From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining.
[edit] Events
- 982 BC - Beer was invented in Bavaria
- 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan commander of the Greek army in the Battle of Plataea. Along the with the Greek victory on the same day in the Battle of Mycale, the Persian invasion of Greece ended.
- 410 - Visigothic sack of Rome ends after three days.
- 1232 - The Formulary of Adjudications is promulgated by Regent Hōjō Yasutoki. (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 1232)
- 1776 - Battle of Long Island, in present day Brooklyn, New York, British forces under General William Howe defeat Americans under General George Washington.
- 1798 - United Irishmen and French forces clash with the British army in the Battle of Castlebar, part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
- 1813 - Napoleon defeats the Austrians, Russians and Prussians at the Battle of Dresden.
- 1828 - The Russians defeat the Turks at the Battle of Akhalzic.
- 1859 - Petroleum discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania. World's first successful oil well.
- 1861 - Union forces attack Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
- 1883 - Krakatoa, an Indonesian volcano, erupts. It is one of the most violent volcanic events in modern times.
- 1896 - Anglo-Zanzibar War: the shortest war in world history (9:02 to 9:40) between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar.
- 1900 - British defeat Boer commandos at Bergendal.
- 1920 - Radio Argentina begins regularly scheduled transmissions from the Teatro Coliseo in Buenos Aires, considered the world's first public broadcast station.
- 1928 - Kellogg-Briand Pact, outlawing war, signed by sixty nations.
- 1937 - The automobile division of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works is spun off into the Toyota Motor Corporation.
- 1939 - First flight of the Heinkel He 178, the first modern jet aircraft.
- 1952 - Reparation negotiations between West Germany and Israel end in Luxembourg; West Germany to pay 3 billion Deutschmark.
- 1957 - The Constitution of Malaysia came into force.
- 1962 - Mariner 2 launched to Venus.
- 1969 - The first installment of the Otoko wa Tsurai yo (It's Tough Being a Man) movies is released in Japan. Director and screenplay writer Yoji Yamada went on to make 48 installments of the series, which is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running movie series.
- 1979 - An IRA bomb kills Lord Mountbatten and 3 others on holiday in Sligo, Republic of Ireland. Another near Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland kills 18 British soldiers.
- 1985 - The Nigerian government is peacefully overthrown by Army Chief of Staff Major General Ibrahim Babangida.
- 1990 - The British Broadcasting Corporation launches BBC Radio Five Live at 9am GMT with a mixture of sports, news, and children's programming.
- 1991 - The European Community recognizes the independence of the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
- 1991 - Moldova declares independence from the USSR.
- 1993 - The Florida Department of Transportation decides to cease producing its distinctive colored U.S. Highway shields so that it can make use of Federal funds for those signs.
- 1993 - The Rainbow Bridge, connecting Tokyo's Shibaura and the island of Odaiba, is completed.
- 2000 - Ostankino Tower in Moscow catches fire, three people are killed.
- 2003 - Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing approximately 34,646,416 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) from Earth.
- 2006 - Comair Flight 5191 crashed en route from Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. Forty-nine of the 50 people aboard the flight were confirmed dead in the hours following the crash.
