About the day » Saturday May 18, 1940Calender converter

• Maria Knobbe, Heerenveen, Friesland, Nederland († 1999)
• Doodgeboren kind Govers, Roosendaal en Nispen († 1940)
• Johannes Bernardus Petrus Mar. Huisman, Schiedam, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 2010)
• Maria Johanna Smeink, Baarn († 2007)
• Leo Gerardus Maria Donners, Schweijkhuizen († 2003)
• Clemence W. Breepoel, Terneuzen († 2014)
• Hendrikus Klaas Beck († 1987)
• Jacomina G.N. van 't Hart († 2012)
• Albert Dirk den Haan, Rijnsburg, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 1984)
• Elisabeth Maria Anna Nieuwenhuijs, Amsterdam († 2021)

• Adrianus HEUVEL, van den (69), Stolwijk, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Cornelia de Jong (66), Rotterdam
• Berend Drevel (29), In het kanaal, Petit-Fort-Philippe, Dépt. Nord (ENG)
• Aafje Koeleman (76), Heemstede, Noord-Holland, Nederland
• Annabelle Annie B Mansir (67), Riverside, Riverside, California, Verenigde Staten
• Akke Kroontje (67), Bolsward, Friesland, Nederland
• Adrianus van de Nes (72), Edam, Edam-Volendam, Noord-Holland, Nederland
• adrianus augustinus snoeren (68), Assebroek
• Anna van den Boom (79), Bergen op Zoom, Noord Brabant, Nederland
• adrienne roberte marie rose LIENARD (3), Gommegnies (F-59)

• 1937 » Brooks Robinson, American baseball player and sportscaster
• 1938 » Janet Fish, American painter and academic
• 1939 » Giovanni Falcone, Italian lawyer and judge († 1992)
• 1939 » Gordon O'Connor, Canadian general and politician, 38th Canadian Minister of Defence
• 1939 » Patrick Cormack, Baron Cormack, English historian, journalist, and politician
• 1940 » Erico Aumentado, Filipino journalist, lawyer, and politician († 2012)
• 1941 » Gino Brito, Canadian wrestler and promoter
• 1941 » Malcolm Longair, Scottish astronomer, physicist, and academic
• 1941 » Miriam Margolyes, English-Australian actress and singer
• 1942 » Nobby Stiles, English footballer, coach, and manager

• 1911 » Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer and conductor (b. 1860)
• 1922 » Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran, French physician and parasitologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1845)
• 1941 » Werner Sombart, German economist and sociologist (b. 1863)
• 1943 » Ōnishiki Daigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 28th Yokozuna (b. 1883)
• 1947 » Hal Chase, American baseball player and manager (b. 1883)
• 1955 » Mary McLeod Bethune, American educator and activist (b. 1875)
• 1956 » Maurice Tate, English cricketer (b. 1895)
• 1958 » Jacob Fichman, Israeli poet and critic (b. 1881)
• 1963 » Ernie Davis, American football player, coach, and manager (b. 1939)
• 1968 » Frank Walsh, Australian politician, 34th Premier of South Australia (b. 1897)

1. Jan
2. Johannes
3. Cornelis
4. Hendrik
5. Willem
6. Gerrit
7. Pieter
8. Jacob
9. Adrianus
10. Robert
11. Petrus
12. Jacobus
13. Wilhelmus
14. Gerardus
15. Dirk
16. Arie

1. Maria
2. Johanna
3. Anna
4. Cornelia
5. Elisabeth
6. Wilhelmina
7. Hendrika
8. Adriana
9. Catharina
10. Petronella
11. Geertruida
12. Jacoba
13. Margaretha
14. Annie
15. Marie
16. Aaltje

• Koningin Wilhelmina (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1890 till 1948 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from August 10, 1939 to September 3, 1940 the cabinet De Geer II, with Jonkheer mr. D.J. de Geer (CHU) as prime minister.
• In The Netherlands , there was from September 3, 1940 to July 27, 1941 the cabinet Gerbrandy I, with Prof. dr. P.S. Gerbrandy (ARP) as prime minister.
• The Netherlands had about 8.8 million citizens.
• March 5 » Six high-ranking members of Soviet politburo, including Joseph Stalin, sign an order for the execution of 25,700 Polish intelligentsia, including 14,700 Polish POWs, in what will become known as the Katyn massacre.
• April 7 » Booker T. Washington becomes the first African American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp.
• May 5 » World War II: Norwegian refugees form a government-in-exile in London.
• May 28 » World War II: Belgium surrenders to Nazi Germany to end the Battle of Belgium.
• June 24 » World War II: Operation Collar, the first British Commando raid on occupied France, by No11 Independent Company.
• November 10 » The 1940 Vrancea earthquake strikes Romania killing an estimated 1,000 and injuring approximately 4,000 more.

The temperature on May 18, 1940 was between 8.5 °C and 19.2 °C and averaged 13.4 °C. There was 9.9 hours of sunshine (63%). The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the north-northeast.