This Day in History- May 18

1912: India’s first feature film released
On May 18, 1912, India’s first feature film called Shree Pundalik was released at the Coronation Cinematograph, Girgaum, Mumbai. The movie was produced and directed by Dadasaheb Torne alias Rama Chandra Gopal.

1966: Famous Indian Botanist Died
On May 18, 1966, the Indian botanist Panchanan Maheswari known for his invention of the technique of test-tube fertilization of angiosperms meant his sad demise.

1974: India becomes a Nuclear State
On May 18, India detonated its first atomic bomb named the Smiling Buddha under the supervision of Raja Ramanna, director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in the army base Pokhran Test Range (PTR) in Rajasthan and the event was attended by several key Indian generals like Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

1803: Napoleonic Wars began
On May 18, 1803, the infamous Napoleonic wars began between the country of  France led by Napoleon I and other European powers that resulted in a short French hegemony over most of Europe.

1830: World’s First Lawn Mower is Licensed
Edwin Budding of England signed an agreement for the manufacture of his invention, lawnmower on May 18, 1830, and sold thousands of the lawnmowers in the first year itself.

1956:  Reiss and Luchsinger climbed Lhotse
The Swiss climbers’ Fritz Luchsinger and Ernest Reiss made the first ascent of the Lhotse in the Himalayas, the fourth-highest mouth on earth.

1977: Environmental Modification Convention
On May 18, 1977, both superpowers US & USSR and along with other nations sign the international treaty called the Environmental Modification Convention which prohibited the use of explosives and military techniques that could alter the weather in a long-lasting manner. 

1978: Italy legalized Abortion
Italy passed a law that legalised abortion and allowed Italian women to terminate their pregnancies within the first 90 days.

1980: Mount St Helens erupted
Mount St Helens erupted in Washington state and resulted in killing 57 people and destroying property worth $1 billion in damage.

1980: Gwangju Massacre
May 18 marks the popular uprising that took place in Gwangju, South Korea led by students calling for democratic reforms and resulted in a brutal massacre killing around 600 people.

1990: Monetary Union Treaty
The Monetary Union Treaty was signed by East and West Germany on May 18, 1990, as part of the German Reunification that began earlier in May 1990.

2001: Shrek’s Nationwide Release
The comedy Shrek had its nationwide release in the United States on May 18, 2001; it won the Academy Award for a best-animated feature and became the first animated movie to be nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay. 

2006: Nepal becomes a Secular Country
On May 18, 2006, the post-Loktantra Andolan government passed a landmark bill that curtailed the power of the monarchy and made Nepal a secular country.

2009: Sri Lankan Civil War Ended
The LTTE, the militant group and advocates for Tamil Eelam were defeated by the Sri Lankan government on 18 May 2009.

2018: Chile’s 34 Roman Catholic bishops Resign
All Chile’s 34 Roman Catholic bishops resigned in the wake of the child sex scandal and covering up the heinous crimes of the influential priest Fr Karadima.

2018: BTS releases Love Yourself: Tear
The famous K-pop boy band BTS released their album Love Yourself: Tear” and sold 135,000 in just the first week.