May 18
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury, Eric IX of Sweden, Felix of Cantalice, Pope John I, Venantius of Camerino, May 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Eastern Orthodox Christians commemorate a series of saints on May 18, including Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury, Eric IX of Sweden, Felix of Cantalice, Pope John I, and Venantius of Camerino to honor their spiritual legacies.
Baltic Fleet Day(Russia)
Russia celebrates Baltic Fleet Day on May 18 to honor one of its principal naval fleets.
Day of Remembrance of Crimean Tatar genocide(Ukraine)
Ukraine observes this day to remember the 1944 deportation and suffering of the Crimean Tatar people.
Independence Day (Somaliland)(unrecognized)
Somaliland marks its self-declared independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991, though it remains internationally unrecognized.
International Museum Day
International Museum Day promotes the role of museums in cultural exchange, education, and development.
National Speech Pathologist Day (United States)
A day recognizing the vital contributions of speech pathologists to communication and swallowing health in the U.S.
Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day(Sri Lankan Tamils)
A solemn day of remembrance for those who perished in the final battle of the Sri Lankan Civil War at Mullivaikkal.
Revival, Unity, and Poetry of Magtymguly Day(Turkmenistan)
Turkmenistan celebrates the legacy of Magtymguly Pyragy, the national poet and a symbol of unity and revival.
Teacher's Day(Syria)
Syria honors its teachers on May 18 as a tribute to their dedication and contributions to education.
Events
Emperor Constantine the Great announces free distributions of food to the citizens in Constantinople.
Emperor Constantine I initiated state-sponsored food distributions in Constantinople in AD 332, pioneering imperial welfare.
Louis II of Italy is crowned for the second time as Holy Roman Emperor at Rome, at the age of 47. His first coronation was 28 years earlier, in 844, during the reign of his father Lothair I.
In 872, Louis II of Italy was crowned Holy Roman Emperor for the second time at Rome, asserting his rule at age 47.
First Crusade: Around 800 Jews are massacred in Worms, Germany.
In 1096, around 800 Jews were massacred in Worms, Germany, during the anti-Jewish violence of the First Crusade.
The future Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. He would become king two years later, after the death of his cousin once removed King Stephen of England.
Henry, future King of England, married the wealthy duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152, shaping medieval European dynasties.
The Principality of Antioch, a crusader state, falls to the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in the Siege of Antioch.
In 1268, Mamluk Sultan Baibars captured the Principality of Antioch, ending the crusader state’s four-decade presence.
Fall of Acre, the end of Crusader presence in the Holy Land.
The fall of Acre in 1291 marked the end of the Crusader era in the Holy Land.
Bruges Matins, the nocturnal massacre of the French garrison in Bruges by members of the local Flemish militia.
In 1302, Flemish insurgents executed a surprise attack on the French garrison in Bruges, known as the Bruges Matins.
During the Battle of Buyur Lake, General Lan Yu leads a Ming army forward to crush the Mongol hordes of Tögüs Temür, the Khan of Northern Yuan.
At the Battle of Buyur Lake in 1388, Ming General Lan Yu delivered a crushing defeat to the Northern Yuan hordes.
Alonso de Ojeda sets sail from Cádiz on his voyage to what is now Venezuela.
Spanish navigator Alonso de Ojeda set sail from Cádiz in 1499, embarking on an expedition to chart the coast of modern Venezuela.
Births
Omar Khayyám
Persian polymath known for his influential work in mathematics, astronomy, and poetry.
Piero Soderini
Italian statesman who led the Florentine Republic as Gonfaloniere during the Renaissance.
Guido Luca Ferrero
Italian Roman Catholic cardinal active during the Counter-Reformation.
Stanislaus Papczyński
Polish priest who founded the Marians of the Immaculate Conception and was later canonized as a saint.
George Smalridge
English Anglican bishop renowned for his powerful sermons and devotional writings.
(O.S.) Joseph Butler
English bishop and philosopher best known for his influential work in moral philosophy and apologetics.
Roger Joseph Boscovich
Ragusan polymath celebrated for his atomic theory and contributions to astronomy and mathematics.
John George Children
English scientist known for his contributions to chemistry, mineralogy, and zoology at the British Museum.
Deaths
Pope from 523 to 526, known for his diplomatic mission to the Ostrogothic court.
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 886 to 893 who guided the Eastern Orthodox Church under Emperor Leo VI.
Ma Shaohong
Chinese general and official of the Later Tang dynasty during the Five Dynasties period.
Second emperor of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty who ruled from 926 to 947.
Frederick I
Duke of Upper Lorraine from 959 until his death, a noble of the Holy Roman Empire.
Frederick
Duke of Lower Lorraine in the 11th century, a feudal lord of the Holy Roman Empire.
Minna of Worms
Jewish martyr from Worms killed during the First Crusade in the Worms massacre of 1096.
King of Sweden from 1156 to 1160, known as Eric the Holy and patron saint of Sweden.
Nicholas Longespee
English bishop of Salisbury in the late 13th century known for his administrative skill and noble background.