Holidays Calendar for May 18, 2024
Constitution and Flag Day is a public holiday in Turkmenistan celebrated on May 18. It was officially established in 2017 by the Assembly (Mejilis) of Turkmenistan.
May 18 is Battle of Las Piedras Day in Uruguay. This is an official working holiday, that is mostly observed by schools and public officers.
Flag and Universities Day is observed in Haiti on May 18 every year. This holiday celebrates educational system as well as the creation of the flag of Haiti in 1803.
International Museum Day is annually celebrated on May 18 or around it. This is a great event with a specific theme, that involves thousands of museums around the world.
World AIDS Vaccine Day is observed annually on May 18. This observance is also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day.
Culture Freedom Day is celebrated every year on the third Saturday in May. This international observance was initiated by the Digital Freedom Foundation in 2012.
Astronomy Day is a bi-annual event, that is observed by astronomy enthusiasts, groups and professionals. The event originally started in the USA, but it spread to the other countries.
The Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian Navy formation. It was established by Peter the Great on May 18, 1703. This day became the date of Baltic Fleet Day.
Science Day in Ukraine is celebrated on the third Saturday in May. It was officially established by President Leonid Kuchma in 1997 and has been celebrated annually ever since.
The third Saturday in May is Armed Forces Day in the USA. The holiday finishes the Armed Forces Week, that starts on the second Saturday of May.
Reservist Day is an official holiday in the Ukrainian military. Celebrated on May 18, it was established in April 2019 by President Petro Poroshenko. The observance was created to honor the country’s military reserve force.
May 18 is National Speech Pathologist Day. This professional holiday was created to recognize healthcare professionals who specialize in the treatment of communication, cognitive-communication, voice, and swallowing disorders.
Kalmyk Tea Day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of May in Kalmykia, a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. It was established in 2011 by the People’s Khural (parliament) of the Republic of Kalmykia to preserve and revive Kalmyk folk traditions. The holiday was first celebrated on May 19, 2012.
The Republic of Somaliland is a self-declared state internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia. Despite its lack of international recognition, Somaliland is a de facto state that celebrates its Independence Day on May 18.
On May 18 every year, Sri Lankan Tamils observe Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day, also known as simply Mullivaikkal Day. It honors the memory of those who died during the final months of the Sri Lankan Civil War that was fought from 1983 to 2009.
Anniversaries and Memorial Days →
Ukraine
Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Deportation of the Peoples of Crimea
The Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Deportation of the Peoples of Crimea is observed in Ukraine on May 18 to honor the Russian Germans, Crimean Italians, Crimean Tatars, Armenians, Crimean Bulgarians and Soviet Greeks who were deported from Crimea in 1941–1944. This remembrance day was established by the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in 1994.
World Whisky Day is an annual celebration of “water of life”, taking place on the third Saturday in May. This renowned event exists since 2012.
May 18 is National Cheese Soufflé Day. Although savory soufflé may seem too light to be a main course, you can serve it with a side of steamed asparagus, bitter greens, or roasted cauliflower
National Marshmallow Day is unofficially observed in Australia (mainly in Melbourne) on May 18. To celebrate the occasion, treat yourself to roasted marshmallows, s’mores, a fluffernutter, or some hot cocoa with marshmallows – even if you don’t live in Australia!
In December 2018, members of the Kyiv City Council voted in favor of adding a new holiday to the Ukrainian capital’s holiday calendar. Neighbor Day in Kyiv is celebrated on the third Saturday of May; it used to coincide with Europe Day in Ukraine.
Festivals on May 18, 2024
- Beat Film Festival in Moscow, Russia
- Robin Hood’s Medieval Faire in Harwinton, USA
- New Jersey Renaissance Faire in Bordentown, USA
- Aalborg Carnival in Aalborg, Denmark
- Moers Festival in Moers, Germany
- Motor City Comic Con in Novi, USA
- Karneval der Kulturen in Berlin, Germany
- Bath Festival in Bath, United Kingdom
- Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival in Temecula, USA
- Manchester Jazz Festival in Manchester, United Kingdom
- Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig, Germany
- Orange City Tulip Festival in Orange City, USA
- Glyndebourne Festival Opera in Lewes, United Kingdom
- Saint Petersburg International Book Fair in Saint Petersburg, Russia
- San Diego International Fringe Festival in San Diego, USA
This Day in History
- 2011 Sol Líneas Aéreas Flight 5428 crashed in Prahuaniyeu, Argentina, killing all 22 people on board. The crash was caused by severe icing of the airframe.
- 2002 Born: Alina Zagitova, retired Russian figure skater. She is the 2018 Olympic champion, the 2019 World champion, the 2018 European champion, and the 2017–18 Grand Prix Final champion.
- 1995 Died: Alexander Godunov, Russian-American dancer and actor whose defection caused a diplomatic incident between the US and the USSR.
- 1991 Northern Somalia proclaimed independence as the Republic of Somaliland. The independence of Somaliland is not recognized by the international community.
- 1990 In France, a SNCF TGV Atlantique train achieved a new rail world speed record of 320.2 mph (515.3 km/h). The record was broken in 2007 by another TGV train.
- 1987 Born: Luisana Lopilato, Argentine actress, model, and singer best known for her role as Mía Colucci on the television series Rebelde Way.
- 1980 Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington, United States, killing 57 people. The eruption ash fell in 11 US states and 5 Canadian provinces.
- 1980 Died: Ian Curtis, English singer-songwriter and musician who is best known as the lead singer of the rock band Joy Division. Curtis committed suicide.
- 1975 Died: Leroy Anderson, American composer who is considered to be one of the greatest American masters of light orchestral music.
- 1974 India successfully carried out its first nuclear weapon explosion under project Smiling Buddha, becoming the sixth nation to perform a nuclear test.
- 1970 Born: Tina Fey, American actress, comedian, producer, and writer. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live.
- 1965 Died: Eli Cohen, Israeli spy who is best known for his espionage work in Syria, where he even became the Chief Adviser to the Minister of Defense.
- 1920 Born: Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła), pope of the Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the first non-Italian pope since 1523.
- 1912 The first Indian film, Shree Pundalik was released in Mumbai. It was produced and directed by Dadasaheb Torne, who is considered the "Father of Indian cinema".
- 1912 Born: Richard Brooks, American director, screenwriter, novelist, and producer. Among his best-known works are Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Elmer Gantry.
- 1911 Died: Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer and conductor of Jewish decent. He is considered to be one of the leading conductors of his generation.
- 1911 Born: Big Joe Turner (born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr.), American blues shouter who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
- 1910 Died: Pauline Viardot, French mezzo-soprano, composer and pedagogue. She created her compositions mainly as private pieces for her students.
- 1909 Died: George Meredith, English novelist, essayist, and poet of the Victorian era. One of his best known works is the 1879 novel The Egoist.
- 1901 Born: Vincent du Vigneaud, American biochemist who was awarded the 1955 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the first synthesis of oxytocin.
- 1891 Born: Rudolf Carnap, German and American philosopher who was an advocate of logical positivism and a major member of the Vienna Circle.
- 1872 Born: Bertrand Russell, British philosopher, logician, historian mathematician, writer, political activist and social critic. He was awarded the 1950 Nobel Prize in Literature.
- 1868 Born: Nicholas II of Russia, the last Emperor of Russia. He abdicated at the end of the 1917 February Revolution and was executed in 1918.
- 1843 In Edinburgh, the Free Church of Scotland separated from the established Church of Scotland. This schism is known as the Disruption of 1843.
- 1804 The French Senate proclaimed Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor of the French. His coronation took place on December 2 at Notre Dame de Paris.
- 1800 Died: Alexander Suvorov, Russian general and national hero of Russia. He is one of the few generals in world history who never lost a battle.
- 1799 Died: Pierre Beaumarchais, French playwright, publisher, diplomat, and revolutionary. He is primarily remembered for his plays about Figaro.
- 1781 Died: Túpac Amaru II (born José Gabriel Túpac Amaru), Peruvian-Indian leader of the 1780 indigenous uprising against the Spanish rule.
- 1652 The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations became the first colony in English-speaking North America to abolish slavery.
- 1565 The Great Siege of Malta began, in which the Ottoman Empire invaded the island of Malta but failed to conquer it. It lasted until September 11, 1565.
- 1048 Born: Omar Khayyám, Persian poet, philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician. He is primarily remembered for his short poems called rubāʿī.