What happened on May 18 ?

1048 - Omar Khayyám, Persian poet (d. 1131)

1186 - Konstantin of Rostov, Prince of Novgorod (d. 1218)

1474 - Isabella d'Este, Marquise of Mantua (d. 1539)

1610 - Stefano della Bella, Italian printmaker (d. 1664)

1616 - Johann Jakob Froberger, German composer (d. 1667)

1662 (O.S.) - George Smalridge, English bishop of Bristol (d. 1719)

1692 (O.S.) - Joseph Butler, English bishop and philosopher (d. 1752)

1711 - Ru?er Josip Bo?kovi?, Serbian atomic theorist (d. 1787)

1778 - Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry

1785 - John Wilson, Scottish writer (d. 1854)

1797 - Frederick Augustus II of Saxony (d. 1854)

1850 - Oliver Heaviside, English physicist (d. 1925)

1868 - Nikolai Aleksandrovich Romanov , Nicholas II, Last Emperor of Russia. (d. 1918)

1872 - Lord Bertrand Russell, English mathematician and philosopher, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature (d. 1970)

1876 - Hermann Müller, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1931)

1883 - Eurico Gaspar Dutra, President of Brazil (d. 1974)

1883 - Walter Gropius, German architect (d. 1969)

1889 - Thomas Midgley, American chemist and inventor (d. 1944)

1891 - Rudolf Carnap, German philosopher (d. 1970)

1892 - Ezio Pinza, Italian-born bass (d. 1957)

1897 - Frank Capra, American producer, director, and writer (d. 1991)

1901 - Vincent du Vigneaud, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1978)

1902 - Meredith Willson, American composer (d. 1984)

1905 - Hedley Verity, English cricketer (d. 1943)

1911 - Big Joe Turner, American blues singer (d. 1985)

1912 - Perry Como, American singer (d. 2001)

1912 - Richard Brooks, American film director, writer and producer (d. 1992)

1912 - Walter Sisulu, South African anti-apartheid activist (d. 2003)

1913 - Charles Trenet, French singer and songwriter (d. 2001)

1914 - Pierre Balmain, French fashion designer (d. 1982)

1918 - George Welch, American pilot and war hero (d. 1954)

1919 - Dame Margot Fonteyn, English ballet dancer (d. 1991)

1920 - Pope John Paul II (d. 2005)

1920 - Lucia Mannucci, Italian singer (Quartetto Cetra)

1922 - Kai Winding, Danish-born musician (d. 1983)

1923 - Hugh Shearer, Prime Minister of Jamaica (d. 2004)

1923 - Jean-Louis Roux, French Canadian actor and artistic director

1924 - Priscilla Pointer, American actress

1926 - Dirch Passer, Danish actor (d. 1980)

1928 - Pernell Roberts, American actor

1929 - Jack Sanford, baseball player

1931 - Don Martin, American cartoonist (d. 2000)

1931 - Robert Morse, American actor

1934 - Dwayne Hickman, American actor and television executive

1937 - Brooks Robinson, baseball player

1937 - Jacques Santer, Luxembourg statesman

1939 - Giovanni Falcone, Italian magistrate (d. 1992)

1942 - Albert Hammond, British musician and composer

1942 - Nobby Stiles, English footballer

1943 - James Reiher, American professional wrestler

1946 - Reggie Jackson, baseball player

1946 - Andreas Katsulas, American actor (d. 2006)

1947 - John Bruton, ninth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland

1949 - Rick Wakeman, English composer and musician (Yes)

1949 - Bill Wallace, Canadian musician (The Guess Who)

1950 - Thomas Gottschalk, German television show host

1950 - Rodney Milburn, American athlete (d. 1997)

1950 - Mark Mothersbaugh, American composer, musician, and singer (Devo)

1952 - George Strait, American musician

1952 - Diane Duane, American writer

1955 - Chow Yun-Fat, Hong Kong actor

1957 - Michael Cretu, German musician (Enigma)

1959 - Jay Wells, Canadian ice hockey player

1960 - Jari Kurri, Finnish hockey player

1960 - Yannick Noah, French tennis player

1962 - Nanne Grönvall, Swedish singer

1962 - Sandra Cretu, German singer

1965 - Christopher Hall, American musician (Stabbing Westward)

1966 - Michael Tait, American member of Christian rock group dc Talk and founder of Christian rock group Tait.

1967 - Heinz-Harald Frentzen, F1 driver

1969 - Martika, Cuban-American singer

1970 - Tina Fey, American writer, comedian, and actress (Saturday Night Live)

1970 - Daniel Sonenberg, American composer and performer

1971 - Brad Friedel, American football player

1975 - John Higgins, Scottish snooker player

1975 - Jack Johnson, American musician

1975 - Peter Iwers, Swedish bass player (In Flames)

1976 - Oleg Tverdovsky, Ukrainian ice hockey player

1977 - Lee Hendrie, English footballer (Aston Villa F.C.)

1977 - Danny Mills, English footballer

1978 - Ricardo Carvalho, Portuguese footballer

1978 - Ciarán Toland, Northern Irish activist

1979 - Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer

1982 - Eric West, American singer and actor

1983 - Vince Young, American football player (Tennessee Titans)

1983 - Gary O'Neil, English footballer (Portsmouth FC)