So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

May 18th


- Battle of Las Piedras Day (Uruguay)
- Christian Feast Day
- Flag and Universities Day (Haiti)
- Independence Day (Somaliland (unrecognized))
- International Museum Day (International)
- Revival, Unity, and Poetry of Magtymguly Day (Turkmenistan)
- World AIDS Vaccine Day (International)

May 18th


- 2009 - Sri Lankan Civil War: The LTTE are defeated by the Sri Lankan government, ending almost 26 years of fighting between the two sides.
- 2006 - The post Loktantra Andolan government passes a landmark bill curtailing the power of the monarchy and making Nepal a secular country.
- 1993 - EU - riots in Nørrebro, Copenhagen caused by the approval of the four Danish exceptions in the Maastricht Treaty referendum. Police opened fire against civilians for the first time since World War II and injured 11 demonstrators. In total 113 bullets are fired.
- 1992 - The Archivist of the United States officially announces the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution.
- 1991 - 1974 – Completion of the Warsaw radio mast, the tallest construction ever built at the time. It collapsed on August 8, .
- 1991 - Northern Somalia declares independence from the rest of Somalia as the Republic of Somaliland but is not recognised by the international community.
- 1990 - In France, a modified TGV train achieves a new rail world speed record of 515.3km/h (320.2 mph).
- 1983 - In Ireland, the government launches a crackdown, with the leading Dublin pirate Radio Nova being put off the air.
- 1980 - 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens: Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, United States, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage.
- 1980 - Gwangju Massacre: students in Gwangju, South Korea begin demonstrations calling for democratic reforms.
- 1974 - Nuclear test: under project Smiling Buddha, India successfully detonates its first nuclear weapon becoming the sixth nation to do so.
- 1969 - Apollo program: Apollo 10 is launched.
- 1959 - Launch of the National Liberation Committee of Côte d'Ivoire in Conakry, Guinea.
- 1958 - An F-104 Starfighter sets a world speed record of 2,259.82 km/h (1,404.19 mph).
- 1956 - First ascent of Lhotse 8,516 metres, by a Swiss team.
- 1955 - Operation Passage to Freedom, the evacuation of 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the French Army from communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam following the end of the First Indochina War, ends.
- 1953 - Jackie Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier.
- 1948 - The First Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China officially convenes in Nanking.
- 1944 - World War II: Battle of Monte Cassino – Conclusion after seven days of the fourth battle as German paratroopers ("Fallschirmjäger") evacuate Monte Cassino.
- 1944 - Deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union government.
- 1933 - New Deal: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an act creating the Tennessee Valley Authority.
- 1927 - The Bath School Disaster: forty-five people are killed by bombs planted by a disgruntled school-board member in Michigan.
- 1926 - Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson disappears while visiting a Venice, California beach.
- 1917 - World War I: The Selective Service Act of 1917 is passed, giving the President of the United States the power of conscription.
- 1910 - The Earth passes through the tail of Comet Halley.
- 1900 - The United Kingdom proclaims a protectorate over Tonga.
- 1897 - Dracula, a novel by Irish author Bram Stoker is published.
- 1896 - The United States Supreme Court rules in Plessy v. Ferguson that the "separate but equal" doctrine is constitutional.
- 1896 - Khodynka Tragedy: A mass panic on Khodynka Field in Moscow during the festivities of the coronation of Russian Tsar Nicholas II results in the deaths of 1,389 people.
- 1863 - American Civil War: The Siege of Vicksburg begins.
- 1860 - Abraham Lincoln wins the Republican Party presidential nomination over William H. Seward, who later becomes the United States Secretary of State.
- 1848 - Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) in Frankfurt, Germany.
- 1843 - The Disruption in Edinburgh of the Free Church of Scotland from the Church of Scotland.
- 1812 - John Bellingham is found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging for the assassination of British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval.
- 1811 - Battle of Las Piedras: The first great military triumph of the revolution of the Río de la Plata in Uruguay led by Jose Artigas.
- 1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor of the French by the French Senate.
- 1803 - Napoleonic Wars: The United Kingdom revokes the Treaty of Amiens and declares war on France.
- 1783 - First United Empire Loyalists reach Parrtown (later called Saint John), New Brunswick, Canada after leaving the United States.
- 1763 - Fire destroys a large part of Montreal, Quebec.
- 1756 - The Seven Years' War begins when Great Britain declares war on France.
- 1652 - Rhode Island passes the first law in North America making slavery illegal.
- 1631 - In Dorchester, Massachusetts, John Winthrop takes the oath of office and becomes the first Governor of Massachusetts.
- 1593 - Playwright Thomas Kyd's accusations of heresy lead to an arrest warrant for Christopher Marlowe.
- 1498 - Vasco da Gama reaches the port of Calicut, India.
- 1302 - Bruges Matins, the nocturnal massacre of the French garrison in Bruges by members of the local Flemish militia.
- 1268 - The Principality of Antioch, a crusader state, falls to the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in the Battle of Antioch.
- 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine.