[edit] Births
- 1407 - Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Japanese shogun (d. 1425)
- 1471 - George, Duke of Saxony (d. 1539)
- 1637 - Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, Governor of the Province of Maryland (d. 1715)
- 1665 - John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol, English politician (d. 1751)
- 1677 - Otto Ferdinand Graf von Abensperg und Traun, Austrian field marshal (d. 1748)
- 1724 - John Joachim Zubly, Swiss-born Continental Congressman (d. 1781)
- 1730 - Johann Georg Hamann, German philosopher (d. 1788)
- 1770 - Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German philosopher (d. 1831)
- 1809 - Hannibal Hamlin, Vice President of the United States of America (d. 1891)
- 1858 - Giuseppe Peano, Italian mathematician (d. 1932)
- 1865 - James Henry Breasted, American Egyptologist (d. 1935)
- 1865 - Charles G. Dawes, 30th Vice President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (d. 1951)
- 1870 - Amado Nervo, Mexican poet (d. 1919)
- 1871 - Theodore Dreiser, American author (d. 1945)
- 1874 - Carl Bosch, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1940)
- 1875 - Katharine McCormick, American women's rights activist (d. 1967)
- 1877 - Charles Rolls, Co-founder of Rolls-Royce (d. 1910)
- 1877 - Ernst Wetter, member of the Swiss Federal Council (d. 1963)
- 1886 - Rebecca Helferich Clarke, English composer and violist (d. 1979)
- 1886 - Eric Coates, English composer (d. 1957)
- 1890 - Man Ray, photographer and artist (d. 1976)
- 1898 - Gaspard Fauteux, French Canadian parliamentarian (d. 1963)
- 1899 - C.S. Forester, British author (d. 1966)
- 1899 - Byron Foulger, American actor (d. 1970)
- 1904 - Norah Lofts, British author (d. 1983)
- 1904 - John Hay Whitney, American financier (d. 1982)
- 1906 - Ed Gein, American serial killer (d. 1984)
- 1908 - Don Bradman, Australian cricketer (d. 2001)
- 1908 - Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States (d. 1973)
- 1908 - Kurt Wegner, German artist (d. 1985)
- 1909 - Lester Young, American musician (d. 1959)
- 1909 - Sylvère Maes, Belgian cyclist (d. 1966)
- 1910 - Mother Teresa, human rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1997)
- 1911 - Kay Walsh, British actress (d. 2005)
- 1913 - Nina Schenk von Stauffenberg, wife of Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg (d. 2006)
- 1915 - Norman F. Ramsey, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1916 - Martha Raye, American actress (d. 1994)
- 1917 - Peanuts Lowrey, American baseball player (d. 1986)
- 1921 - Leo Penn, American film director (d. 1998)
- 1925 - Darry Cowl, French actor (d. 2006)
- 1926 - Kristen Nygaard, Norwegian mathematician (d. 2002)
- 1928 - Mangosuthu Buthelezi, South African politician
- 1929 - Ira Levin, American author
- 1931 - Joe Cunningham, American baseball player
- 1932 - Antonia Fraser, British author
- 1935 - Frank Yablans, American film producer
- 1935 - Ernie Broglio, American baseball player
- 1936 - Joel Kovel, American politician
- 1937 - Alice Coltrane, American jazz musician (d. 2007)
- 1937 - Tommy Sands, American actor and singer
- 1940 - Sonny Sharrock, American jazz guitarist (d. 1994)
- 1942 - Daryl Dragon, American keyboardist (Captain & Tennille)
- 1942 - Brian Peckford, Canadian politician
- 1943 - Tuesday Weld, American actress
- 1945 - G.W. Bailey, American actor
- 1947 - Barbara Bach, American actress
- 1947 - Harry Reems, American actor
- 1948 - Sgt. Slaughter, American professional wrestler
- 1948 - Pavlos Sidiropoulos, Greek musician (d. 1990)
- 1950 - Charles Fleischer, American actor
- 1951 - Buddy Bell, American baseball player-manager
- 1952 - Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens, American actor
- 1953 - Alex Lifeson, Canadian guitarist (Rush)
- 1953 - Peter Stormare, Swedish-born actor
- 1954 - Derek Warwick, British race car driver
- 1955 - Diana Scarwid, American actress
- 1955 - Robert Richardson, American cinematographer
- 1957 - Bernhard Langer, German golfer
- 1958 - Tom Lanoye, Belgian author
- 1959 - Gerhard Berger, Austrian race car driver
- 1959 - Juan Fernando Cobo, Colombian artist
- 1961 - Tom Ford, American fashion designer
- 1962 - Adam Oates, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1962 - Vic Mignogna, American voice actor
- 1963 - Downtown Julie Brown, Welsh TV personality
- 1965 - Wayne James, Zimbabwean cricketer
- 1966 - Juhan Parts, Prime Minister of Estonia
- 1969 - Reece Shearsmith, British actor and comedian
