Updated May 17, 2012, 2:28 pm
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.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
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. 2011 Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as head of the International Monetary Fund, saying he wanted to devote all his energy to battling the sexual assault charges he faced in New York. (The charges were later dropped.) Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actress-comedian Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” “Saturday Night Live”) turns 42 years old years old today.
AP Photo/Vince Bucci
Baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson turns 75 years old years old today.
AP Photo/Gail Burton
1930 Warren Rudman, Former U.S. senator, R-N.H., turns 82 1931 Robert Morse, Actor (“Mad Men,” “How to Succeed in Business …”), turns 81 1946 Reggie Jackson, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 66 1948 Tom Udall, U.S. senator, D-N.M., turns 64 1949 Rick Wakeman, Rock musician (Yes), turns 63 1952 George Strait, Country singer, turns 60 1955 Chow Yun-Fat, Actor, turns 57 1960 Jari Kurri, Hockey Hall of Famer, turns 52 1960 Yannick Noah, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 52 1975 Jack Johnson, Rock singer, turns 37 1992 Spencer Breslin, Actor, turns 20
Historic Birthdays
Frank Capra 5/18/1897 – 9/3/1991 Italian-born American film director.Go to obituary »
83 Omar Khayyam 5/18/1048 – 12/4/1131
Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer50 Johann Froberger 5/18/1616 – 5/7/1667
German composer, organist and harpsichordist74 Peter Carl Faberge 5/18/1846(O.S.)- 9/24/1920
Russian goldsmith, designer and jeweler69 Elisabeth Cary 5/18/1867 – 7/13/1936
American art critic for the New York Times97 Bertrand Russell 5/18/1872 – 2/2/1970
English philosopher and logician; awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 195086 Walter Gropius 5/18/1883 – 7/5/1969
German architect; helped found the Bauhaus school89 Eurico Dutra 5/18/1885 – 6/11/1974
Brazilian soldier and president; helped restore constitutional democracy64 Ezio Pinza 5/18/1892 – 5/9/1957
Italian-born operatic bass and actor77 Vincent du Vigneaud 5/18/1901 – 12/11/1978
American biochemist; won Nobel Prize in 195579 Richard Brooks 5/18/1912 – 3/11/1992
American screenwriter, film director and producer68 Pierre Balmain 5/18/1914 – 6/29/1982
French couturier71 Dame Margot Fonteyn 5/18/1919 – 2/21/1991
English ballerina84 Pope John Paul II 5/18/1920 – 4/2/2005
264th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church
