18th MAY ~ HiSTORY ON THiS DAY

1800s / 19th century history on the 18th of May

1804 : Napoleon Bonaparte was proclaimed the Emperor of the French by the French Senate. This was the start of his 10 year reign until 1814.

1900s / 20th century history on the 18th of May

1912 : Perry Como the American singer was born Pierino Ronald Como in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA (died in 2001 aged 88).

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – official music video (Perry Como verified YouTube channel video)

1912 : The first Indian film, Shree Pundalik was released in Mumbai, India.

1920 : Pope John Paul II was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland, 56 km southwest of Krakow. He went on to become Pope John Paul II, history’s most well-traveled pope and the first non-Italian to hold the position since the 16th century. After high school, the future pope studied philosophy and literature and performed in a theater group. During World War II, Nazis occupied Krakow and closed the university, forcing Wojtyla to seek work in a quarry, and later a chemical factory. By 1941, his mother, father, and only brother had all died, leaving him the sole surviving member of his family. 

1931 : Don Martin the American cartoonist was born in Paterson, New Jersey, USA (died in 2000 aged 68). He was best known for his cartoon artworks published in Mad magazine from 1956 to 1988.

1941 : Miriam Margolyes (OBE) the English-Australian actress was born in Oxford, England. Website : MiriamMargolyes.com

Celebrating Miriam Margolyes’ 80th Birthday With Her Most Iconic Moments (This Morning verified YouTube channel video)

1944 : Albert Hammond (OBE) the English singer-songwriter was born in London, England. Website : AlbertHammond.com

Albert Hammond – It Never Rains in Southern California (Albert Hammond Official verified YouTube channel video)

1950 : Mark Mothersbaugh the American singer-songwriter was born in Akron, Ohio, USA. He is best known as the lead singer of Devo. Website : Mutato.com | ClubDevo.coms  

DEVO – Whip It – song released in 1980 (DEVOvision verified YouTube channel video)

1951 : Richard Clapton the Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Website : RichardClapton.com

Richard Clapton – I am an Island – song released in 1982 (Richard Clapton verified YouTube channel video)

1953 : Jackie Cochran became the 1st woman to break the sound barrier.

Sound Barrier Broken in 1953 (British Pathé verified YouTube channel video)

1960 : Yannick Noah the French tennis player was born in Sedan, France.

1969 : Apollo 10 was launched.

1969 : Troy Cassar-Daley the Australian country music singer-songwriter and guitarist was born in Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia. Website : TroyCassarDaley.com.au

Troy Cassar-Daley – People Get Ready live (TroyCassarDaley verified YouTube channel video)

1969 : Martika the American singer-songwriter was born Marta Marrero in Whittier, California, USA.

Martika – Toy Soldiers – song released in 1989 (Martika Martika verified YouTube channel video)

1970 : Tina Fey the American actress was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, USA. She is also a comedian, writer, producer, and playwright.

1973 : Aeroflot Flight 109 was hijacked in mid-flight, and destroyed by the hijacker’s bomb, which killed all 82 people on board the aircraft.

1974 : India detonated its 1st nuclear weapon during the Smiling Buddha nuclear weapons testing project. India was the 6th nation to detonate a nuclear weapon.

1980 : Mount St. Helens volcano erupted in Washington, USA, resulting in the death of 57 people,  and caused $3 billion in damage.

Footage of the 1980 Mount St. Helens Eruption (Smithsonian Channel verified YouTube video)

1990 : A new rail world speed record of 515.3 km/h (320.2 mph) was achieved in France, by a modified TGV train.

1993 : Jessica Watson (OAM) the Australian sailor was born in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Website : JessicaWatson.com.au

16-year-old Jessica Watson became the youngest person ever to sail world solo (60 Minutes Australia verified YouTube channel video)

1994 : Israeli troops finished their withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, when giving up the area to the Palestinian National Authority to govern.

2000s / 21st century history on the 18th of May

2005 : Pluto’s 2 additional moons, Nix and Hydra were confirmed by a 2nd photo from the Hubble Space Telescope.

2015 : Landslide in Salgar, Colombia, killed 78 people after heavy rains in the Colombian town.

see more interesting events on all the other days of MAY (History On This Day @ Azoosh)

This page was last updated on the 19th May 2021

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