- 1969 - Chandra Wilson, American actress
- 1970 - Peter Ebdon, English snooker player
- 1970 - Tony Kanal, English-born musician (No Doubt)
- 1970 - Jim Thome, American baseball player
- 1970 - Jeff Kenna, Irish footballer
- 1971 - Marlon Ayoví, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1972 - Mike Smith, Canadian actor
- 1972 - Jimmy Pop, American musician (The Bloodhound Gang)
- 1972 - Dalip Singh, Indian professional wrestler
- 1973 - Dietmar Hamann, German footballer
- 1973 - Carlene Begnaud, American professional wrestler
- 1973 - Danny Coyne, Welsh footballer
- 1974 - Jose Vidro, Puerto Rican baseball player
- 1975 - Jonny Moseley, American skier
- 1975 - Mark Rudan, Australian footballer
- 1976 - Sarah Chalke, Canadian actress
- 1976 - Carlos Moya, Spanish tennis player
- 1976 - Steve Taylor, British writer
- 1976 - Milano Collection Akihito Terui, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1976 - Mark Webber, Australian race car driver
- 1977 - Deco, Portuguese footballer
- 1978 - Mase, American rapper
- 1979 - Tian Liang, Chinese diver
- 1979 - Sarah Neufeld, Canadian musician (Arcade Fire)
- 1984 - Sulley Ali Muntari, Ghanaian footballer
- 1986 - Mario, American R&B singer
- 1988 - Alexa Vega, American actress
[edit] Deaths
- 542 - Saint Caesarius of Arles
- 1312 - Arthur II, Duke of Brittany (b. 1262)
- 1394 - Chokei, Emperor of Japan (b. 1343)
- 1450 - Reginald West, 6th Baron De La Warr, English politician (b. 1395)
- 1521 - Josquin Des Prez, Flemish composer
- 1545 - Piotr Gamrat, Polish Catholic archbishop (b. 1487)
- 1572 - Claude Goudimel, French composer
- 1577 - Titian, Italian artist
- 1590 - Pope Sixtus V (b. 1521)
- 1635 - Félix Lope de Vega, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1562)
- 1664 - Francisco Zurbarán, Spanish painter (b. 1598)
- 1748 - James Thomson, Scottish poet (b. 1700)
- 1773 - Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz, Prussian general (b. 1721)
- 1871 - William Whiting Boardman, American politician (b. 1794)
- 1875 - William Chapman Ralston, American banker (b. 1826)
- 1909 - Emil Christian Hansen, Danish fermentation physiologist (b. 1842)
- 1929 - Herman Potočnik Noordung, Slovenian rocket scientist (b. 1892)
- 1931 - Frank Harris, Irish author and editor (b. 1856)
- 1931 - Francis Marion Smith, American borax magnate (b. 1846)
- 1944 - Georg von Boeselager, German nobleman (b. 1915)
- 1948 - Charles Evans Hughes, U.S. Supreme Court justice (b. 1862)
- 1949 - Leaders of Second East Turkestan Republic die in a plane crash.
- 1958 - Ernest Lawrence, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
- 1963 - Garrett Morgan, American inventor (b. 1877)
- 1963 - W.E.B. DuBois, American civil rights activist and scholar (b. 1868)
- 1963 - Allama Mashriqi, Pakistani scholar and politician (b. 1888)
- 1964 - Gracie Allen, American actress and comedienne (b. 1895)
- 1965 - Le Corbusier, Swiss architect (b. 1887)
- 1967 - Brian Epstein, English manager of The Beatles (b. 1934)
- 1968 - Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (b. 1906)
- 1969 - Ivy Compton-Burnett, English novelist (b. 1884)
- 1969 - Erika Mann, German writer and daughter of Thomas Mann (b. 1905)
- 1971 - Bennett Cerf, American publisher and television personality (b. 1898)
- 1971 - Margaret Bourke-White, American photo-journalist (b. 1906)
- 1975 - Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia (b. 1892)
- 1976 - Mukesh, Indian playback singer (b. 1923)
- 1979 - Earl Mountbatten, British admiral and statesman (assassinated) (b. 1900)
- 1980 - Douglas Kenney, American humorist (b. 1947)
- 1988 - William Sargant, British psychiatrist (b. 1907)
- 1990 - Stevie Ray Vaughan, American guitarist (b. 1954)
- 1997 - Brandon Tartikoff, American television producer (b. 1949)
- 2001 - Abu Ali Mustafa, leader of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (assassinated) (b. 1938)
- 2001 - Michael Dertouzos, Greek internet pioneer, Director of the M.I.T. Laboratory for Computer Science (b. 1936)
- 2002 - Richard Ricci, American handyman (b. 1953)
- 2003 - Pierre Poujade, French politician (b. 1920)
- 2004 - Willie Crawford, American baseball player (b. 1946)
- 2005 - Seán Purcell, Gaelic footballer (b. 1929)
- 2006 - Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Indian film director (b. 1922)
- 2006 - Maria Capovilla, oldest woman alive from 2004-2006 (b. 1889)
- 2006 - Jesse Pintado, Mexican-born guitarist (Napalm Death) (b. 1969)
[edit] Holidays and observances
[edit] External links