May 18th


- 1992 - Spencer Breslin, American actor
- 1988 - Ryan Cooley, Canadian actor
- 1988 - Koji Seto, Japanese actor and singer
- 1988 - Taeyang, South Korean singer (Big Bang)
- 1987 - Luisana Lopilato, Argentine actress and model
- 1986 - Ryan Lamb, English rugby union player
- 1986 - Ahmed Hamada, Egyptian racer
- 1985 - Dalma Kovács, Romanian singer and actress
- 1985 - Francesca Battistelli, American singer
- 1984 - Joakim Soria, Mexican baseball player
- 1984 - Niki Terpstra, Dutch cyclist
- 1983 - Gary O'Neil, English footballer
- 1983 - Luis Terrero, Dominican baseball player
- 1983 - Vince Young, American football player
- 1982 - Jason Brown, English footballer
- 1981 - Mahamadou Diarra, Malian footballer
- 1980 - Jeff Roehl, American football player
- 1980 - Matt Long, American actor
- 1980 - Ali Zafar, Pakistani singer and model
- 1980 - Aileen Campbell, Scottish politician
- 1980 - Reggie Evans, American basketball player
- 1979 - Anna Chatziathanassiou, Greek figure skater
- 1979 - Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
- 1979 - Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
- 1979 - David Nail, American country singer
- 1979 - Milivoje Novakovi?, Slovenian footballer
- 1979 - Julián Speroni, Argentine footballer
- 1978 - Ricardo Carvalho, Portuguese footballer
- 1978 - Marcus Giles, American baseball player
- 1977 - Lee Hendrie, English footballer
- 1977 - Danny Mills, English footballer
- 1976 - Ron Mercer, American basketball player
- 1976 - Oleg Tverdovsky, Ukrainian ice hockey player
- 1975 - John Higgins, Scottish snooker player
- 1975 - Jack Johnson, American musician
- 1974 - Nelson Figueroa, American baseball player
- 1973 - Dario Franchitti, Scottish race car driver
- 1973 - Brian Heffron, American professional wrestler ("The Blue Meanie")
- 1973 - Donyell Marshall, American basketball player
- 1972 - Turner Stevenson, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1971 - Brad Friedel, American soccer player
- 1971 - Desiree Horton, American helicopter pilot/television reporter
- 1971 - Nobuteru Taniguchi, Japanese racing driver
- 1970 - Tina Fey, American writer/actress
- 1970 - Tim Horan, Australian rugby union player
- 1970 - Billy Howerdel, American guitarist (A Perfect Circle)
- 1969 - Martika, Cuban-American singer
- 1967 - Heinz-Harald Frentzen, German Formula One racing driver
- 1967 - Rob Base, American rapper
- 1967 - Nancy Juvonen, American film producer
- 1967 - Nina Björk, Swedish feminist and author
- 1966 - Michael Tait, American musician (dc Talk, Tait)
- 1965 - Ingo Schwichtenberg, German drummer (Helloween) (d. 1995)
- 1963 - Marty McSorley, Canadian hockey player
- 1963 - Sam Vincent, American basketball player
- 1962 - Mike Whitmarsh, American volleyball player
- 1962 - Nanne Grönvall, Swedish singer
- 1962 - Sandra, German singer
- 1962 - Mike Darnell, American television executive
- 1961 - Jim Bowden, American baseball executive
- 1960 - Yannick Noah, French tennis player
- 1960 - Jari Kurri, Finnish ice hockey player
- 1959 - Jay Wells, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1958 - Toyah Willcox, English actor and singer
- 1957 - Michael Cretu, Romanian-born German musician (Enigma)
- 1955 - Chow Yun-fat, Hong Kong actor
- 1955 - Lena T. Hansson, Swedish actor
- 1954 - Reinhold Heil, German composer
- 1952 - Diane Duane, American writer
- 1952 - George Strait, American country musician
- 1952 - Jeana Yeager, American aviator
- 1951 - Jim Sundberg, American baseball player
- 1950 - Thomas Gottschalk, German television show host
- 1950 - Mark Mothersbaugh, American composer, musician, and singer (Devo)
- 1949 - Rick Wakeman, English composer and musician (Yes)
- 1949 - Bill Wallace, Canadian bassist (The Guess Who)
- 1948 - Tom Udall, American politician
- 1948 - Yi Munyol, South Korean writer
- 1947 - John Bruton, ninth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland
- 1946 - Bruce Gilbert, English guitarist (Wire)
- 1946 - Frank Hsieh, Premier of Taiwan
- 1946 - Reggie Jackson, American baseball player
- 1946 - Andreas Katsulas, American actor (d. 2006)
- 1944 - W. G. Sebald, German-born writer (d. 2001)
- 1943 - Jimmy Snuka, American professional wrestler
- 1942 - Albert Hammond, British/Gibraltarian musician and composer
- 1942 - Nobby Stiles, English footballer
