May 18
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1896: “Separate but equal” doctrine established
On this day in 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 7–1 decision (with one abstention), decreed in Plessy v. Ferguson that racial segregation was not unconstitutional so long as states provided “equal” facilities. In practice, it gave legal cover to the perpetuation of deeply unequal public systems, including schools.
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© William Lovelace/Express—Hulton Archive/Getty Images; Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Featured Event
© Francois Lochon—Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
First day of the Gwangju Uprising
Mass protests against the South Korean military government began on this day in 1980 in the southern city of Gwangju. Nearly a quarter of a million people participated in the rebellion before it was brutally repressed.
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
Claudio Luffoli—AP/REX/Shutterstock.com
Born this day in Poland in 1920, Pope John Paul II traveled widely during his pontificate (1978–2005), campaigning for human rights and world peace, and played a key role in the dissolution of the Soviet Union (1991).
Famous Birthdays
More on May 18
© Fox News Network, LLC
2017
Roger Ailes—who was a highly influential figure in the Republican Party in the United States, especially as the founding president of the Fox News Channel (1996–16)—died at age 77. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about famous Americans.]
Justin Sullivan—Getty Images News
2012
The social media company Facebook held its initial public offering, which raised $16 billion. [Test your knowledge of tech companies.]
Focus On Sport/Getty Images
2004
Randy Johnson became the oldest Major League Baseball pitcher to throw a perfect game. [Take our quiz about America’s favorite pastime.]
© 2001 DreamWorks LLC
2001
Shrek—with voices provided by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz, among others—had its nationwide release in the United States. It went on to become the first movie to win the Academy Award for best animated feature. [How much do you know about the Academy Awards?]
U.S. Geological Survey
1980
Following an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 on the Richter scale, Mount Saint Helens in Washington state erupted in one of the largest volcanic explosions ever recorded in North America. [Test your knowledge of disasters of historic proportions..]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1974
India detonated a nuclear weapon in the Rajasthan desert. [Sort fact from fiction in our India quiz.]
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1956
Swiss climbers Fritz Luchsinger and Ernest Reiss made the first ascent of the Lhotse I mountain in the Himalayas. [How much do you know about mountains?]
Courtesy of the San Diego Air & Space Museum
1953
Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier. [Take our quiz about early aviation.]
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1940
Brussels fell to the invading German army in World War II and was subjected to harsh terms of occupation. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about wartime Germany.]
Tennessee Valley Authority
1933
The U.S. government established the Tennessee Valley Authority to control floods and produce electrical power along the Tennessee River and its tributaries. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about rivers.]
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
1899
The first of a series of international conferences that produced the Hague Convention began at The Hague in the Netherlands.
© Pecold/Shutterstock.com
1883
Walter Gropius, who exerted a major influence on the development of modern architecture while serving as director of the Bauhaus (1919–28), was born in Berlin. [Sort fact from fiction in our art and architecture quiz.]
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital file no. 3a53289)
1860
Abraham Lincoln became the Republican candidate for U.S. president on the third ballot at the Republican National Convention in Chicago. [Test your knowledge of Abraham Lincoln.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1642
Montreal was founded by Paul de Chomedey, sieur (lord) de Maisonneuve. [Take our quiz about world cities.]