Famous people born on May 18th
May 18 brings together a notably wide-ranging set of birthdays, spanning philosophy, faith, politics, film, music, architecture, and elite sport. The date features influential thinkers who reshaped modern logic and ethics alongside global public figures whose decisions echoed across the 20th century. From Bauhaus-era design to Hollywood storytelling and tennis greatness, the mix is unusually cosmopolitan and cross-disciplinary.
Notable highlights
- Bertrand Russell (1872) - A foundational figure in analytic philosophy whose work in logic helped shape modern mathematics and philosophy of language.
- Pope John Paul II (1920) - The first Polish pope, known for extensive global travel and a pivotal role in late-Cold War era moral and political discourse.
- Nicholas II (1868) - Russia's last emperor, whose reign ended with revolution and the fall of the Romanov dynasty.
- Chow Yun-Fat (1955) - A defining face of Hong Kong cinema, celebrated for charismatic performances that helped popularize the heroic-bloodshed genre worldwide.
- Frank Capra (1897) - An Oscar-winning director whose optimistic, human-centered films became touchstones of classic American cinema.
- Walter Gropius (1883) - Founder of the Bauhaus, championing functional design principles that transformed modern architecture and design education.
- Margot Fonteyn (1919) - A Royal Ballet legend whose artistry and partnership with Rudolf Nureyev made her an international symbol of classical dance.
- Reggie Jackson (1946) - "Mr. October", famed for postseason heroics and a career that helped define baseball's modern star era.
- Tina Fey (1970) - A trailblazing writer-performer whose sharp satire and leadership behind the camera expanded comedy's mainstream possibilities.
- W. G. Sebald (1944) - An innovative writer whose hybrid style blended memoir, history, and fiction to probe memory and displacement.
On this day
- 1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor of the French, marking a major turning point in post-revolutionary Europe.
- 1896 - The first modern Olympic Games conclude in Athens, helping launch the global revival of the ancient sporting tradition.
- 1980 - Mount St. Helens erupts catastrophically in Washington State, becoming one of the most significant U.S. volcanic disasters.
- 1991 - Helen Sharman returns to Earth, completing the first spaceflight by a British astronaut.