- 1941 - Lobby Loyde, Australian guitarist and songwriter (Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs) (d. 2007)
- 1941 - Miriam Margolyes, British actress
- 1939 - Giovanni Falcone, Italian magistrate and Mafia victim (d. 1992)
- 1939 - Gordon O'Connor, Canadian politician
- 1937 - Brooks Robinson, American baseball player
- 1937 - Jacques Santer, Luxembourg statesman
- 1934 - Dwayne Hickman, American actor and television executive
- 1933 - Bernadette Chirac, French politician
- 1933 - Don Whillans, English mountaineer (d. 1985)
- 1931 - Don Martin, American cartoonist (d. 2000)
- 1931 - Robert Morse, American actor
- 1930 - Warren Rudman, American politician
- 1929 - Jack Sanford, American baseball player (d. 2000)
- 1928 - Pernell Roberts, American actor (d. 2010)
- 1926 - Dirch Passer, Danish actor (d. 1980)
- 1924 - Priscilla Pointer, American actress
- 1924 - Jack Whitaker, American sportscaster
- 1923 - Hugh Shearer, Prime Minister of Jamaica (d. 2004)
- 1923 - Jean-Louis Roux, French Canadian actor and artistic director
- 1922 - Gerda Boyesen, Norwegian-born body psychotherapist (d. 2005)
- 1922 - Bill Macy, American actor
- 1922 - Kai Winding, Danish-born jazz trombonist and composer (d. 1983)
- 1920 - Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojty?a) (d. 2005)
- 1920 - Lucia Mannucci, Italian singer (Quartetto Cetra)
- 1919 - Dame Margot Fonteyn, English ballet dancer (d. 1991)
- 1918 - Massimo Girotti, Italian actor (d. 2003)
- 1914 - Pierre Balmain, French fashion designer (d. 1982)
- 1914 - Robert J. Wilke, American actor (d. 1989)
- 1913 - Jane Birdwood, Canadian-born British far right activist (d. 2000)
- 1913 - Charles Trenet, French singer and songwriter (d. 2001)
- 1913 - Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Indian politician (d. 1996)
- 1913 - Mary Howard de Liagre, American actress (d. 2009)
- 1912 - Richard Brooks, American film director, writer and producer (d. 1992)
- 1912 - Perry Como, American singer (d. 2001)
- 1912 - Walter Sisulu, South African anti-apartheid activist (d. 2003)
- 1911 - Big Joe Turner, American blues singer (d. 1985)
- 1909 - Fred Perry, British former tennis player (d. 1995)
- 1907 - Carl Mydans, American photographer (d. 2004)
- 1905 - Hedley Verity, English cricketer (d. 1943)
- 1904 - Jacob K. Javits, American politician (d. 1986)
- 1902 - Meredith Willson, American composer (d. 1984)
- 1901 - Vincent du Vigneaud, American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1978)
- 1897 - Frank Capra, American film producer, director, and writer (d. 1991)
- 1892 - Ezio Pinza, Italian-born bass (d. 1957)
- 1891 - Rudolf Carnap, German philosopher (d. 1970)
- 1889 - Thomas Midgley, American chemist and inventor (d. 1944)
- 1887 - Jeanie MacPherson, American actress and screenwriter (d. 1946)
- 1883 - Eurico Gaspar Dutra, President of Brazil (d. 1974)
- 1883 - Walter Gropius, German architect (d. 1969)
- 1882 - Babe Adams, American baseball player (d. 1968)
- 1876 - Hermann Müller, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1931)
- 1872 - Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, British mathematician, writer and philosopher, Nobel laureate (d. 1970)
- 1868 - Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (d. 1918)
- 1854 - Bernard Zweers, Dutch composer and music teacher (d. 1924)
- 1852 - Gertrude Käsebier, American photographer (d. 1934)
- 1851 - James Budd, Governor of California (d. 1908)
- 1850 - Oliver Heaviside, English physicist (d. 1925)
- 1797 - King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony (d. 1854)
- 1785 - John Wilson, Scottish writer (d. 1854)
- 1778 - Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry (d. 1854)
- 1777 - John George Children, British chemist, mineralogist and zoologist (d. 1852)
- 1711 - Ru?er Josip Boškovi?, Croatian atomic theorist (d. 1787)
- 1692 - (O.S.) – Joseph Butler, English bishop and philosopher (d. 1752)
- 1662 - (O.S.) – George Smalridge, English bishop of Bristol (d. 1719)
- 1616 - Johann Jakob Froberger, German composer (d. 1667)
- 1610 - Stefano della Bella, Italian printmaker (d. 1664)
- 1474 - Isabella d'Este, Marquise of Mantua (d. 1539)
- 1186 - Konstantin of Rostov, Prince of Novgorod (d. 1218)
- 1048 - Omar Khayyám, Persian mathematician, poet and philosopher (d. 1131)