1. On April 18, 1906, the Kentucky General Assembly passed the Day Law to regulate segregation in higher education, a law that would remain in effect until 1950. The law required separate schools for black and white students and banned interracial education and prohibited black and white students from attending school together.

2. On April 18, 1926, Colonel Harland Sanders opened his first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky. The restaurant was located adjacent to a Shell gas station and served fried chicken, sandwiches, and other Southern-style cuisine. The restaurant's success eventually led to the franchising of KFC throughout the United States.

3. On April 18, 1942, Kentucky Governor Keen Johnson signed a bill authorizing the establishment of the Kentucky State Police Crime Laboratory. The laboratory was created to provide forensic science services to local and state law enforcement agencies in the investigation of crimes and other legal proceedings.

4. On April 18, 1978, the largest horse farm in the world, Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, was purchased by William Farish III. The farm is known for breeding and racing champion thoroughbreds, including 22 Kentucky Derby starters and winners such as A.P. Indy and Lemon Drop Kid.

5. On April 18, 1983, the Louisville Orchestra performed the world premiere of "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," a composition by Kentucky-born composer Charles Fussell. The work is based on Walt Whitman's poem of the same name, which pays tribute to President Abraham Lincoln after his assassination. The piece has since been performed by orchestras around the world.