Timeline May 2018

Events in May 2018 14

• 1930 – 2018 Tom Wolfe (1930-2018) Died 14 May 2018, aged 88 American author and journalist who pioneered New Journalism and wrote novels including The Bonfire of the Vanities and The Right Stuff. His distinctive white suits and satirical eye made him a fixture of American letters. He chronicled American society across six decades of writing.
• 1933 – 2018 Philip Roth (1933-2018) Died 22 May 2018, aged 85 American novelist celebrated for works including Portnoy's Complaint, American Pastoral and The Human Stain. He won nearly every major American literary award, though never the Nobel Prize in Literature. His fiction often explored Jewish-American identity and postwar society.
• 2018 Armenian Velvet Revolution Mass protests force Serzh Sargsyan to resign Weeks of peaceful street protests led by opposition figure Nikol Pashinyan forced Armenian leader Serzh Sargsyan to resign after he sought to extend his rule as prime minister. Pashinyan was subsequently elected prime minister by parliament. The bloodless transfer of power became known as the Velvet Revolution.
• 2018 2018 World Snooker Championship Mark Williams Title 3 Winner: Mark Williams; Runner-up: John Higgins. Score: 18–16.
• 2018 First F-35 combat use Israeli F-35I Adir Israel announces that its F-35I Adir jets have flown combat missions — the first combat use of the F-35 anywhere.
• 2018 United States withdraws from Iran nuclear deal Trump abandons the JCPOA and reimposes sanctions President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear agreement with Iran. The decision reimposed sweeping US sanctions on Iran and strained relations with European allies who had remained committed to the deal. Iran continued to comply with the deal's terms for another year before scaling back its own commitments.
• 2018 Malaysian general election Mahathir Mohamad's coalition ends 61 years of Barisan Nasional rule Malaysia's opposition coalition, led by 92-year-old former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, defeated the Barisan Nasional coalition that had governed since independence in 1957. The result ousted incumbent Najib Razak, who was later charged with corruption over the 1MDB scandal. It marked the first change of ruling coalition in Malaysian history.
• 2018 US embassy relocates to Jerusalem Move coincides with deadly Gaza border protests The United States formally relocated its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, fulfilling a campaign pledge by President Trump and reversing decades of US policy. The move was condemned by Palestinians and much of the international community. The same day, Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinian protesters along the Gaza border.
• 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting Gunman kills ten at a Texas high school A student opened fire at Santa Fe High School near Houston, Texas, killing ten people, most of them students. It occurred three months after the Parkland shooting and renewed national debate over school safety and gun control. The shooter was taken into custody at the scene.
• 2018 Royal Wedding — Harry & Meghan Prince marries American actress Prince Harry married American actress Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018, watched by 1.9 billion people worldwide. Meghan became the first mixed-race member of the modern Royal Family.
• 2018 Harvey Weinstein arrested Film producer charged with rape and sexual assault Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein turned himself in to New York police and was charged with rape and criminal sexual assault. The arrest followed a wave of accusations that had sparked the Me Too movement in late 2017. Weinstein was convicted on related charges in 2020.
• 2018 Irish abortion referendum Voters repeal the constitutional ban on abortion Ireland voted by a two-to-one margin to repeal the Eighth Amendment, which had banned abortion in nearly all circumstances. The result paved the way for legislation legalizing abortion later in the year. Turnout was high and the outcome marked a major shift in a historically Catholic country.
• 2018 Third consecutive Champions League title Real Madrid beats Liverpool in Kyiv On 26 May 2018, Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 3-1 in the Champions League final in Kyiv, giving Zidane an unprecedented third consecutive European Cup as manager. No coach had previously won three straight Champions League/European Cup titles since the competition adopted its modern format. The achievement cemented Zidane's status as one of the greatest club managers of the modern era.
• 2018 Resigns as Real Madrid coach Zidane steps down days after winning a third straight Champions League On 31 May 2018, just five days after securing a historic third consecutive Champions League title, Zidane stunned the football world by announcing his resignation as Real Madrid head coach. He cited the need for the squad to hear a different voice to stay motivated, ending his first spell in charge with 9 trophies from 149 matches. The decision was widely praised as leaving the club at its peak.