August 27



Events

Up to 1900 
479 BC  Battle of Plataea ends the Persian invasion of Greece, Mardonius routed by Pausanias, the Spartan commander of the Greek army.
55 BC  Julius Caesar Lands in Britain for the first time.
AD 410  Vandal sack of Rome ends after three days.
1172  Henry the Young King and Margaret of France crowned as junior king and queen of England.
1593  Pierre Barriere fails in his attempt to kill King Henry IV of France.
1597  Japan defeats Korea in the Naval Battle of Chilchonryang during the Imjin War, following several mistakes by the Korean admiral Won Gyun.
1664  After officially taking control of the former Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, British colonists rename it New York.
1664  The French East India Company is officially founded by Louis XIV of France.
1728  On this date in the Gregorian calendar, Vitus Bering lands on the Diomede Islands in the now-named Bering Strait between Alaska, now in the US, and the Russian far east.
1776  Battle of Long Island, in present-day Brooklyn, New York British forces under General William Howe defeat Americans under General George Washington.
1793  French Revolutionary Wars: The city of Toulon revolts against the French Republic.
1810  The French Navy defeats the British Royal Navy, preventing them from taking the harbor of Grand Port and Ile de France.
1813  Napoleon defeats the Austrians, Russians and Prussians at the Battle of Dresden.
1820  Along with two other people, Josef Naus becomes the first person to climb Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany.
1828  The Russians defeat the Turks at Akhaltzikke.
1832  Black Hawk, leader of the Sauk tribe of Native Americans, surrenders to US forces.
1859  Petroleum discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania - the world's first successful oil well.
1861  American Civil War: Union forces attack Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
1883  The after effects caused by the Krakatoa explosion in Indonesia kill over 36,000 people, as the eruption ends in a loud explosion, which causes deadly tsunamis.
1896  The shortest war in the world - 9:02 - 9:40 between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar
1900  British defeat Boer commandos at Bergendal.

1901  2000 
1912  The novel Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs goes on sale.
1914  World War I: French and British troops occupy the then-German colony of Togoland.
1916  World War I: Romania declares war on Austria-Hungary.
1921  The British Faisal I as King of Iraq.
1927  Five Canadian women file a petition  to the Supreme Court of Canada asking whether the word 'persons' in Section 24 of the British North America Act of 1867, includes female persons.
1928  The Kellogg-Briand Pact, outlawing war, is signed by sixty nations.
1939  First jet aircraft flight.
1943  World War II: Japanese forces evacuate New Georgia Island in the Pacific Theater of Operations during the war.
1952  Reparation negotiations between West Germany and Israel end in Luxembourg; West Germany to pay 3 billion Deutschmarks.
1955  The Guinness Book of Records goes on sale for the first time.
1957  The Constitution of Malaysia comes into force.
1962  The Mariner 2 space probe is launched.
1971  A failed military coup occurs in Chad.
1975  The Governor of Portuguese Timor (now East Timor) abandons his capital, Dili, and flees to Atauro Island, leaving control to a rebel group.
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.
1982  Turkish military diplomat Colonel Atilla Altikat is shot dead in Ottawa, Canada. The group Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide claims responsibility.
1985  The Nigerian government is peacefully overthrown by army chief 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. The station broadcasts for eighteen hours per day.
1991  The European Community recognizes the independence of the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
1991  Moldova declares independence from the USSR.
1993  The Gouhou Dam in Gonghe, Qinghai province, breaks, resulting in 240 deaths.
1993  The Florida DOT decides to cease producing its distinctive colored U.S. Highway shields so that it can make use of Federal funds for those signs.
2000  Ostankino Tower in Moscow catches fire, and three people are killed.

From 2001 
2003  Mars makes closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing approximately 34,646,416 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) from Earth.
2005  The Turning Torso in Malmo, Sweden, which is the tallest residential building in Europe, is opened.
2005  Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama declare a State of Emergency in preparation for Hurricane Katrina.
2006  Comair Flight 5191 crashes on take-off at Lexington, Kentucky, with 49 people out of the 50 on board being confirmed dead within hours of the crash.
2010  Kenya promulgates a new constitution under Mwai Kibaki
2011  Hurricane Irene strikes the east coast of the United States.

Births

Up to 1850 
551 BC  Confucius, Chinese philosopher (died 479 BC)
865  Rhazes, Persian polymath (died 925)
1407  Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Ashikaga shogun (died 1425)
1471  George, Duke of Saxony (died 1539)
1487  Anne of Brandenburg (died 1514)
1545  Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (died 1592)
1619  Anne Genevieve de Bourbon (died 1679)
1624  Koxinga, Chinese Ming dynasty loyalist (died 1662) 
1630  Maria van Oosterwijk, Dutch painter (died 1693)
1669  Anne Marie d'Orléans, Duchess of Saxony (died 1728)
1724  Joan Joachim Zubly, Swiss pastor, planter and statesman (died 1781)
1730  Johann Georg Hamann, German philosopher and writer (died 1788)
1770  Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German philosopher (died 1831)
1781  Finnur Magnusson, Icelandic philologist (died 1847)
1785  Agustin Gamarra, Peruvian general and President (died 1841)
1803  Edward Beecher, American theologian (died 1895)
1809  Hannibal Hamlin, 15th Vice President of the United States and 26th Governor of Maine (died 1891)
1812  Bertalan Szemere, 3rd Prime Minister of Hungary (died 1869)
1827  Charles Lilley, English-Australian politician, 4th Premier of Queensland (died 1897)
1845  Friedrich Martens, Russian diplomat (died 1909)

1851  1900 
1858  Giuseppe Peano, Italian mathematician (died 1932)
1862  Abram Arkhipov, Russian artist (died 1930)
1864  Helena Patursson, Faroese actress and writer (died 1916)
1865  James Henry Breasted, American Egyptologist (died 1935)
1865  Charles G. Dawes, 30th Vice President of the United States (died 1951)
1868  Hong Beom-do, Korean activist (died 1943)
1869  Karl Haushofer, German geographer (died 1946)
1870  Amado Nervo, Mexican journalist, poet and diplomat (died 1919)
1871  Theodore Dreiser, American writer (died 1945)
1872  Giovanni Nasalli Rocca di Corneliano, Archbishop of Bologna (died 1952)
1873  Maud Allan, Canadian-American dancer (died 1956)
1874  Carl Bosch, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1940)
1875  Katharine McCormick, American women's rights activist (died 1967)
1877  Charles Rolls, British co-founder of Rolls-Royce (died 1910)
1877  Ernst Wetter, Swiss Federal Councillor (died 1963)
1878  Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel, Russian military figure (died 1928)
1881  Sigurd Islandsmoen, Norwegian composer (died 1964)
1884  Vincent Auriol, President of France (died 1966)
1884  Alfredo Baldomir, President of Uruguay (died 1948)
1886  Eric Coates, English composer (died 1957)
1886  Rebecca Clark, English composer (died 1979)
1887  Jimmy Finlayson, Scottish-born American actor (died 1953)
1890  Man Ray, American photographer and artist (died 1976)
1896  Faina Rainevskaya, Russian actress (died 1984)
1896  Zygmunt Berling, Polish general and politician (died 1980)
1896  Léon Theremin, Russian physicist and inventor (died 1993)
1899  C. S. Forester, British writer (died 1966)
1899  Byron Foulger, American actor (died 1970)

1901  1950 
1904  Norah Lofts, writer (died 1983)
1905  Aris Velouchiotis, Greek military leader (died 1945)
1906  Ed Gein, American serial killer (died 1984)
1908  Don Bradman, Australian cricketer (died 2001)
1908  Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States (died 1973)
1908  Frank Leahy, American football coach (died 1945)
1909  Lester Young, American jazz musician (died 1959)
1911  Kay Walsh, British actress (died 2005)
1913  Nina Schenk von Stauffenberg, wife of Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (died 2006)
1914  Heidi Kabel, German actress (died 2010)
1915  Norman Foster Ramsey, Jr., American physicist (died 2011)
1916  Martha Raye, American actress (died 1994)
1917  Peanuts Lowrey, American baseball player, coach and manager (died 1986)
1918  Jelle Zijlstra, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (died 2001)
1920  James Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, Northern Irish politician (died 2015)
1921  Georg Alexander, Duke of Mecklenburg (died 1996)
1921  Leo Penn, American actor and director (died 1998)
1925  Nat Lofthouse, English footballer (died 2011)
1925  Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, Italian cardinal (died 2017)
1926  Pat Coombs, English actress (died 2002)
1926  Kristen Nygaard, Norwegian mathematician (died 2002)
1928  Osamu Shimomura, Japanese biochemist
1928  Péter Boross, Hungarian politician and Prime Minister
1928  Mangosuthu Buthelezi, South African politician
1928  Othmar Schneider, Austrian skier (died 2012)
1929  Ira Levin, American writer (died 2007)
1931  Sri Chinmoy, Indian spiritual leader (died 2007)
1931  Sven Tumba, Swedish footballer, ice hockey player and golfer (died 2011)
1932  Saye Zerbo, Burkina Faso politician (died 2013)
1932  Karekin I, former Armenian Apostolic Church leader
1932  Antonia Fraser, British writer
1933  Kerstin Ekman, Swedish writer
1935  Frank Yablans, American movie producer
1937  Alice Coltrane, American pianist and composer (died 2007)
1937  Tommy Sands, American actor and singer
1939  Edward Patten, American singer, songwriter and producer (died 2005)
1941  Bohdan Stupka, Ukrainian actor and Minister of Culture (died 2012)
1941  Cesaria Evora, Cape Verdean singer
1941  Janos Konrad, Hungarian water polo player and swimmer
1942  Brian Peckford, Canadian politician
1942  Robert Marion Berry, American politician
1942  Daryl Dragon, American songwriter (Captain & Tennille) (d. 2019)
1943  Tuesday Weld, American actress
1943  Bob Kerrey, 36th Governor of Nebraska
1943  Wolfgang Nordwig, German high jumper
1945  Jan Sloot, Dutch inventor (died 1999)
1946  Peter Tobin, Scottish serial killer
1947  Barbara Bach, American actress
1948  Philippe Vallois, French screenwriter and director
1950  Neil Murray, Scottish bass player and songwriter

1951  1975 
1952  Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman), American actor
1953  Alex Lifeson, Canadian rock guitarist (Rush)
1953  Peter Stormare, Swedish actor, director, playwright and musician
1954  John Lloyd, British tennis player and coach
1957  Bernhard Langer, German golfer
1957  Jeff Grubb, American game designer and author
1958  Sergei Krikalev, Russian cosmonaut
1958  Marcos Paqueta, Brazilian football manager
1958  Hugh Orde, English senior police officer
1959  Yves Rossy, Swiss pilot, aviation enthusiast and inventor
1959  Juan Fernando Cobo, Colombian painter and sculptor
1959  Jeanette Winterson, English novelist
1959  Jürgen Becker, German comedian and performer
1961  Yolanda Adams, American singer, producer and actress
1961  Tom Ford, American fashion designer and director
1962  Sjon, Icelandic writer and artist
1965  Cheryl Fergison, English actress
1965  Paulo Silas, Brazilian footballer 
1966  Juhan Parts, former Prime Minister of Estonia
1968  Daphne Koller, Israeli-American computer scientist
1969  Cesar Millan, Mexican-American dog trainer
1969  Christine O'Donnell, American politician
1969  Chandra Wilson, American actress
1970  Peter Ebdon, English snooker player
1970  Jim Thome, American baseball player
1970  Tony Kanal, English-American musician, songwriter and producer
1970  Karl Unterkircher, Italian mountaineer (died 2008)
1972  Denise Lewis, British athlete
1972  Jimmy Pop, American musician (Bloodhound Gang)
1973  Dietmar Hamann, German footballer
1974  José Vidro, Major League Baseball player
1974  Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistani cricketer
1975  Jonny Moseley, American skier

