May 18 - Uncle Day

It's Uncle Day!

Happy Birthday Uncle Martin!

Happy Birthday Uncle Kyle!

This Day In History

1152

Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine.

1498

Vasco da Gama reaches the port of Calicut, India.

1763

Fire destroys a large part of Montreal, Quebec.

1910

The Earth passes through the tail of Comet Halley.

1953

Jackie Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier.

1958

An F-104 Starfighter sets a world speed record of 1,404.19 mph (2,259.82 km/h).

1969

Apollo 10 is launched.

1990

In France, a modified TGV train achieves a new rail world speed record of 320.2 mph.

2005

A second photo from the Hubble Space Telescope confirms that Pluto has two additional moons: Nix and Hydra.

Famous Birthdays

1048

Omar Khayyám, Persian mathematician, poet and philosopher (d. 1131)

1610

Stefano della Bella, Italian printmaker (d. 1664)

1711

Ruđer Josip Bošković, physicist, astronomer, mathematician, philosopher, diplomat, poet, theologian, Jesuit, atomic theorist,and polymath from the city of Dubrovnik in the Republic of Ragusa (today Croatia) (d. 1787)

1822

Mathew Brady, American photographer (d. 1896)

1850

Oliver Heaviside, English physicist (d. 1925)

1852

Gertrude Käsebier, American photographer (d. 1934)

1862

Josephus Daniels, American publisher and United States Secretary of the Navy (d. 1948)

1883

Walter Gropius, German architect (d. 1969)

1892

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

1897

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

1902

Meredith Willson, American composer (d. 1984)

1912

Perry Como, American singer (d. 2001)

1920

Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła) (d. 2005)

1922

Bill Macy, American actor

1928

Pernell Roberts, American actor (d. 2010)

1931

Robert Morse, American actor

1941

Miriam Margolyes, British actress

1946

Reggie Jackson, American baseball player
Andreas Katsulas, American actor (d. 2006)

1950

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

1952

Diane Duane, American science fiction and fantasy author
George Strait, American country musician
Jeana Yeager^*, aviatrix and first woman to receive the Collier Trophy

1983

Vince Young, American football player

1993

Jessica Watson, Australian solo sailor

* - no relation.