May 18

"And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die,
Lift not thy hands to It for help—for It
Rolls impotently on as Thou or I."

Omar Khayyam
(05/18/1048 – 12/04/1131)
Persian writer, mathematician

"These days, what isn't worth saying is sung."

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
(01/24/1732 – 05/18/1799)
French musician

"All brave men love; for he only is brave who has affections to fight for, whether in the daily battle of life, or in physical contests."

Nathaniel Hawthorne
(07/04/1804 – 05/18/1864)
US writer

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."

Lord Bertrand Russell
(05/18/1872 – 02/02/1970)
Welsh philosopher

"To my embarrassment, I was born in bed with a lady."

Wilson Mizner
(05/18/1876 – 04/03/1933)
US writer

"Specialists are people who always repeat the same mistakes."

Walter Gropius
(05/18/1883 – 07/05/1969)
German architect (was married to Alma Schindler)

"John is half-tyrant, half-revolutionary; half-saint, half-satan; half-possible, half-impossible; half-genius, half-Irish."

Frank Capra
(05/18/1897 – 09/03/1991)
US film director

"Ah, what a dusty answer gets the soul
When hot for certainties in this our life!"

George Meredith
(02/12/1809 – 05/18/1909)
English writer

"Life's been nothing but paperwork."

Gustav Mahler
(07/07/1860 – 05/18/1911)
Austrian composer (was married to Alma Schindler)

"The audience knows I'm not going to do anything after all these years to upset them."

Perry Como
(05/18/1912 – 05/12/2001)
US singer, actor (died near his birthday)

"Take your work seriously, but never yourself."

Dame Margot Fonteyn
(05/18/1919 – 02/21/1991)
English dancer

"Man always travels along precipices. His truest obligation is to keep his balance."

Pope John Paul II
(05/18/1920 – 04/02/2005)
Polish religious leader

"I'm never satisfied with my own work."

Pernell Roberts
(05/18/1928 – 01/24/2010)
US actor

"I'd rather hit than have sex."

Reggie Jackson
(05/18/1946 – )
US baseball player

"The freedom now desired by many is not freedom to do and dare but freedom from care and worry."

James Truslow Adams
(10/18/1878 – 05/18/1949)
US historian

"You see I am very stupid. I don't understand or talk well. I take it easy every day. I am like an idiot. Be like this every day, and then you'll look young."

Chow Yun-Fat
(05/18/1955 – )
Chinese actor

"According to a new study, women in satisfying marriages are less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases than unmarried women. So don't worry lonely women, you'll be dead soon."

Tina Fey
(05/18/1970 – )
US comic, writer, actor (SNL)

"We're half the people; we should be half the Congress."

Jeannette Rankin
(06/11/1880 – 05/18/1973)
first female US Representative (MT)

"The greatest happiness you can have is knowing that you do not necessarily require happiness."

William Saroyan
(08/31/1908 – 05/18/1981)
US writer (was married to Carol Grace)