At A Glance

18 May 1953 at a glance

Day of the week
18 May 1953 was a Monday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “I Believe” by Frankie Laine.
Top Film of 1953
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1953 was Peter Pan.
Star sign
The star sign for 18 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 18 May 1953 fell in the Year of the Snake.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 18 May 1953 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 18 May

  • 1944 World War II: Battle of Monte Cassino: Conclusion after seven days of the fourth battle as German paratroopers evacuate Monte Cassino.
  • 1948 The First Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China officially convenes in Nanking.
  • 1953 Jacqueline Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier.
  • 1955 Operation Passage to Freedom, the evacuation of 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the French Army from communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam following the end of the First Indochina War, ends.
  • 1962 The French government and representatives of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic reach a settlement to end the Algerian war in the Évian Accords.

Famous people born on 18 May

  • Emma Navarro, American tennis player (born 2001)
  • Vince Young, American football player (born 1983)
  • Nicholas II (1868–1918)
  • Tina Fey, American actress, producer, and screenwriter (born 1970)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1953 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1953 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 13 April – Ian Fleming publishes his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale.
  • 16 April – The Queen launches the Royal Yacht Britannia at John Brown & Company shipbuilders on the Clyde.
  • 2 June – The Times exclusively carries James Morris's scoop of the conquest of Mount Everest by a British expedition on 29 May.

Life in 1953

Prime Minister

Winston Churchill

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

7p

Loaf of Bread

5p

Average House

£1,891

Weekly Wage

£8.90

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1950s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →