Famous people born on May 18 — and what else happened that day
If your birthday is May 18, you share it with Pope John Paul II, Reggie Jackson, Tina Fey — and you were born under Taurus, the sign of the steady, loyal, and a lover of life’s comforts.
Birthday basics for May 18
Taurus ♉
Zodiac sign
Emerald
Birthstone
Lily of the Valley
Birth flower
138th
Day of the year
May 18 is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years), with 227 days still to come.
Famous people born on May 18
Pope John Paul II — Polish-born pope who led the Catholic Church for 26 years (born 1920).
Reggie Jackson — American baseball Hall of Famer nicknamed 'Mr. October' (born 1946).
Tina Fey — American comedian, actress, and Emmy-winning writer (born 1970).
Also sharing the day:
Bertrand Russell (b. 1872) — British philosopher and mathematician who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Frank Capra (b. 1897) — director of It's a Wonderful Life and other beloved American classics.
George Strait (b. 1952) — the "King of Country," with 60 number-one hits.
May 18 in history
1953 — Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier.
1969 — NASA launched Apollo 10, the dress rehearsal for the Moon landing.
1980 — Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington State in a historic volcanic blast.
1804 — Napoleon Bonaparte was proclaimed Emperor of the French.
1912 — Shree Pundalik, regarded as one of India's first films, premiered in Mumbai.
1990 — A French TGV train set a world rail speed record of 515.3 km/h (320 mph).
May 18 birthday questions
What zodiac sign is May 18?
Anyone born on May 18 is a Taurus — steady, loyal, and a lover of life’s comforts.
What is the birthstone for May 18?
The birthstone for a May 18 birthday is Emerald, and the birth flower is the Lily of the Valley.
Who is the most famous person born on May 18?
Pope John Paul II is among the best known — Polish-born pope who led the Catholic Church for 26 years (born 1920).
What happened on May 18?
In 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier.
What day of the year is May 18?
May 18 is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years), with 227 days still to come.
Make their day unforgettable
Know someone born on May 18? See the full story of their exact birthday — the headlines, the #1 song, what things cost — and turn it into a personalized front-page newspaper they can keep.