On May 18, 1980, the Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington state exploded, leaving 57 people dead or missing.
Go to article » On May 18, 1897, Frank Capra, the American motion-picture director whose portrayal of the common man and American democracy endeared him to millions, was born. Following death on Sept. 3, 1991, obituary appeared in The Times.
On This Date
1642 | The Canadian city of Montreal was founded. |
1804 | The French Senate proclaimed Napoleon Bonaparte emperor. |
1860 | The Republican Party convention in Chicago nominated Abraham Lincoln for president. |
1896 | The Supreme Court endorsed the concept of "separate but equal" racial segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson, a precedent that was overturned in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. |
1897 | A public reading of Bram Stoker's new novel "Dracula, or, The Un-dead" was staged in London. |
1911 | Composer Gustav Mahler died in Vienna, Austria, at age 50. |
1933 | The Tennessee Valley Authority was created. |
1951 | The United Nations moved out of its temporary headquarters in Lake Success, N.Y., for its permanent home in Manhattan. |
1969 | Apollo 10 was launched on a mission that served as a dress rehearsal for the first moon landing. |
1980 | The Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington state erupted, killing 57 people. |
1998 | The federal government filed a sweeping antitrust case against Microsoft Corp. |
2003 | "Les Miserables," the third-longest running show in Broadway history, closed after more than 16 years and 6,680 performances. |
2004 | Randy Johnson, 40, became the oldest pitcher in major league history to throw a perfect game, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Atlanta Braves 2-0. |
2009 | Sri Lanka's 25-year civil war ended with the government announcing it had defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels and killed their leader. |
Current Birthdays
Actress-comedian Tina Fey ("30 Rock," "Saturday Night Live") turns 41 years old years old today.
AP Photo/Peter KramerActor Robert Morse ("Mad Men," "How to Succeed in Business ...") turns 80 years old years old today.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
1930 | Warren Rudman, Former U.S. senator, R-N.H., turns 81 |
1937 | Brooks Robinson, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 74 |
1946 | Reggie Jackson, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 65 |
1948 | Tom Udall, U.S. senator, D-N.M., turns 63 |
1949 | Rick Wakeman, Rock musician (Yes), turns 62 |
1952 | George Strait, Country singer, turns 59 |
1955 | Chow Yun-Fat, Actor, turns 56 |
1960 | Jari Kurri, Hockey Hall of Famer, turns 51 |
1960 | Yannick Noah, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 51 |
1975 | Jack Johnson, Rock singer, turns 36 |
1992 | Spencer Breslin, Actor, turns 19 |
Historic Birthdays
Frank Capra5/18/1897 - 9/3/1991Italian-born American film director.Go to obituary »
83 | Omar Khayyam 5/18/1048 - 12/4/1131
Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer |
50 | Johann Froberger 5/18/1616 - 5/7/1667
German composer, organist and harpsichordist |
74 | Peter Carl Faberge 5/18/1846(O.S.)- 9/24/1920
Russian goldsmith, designer and jeweler |
69 | Elisabeth Cary 5/18/1867 - 7/13/1936
American art critic for the New York Times |
97 | Bertrand Russell 5/18/1872 - 2/2/1970
English philosopher and logician; awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950 |
86 | Walter Gropius 5/18/1883 - 7/5/1969
German architect; helped found the Bauhaus school |
89 | Eurico Dutra 5/18/1885 - 6/11/1974
Brazilian soldier and president; helped restore constitutional democracy |
64 | Ezio Pinza 5/18/1892 - 5/9/1957
Italian-born operatic bass and actor |
77 | Vincent du Vigneaud 5/18/1901 - 12/11/1978
American biochemist; won Nobel Prize in 1955 |
79 | Richard Brooks 5/18/1912 - 3/11/1992
American screenwriter, film director and producer |
68 | Pierre Balmain 5/18/1914 - 6/29/1982
French couturier |
71 | Dame Margot Fonteyn 5/18/1919 - 2/21/1991
English ballerina |
84 | Pope John Paul II 5/18/1920 - 4/2/2005
264th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church |