MAY 18 | Birthdays and Events
Famous Birthdays
People born on May 18
Gertrude Käsebier
Died: October 2, 1934
Famous photographer known for her images of motherhood, Native Americans portraits, and her support and promotion of women who chose photography as a career.
Francis Bellamy
Died: August 28, 1931
Author of the original Pledge of Allegiance (1892).
Jeanie MacPherson
Died: August 26, 1946
Actress, screenwriter and founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Thomas Midgley Jr.
Died: November 2, 1944
Chemist who helped develop "leaded" gasoline.
Big Joe Turner
Died: November 24, 1985
Blues and R&B singer famously known for his hit Shake, Rattle and Roll.
Perry Como
Died: May 12, 2001
Easy-listening singer and television host of several weekly shows and seasonal specials.
Bill Everett
Died: February 27, 1973
Cartoon illustrator who worked side-by-side with Stan Lee co-creating Zombie and Daredevil.
Reggie Jackson
MLB right-fielder and HOF'er who is considered on of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Diane Crump
The first woman to race in Kentucky Derby.
Mark Mothersbaugh
Lead singer of the new wave rock band Devo.
George Strait
Country singer dubbed "King George."
Nancy Juvonen
Co-founded Flower Films.
Tina Fey
Comedian and actress with lead roles in Baby Mama (2008), Date Night (2010), and Wine Country (2019), to name a few.
Historical Events on May 18
Events that occurred on May 18 throughout history
Slavery is abolished in Rhode Island.
Slavery is abolished in Rhode Island, although the law was not enforced. By the mid-1700s, Rhode Island had a slave population double that of other New England colonies, which was a hub for the slave trade. The Gradual Emancipation Act of 1784 mandated that children born to enslaved mothers after March 1, 1784, were free. However, in order for mothers to keep their children, they had to serve the slave owner as an "apprentice". Slavery was fully eradicated in Rhode Island by 1842.
Massachusetts rules that all school-aged children must attend school.
Parents were mandated to send children to school for a minimum of 12 weeks a year, with 6 of those weeks being consecutive attendance. This act compelled parents to ensure their children attended school though most towns were already required to provide schools. The Massachusetts law served as the model for other states to adopt their own legislation.
Robert Freeman become the first Black to graduate from Harvard Dental School.
Robert Tanner Freeman was the some of enslaved parents who became the first African American to graduate from Harvard Dental School in and the first person in the U.S. to earn a dental degree. He overcame racial rejection from other institutions to join Harvard's inaugural 1867 class.
Robert Freeman become the first Black to graduate from Harvard Dental School.
Robert Tanner Freeman was the some of enslaved parents who became the first African American to graduate from Harvard Dental School in and the first person in the U.S. to earn a dental degree. He overcame racial rejection from other institutions to join Harvard's inaugural 1867 class.
Trans-World Airlines (TWA) begins commercial service.
TWA was created in 1930 through a merger involving Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) and Western Air Express. The company was famous for its early, rapid coast-to-coast passenger and mail service in a single day. By February 1946, TWA inaugurated its first scheduled transatlantic service from New York to Paris.
Jacqueline Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier.
At the age of 47, Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier at an average speed of 652.337 mph. She was pioneering aviator, wartime leader of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), and held more speed, altitude, and distance records than any other pilot at her death in 1980.
Ray Dolby founds Dolby Laboratories.
Engineer and physicist Ray Dolby founded Dolby Laboratories in London in 1965. He revolutionized audio technology, invented the Dolby noise-reduction system to eliminate background hiss in tape recording, and invented surround sound in cinemas. His inventions transformed the audio experience for music, film, and television.