- 1944 18 May An assault by Polish troops ends the Battle of Monte Cassino, which cost 20,000 German and Allied lives.
- 1974 18 May India becomes a nuclear power with the successful detonation of a bomb in the Rajasthan Desert.
- 1991 18 May Helen Sharman becomes the first Briton in space, as a passenger aboard the Soviet Soyuz TM-12.
World War One Centenary
- Find out more about how the BBC is covering the World War One Centenary, and see the latest programmes and online content
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