Victoria Day commemorates the May 24, 1819, birthday of Britain’s Queen Victoria (who since has had a whole era named for her—the Victorian era). The British have always celebrated the birthday of the ruling monarch. After Queen Victoria’s death in 1901, the people of Canada continued to mark her birthday to show loyalty to the British Empire. In the early 1890s, this day was known as Empire’s Day. In 1947, the name was changed to Commonwealth Day. Today it is again known as Victoria Day, and it is a legal holiday in all Canadian provinces except Quebec.
Daily Calendar for Monday, May 18, 2026
Daily Calendar
View daily calendar information including holidays, advice, and daily features.
Monday, May 18, 2026
Born
- Bertrand Russell (philosopher & mathematician) –
- Frank Capra (director) –
- Perry Como (singer) –
- Pope John Paul II –
- Brooks Robinson (baseball player) –
- Reggie Jackson (baseball player) –
- George Strait (country singer) –
- Tina Fey (writer & actress) –
- Jack Johnson (musician) –
Died
- Elizabeth Montgomery (American actress ) –
- Elvin Ray Jones (renowned jazz drummer and member of John Coltrane’s quartet who also played alongside Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis) –
- Wayne Allwine (voice of Mickey Mouse for over 30 years) –
Events
- Montreal, Quebec, founded –
- Masses feared the end of the world during passage of Halley’s Comet –
- U.S. Selective Draft Act passed –
- Tennessee Valley Authority created –
- TWA was first airline to fly the Douglas DC-2 aircraft –
- Aviator Jackie Cochran became the first woman to exceed Mach 1 –
- Apollo 10 spacecraft launched from Cape Kennedy –
- India became world’s sixth nuclear power –
- A magnitude 5.1 earthquake causes the cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens, killing 57 people. –
- Several months of volcanic action culminated in a major eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington. –
- Law passed to remove Confederate flag from South Carolina statehouse –
- Randy Johnson made history by becoming the oldest major league player (at age 40) to throw a perfect game. Cy Young was previously the oldest to pitch perfection at 37 –
Weather
- Major Arkansas River flood, Wichita, Kansas –
- Violent Lake Michigan storm wrecked several ships –
- Oklahoma experienced major floods –
- 116 degrees F at Death Valley, California –