On May 18, 1910, Earth passed through the tail of Halley’s Comet, marking the closest interaction in history between the planet and a comet. Halley’s Comet has been noted since antiquity, with the earliest reference possibly coming from ancient Greeks who described a large meteorite’s impact in northern Greece around 467-466 BC, coinciding with the comet’s visibility for approximately 80 days. Despite its significance, ancient writers did not fully recognize the event’s importance.
Historically, it was believed that the earliest recorded sighting of Halley’s occurred in 240 BC when Chinese astronomers documented it. However, researchers Eric Hintz and Daniel Graham have connected passages from Aristotle and other ancient texts to establish that Halley’s was indeed visible in 466 BC for more than 80 days.
Beyond the significance of the comet, May 18 carries a rich historical context:
- 1048: Birth of Omar Khayyam, a notable Persian poet, mathematician, and astronomer (d. 1123).
- 1388: Inauguration of Cozia Monastery, founded by Mircea the Elder.
- 1799: Death of playwright Pierre de Beaumarchais, known for works like "The Barber of Seville" and "The Marriage of Figaro" (b. January 24, 1732).
- 1804: Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed Emperor of France.
- 1845: Mihail Kogălniceanu began publishing "Letopisețul Ţării Moldovei" in Iași, compiling the writings of chroniclers like Miron Costin, Grigore Ureche, and Ion Neculce.
- 1872: Birth of British mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell, Nobel Laureate in Literature (d. February 2, 1970).
- 1883: Birth of Walter Gropius, German-American architect and founder of the Bauhaus school (d. July 5, 1969).
- 1897: Birth of American director Frank Capra, known for films like "It’s a Wonderful Life" (d. September 3, 1991).
- 1899: Opening of the first Peace Conference in The Hague, where Romania participated.
- 1909: Death of English writer George Meredith (b. February 12, 1828).
- 1920: Birth of Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyła), elected as pontiff on October 16, 1978 (d. April 2, 2005).
- 1928: Birth of Hungarian-Romanian writer Domokos Geza, first president of UDMR (d. June 27, 2007).
- 1946: Conclusion of the trial against members of the Antonescu government.
- 1951: Establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community, a precursor to the European Union.
- 1954: Adoption of the European Convention on Human Rights.
- 1972: Treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons on the seas and oceans comes into effect.
- 1981: Death of American-Armenian writer William Saroyan (b. August 31, 1908).
- 1995: Alain Juppé becomes Prime Minister of France.
- 1997: Inauguration of the European Cultural Center in Bucharest.
- 2001: King Michael returns to Elisabeta Palace after almost 55 years since his abdication.
- 2009: Bran Castle officially transferred to Dominic of Habsburg.
- 2011: Death of Romanian writer Mircea Horia Simionescu, prominent for works like "Endless Perils" (b. January 23, 1928).
This summary underscores both the astronomical event associated with Halley’s Comet and significant historical milestones occurring on May 18 throughout various years.
