43rd McDonald's LPGA Championship won by Chris Johnson.
- 1997 - Tiger Woods wins Byron Nelson Golf Classic.
- 1998 - The US Department of Justice and twenty state attorneys general file a lawsuit against Microsoft, charging the company with violations of the Sherman Act: exclusive dealing and unlawful tying, monopoly maintenance in the operating system market, and attempted monopoly of the browser market.
- 1998 - CBS airs the final episode of TV show Murphy Brown.
- 2000 - Boo.com collapses in London after six months, due to lack of funds.
- 2002 - Death of Davey Boy Smith, "The British Bulldog", professional wrestler (born 1962).
- 2007 - Royal Caribbean International officially names its newest ship Liberty of the Seas, in a christening ceremony in the Port of Miami.
- 2007 - Death of Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, French physicist and Nobel Prize for Physics laureate (born 1932).
- 2007 - Death of Yoyoy Villame, Filipino singer "King of Philippine Novelty Songs." (born 1938).
- 2007 - Paramount releases the film Shrek the Third to theaters.
- 2008 - In Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, the final game of the men's world hockey tournament (IIHF) is held. Russia beats Canada 5-4 in overtime for the gold medal.
- 2008 - The Pittsburgh Penguins beat state NHL rivals Philadelphia Flyers 6-0 in Game 5 to advance to the Stanley Cup final.
- 2008 - At the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards show is held. Some winners:
- Entertainer of the Year: Kenny Chesney,
- Top Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood,
- Top Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley,
- Best New Female Vocalist: Taylor Swift,
- Crystal Milestone Award: Garth Brooks as "best-selling solo artist of all time".
- 2009 - Sri Lanka's army defeats the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, unifying the country for the first time in 25 years. Rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is killed, at age 54. An estimated 70,000 people died in the civil war.
- 2009 - The third C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group meets in Seoul, South Korea.
- 2014 - Death of Dobrica Cosic, Serbian writer and politician, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (born 1921).
- 2018 - Cubana de Aviación Flight 972 crashes shortly after take-off near José Martí International Airport in Havana, killing 112 and leaving only one survivor.
- 2020 - The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announces that nearly 1 million people are affected and at least 24 people have died in flash floods that have hit Beledweyne and Jowhar, Somalia.
- 2021 - (to May 22) The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 is held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, after the cancellation of the 2020 contest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 contest is won by Italian entrants Måneskin with the song "Zitti e buoni".
- 2022 - Finland and Sweden submit applications to join NATO.
- 2023 - Death of Marlene Clark at age 85 at home in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Sanford and Son TV show, Ganja & Hess movie (1973)).
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You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history.
Bookmark this URL: http://kpolsson.com/thisday/ and revisit each day.
(this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing the current day's events)
Or, visit my Timelines of History page.
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