From 1976 
1976  Sarah Chalke, Canadian actress
1976  Carlos Moya, Spanish tennis player
1976  Mark Webber, Australian race car driver
1977  Deco, Brazilian-Portuguese footballer
1979  Karel Rachunek, Czech ice hockey player (died 2011)
1981  Alessandro Gamberini, Italian footballer
1981  Collin Samuel, Trinidadian footballer
1983  Jamala, Ukrainian singer
1984  David Bentley, English footballer
1984  Sulley Muntari, Ghanaian footballer
1985  Nikica Jelavic, Croatian footballer
1985  Daniel Küblböck, German singer and actor
1985  Alexandra Nechita, Romanian-American artist
1986  Mario, American R&B singer
1986  Sebastian Kurz, Austrian politician, Chancellor of Austria
1988  Alexa Vega, American actress
1990  Taylor Mitchell, Canadian singer-songwriter (died 2009)
1990  Luuk de Jong, Dutch footballer
1993  Sarah Hecken, German figure skater

Deaths

Up to 1900 
542  Caesarius of Arles, Archbishop of Arles and Roman Catholic Saint (b. 470)
827  Pope Eugene II
1312  Arthur II, Duke of Brittany (b. 1262)
1394  Emperor Chokei of Japan (b. 1343)
1521  Josquin des Prez, French-Flemish composer (b. 1450)
1577  Titian, Italian painter
1590  Pope Sixtus V (b. 1521)
1635  Lope de Vega, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1562)
1773  Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz, Prussian general (b. 1721)
1828  Eise Eisinga, Dutch astronomer (b. 1744)
1865  Thomas Chandler of Haliburton, Canadian writer (b. 1796)
1871  William Whiting Boarding, American politician (b. 1794)
1874  Stefan Golescu, Romanian statesman (b. 1809)
1875  William Chapman Ralston, founder of the Bank of California (b. 1826)
1879  Rowland Hill, English postal reformer (b. 1795)

1901  2000 
1909  Emil Christian Hansen, Danish physiologist (b. 1842)
1919  Louis Botha, South African politician (b. 1862)
1937  Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, British banker and zoologist (b. 1868)
1937  Andrew W. Mellon, United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1855)
1944  Georg von Boeselager, German aristocrat (b. 1915)
1948  Charles Evans Hughes, American Supreme Court Justice (b. 1862)
1950  Cesare Pavese, Italian poet, novelist, critic and translator (b. 1908)
1958  Ernest Lawrence, American physicist (b. 1901)
1963  W. E. B. Du Bois, American civil rights activist and scholar (b. 1868)
1964  Gracie Allen, American actress (b. 1895)
1965  Le Corbusier, Swiss architect (b. 1887)
1967  Brian Epstein, British music manager (b. 1934)
1968  Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark (b. 1906)
1968  Robert Z. Leonard, American movie director, actor, producer and screenwriter (b. 1889)
1969  Erika Mann, German actress and singer (b. 1905)
1975  Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia (b. 1892)
1976  Mukesh, Indian singer (b. 1923)
1979  Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British statesman (b. 1900)
1980  Douglas Kenney, American actor and writer (b. 1947)
1981  Valeri Kharlamov, Soviet ice hockey player (b. 1948)
1982  Atilla Altikat, Turkish military diplomat
1990  Stevie Ray Vaughan, American musician (b. 1954)
1999  Helder Camara, Brazilian archbishop (b. 1909)

From 2001 
2001  Abu Ali Mustafa, Palestinian leader (b. 1938)
2006  Maria Esther de Capovilla, Ecuadorean supercentenarian, World's oldest woman (b. 1889)
2006  Jesse Pintado, British musician (b. 1969)
2009  Sergey Mikhalkov, Russian writer (b. 1913)
2010  Anton Geesink, Dutch judoka (b. 1934)
2011  Stetson Kennedy, American writer and Civil Rights activist (b. 1916)
2012  Russell Scott, American TV personality (b. 1920)
2012  Malcolm Browne, American journalist and photographer (b. 1931)
2013  Anatoly Onoprienko, Ukrainian serial killer (b. 1959)
2014  Valeri Petrov, Bulgarian writer (b. 1920)
2014  Sandy Wilson, English composer (b. 1924)
2014  Peret, Spanish musician (b. 1935)
2014  Yehezkel Braun, German-born Israeli composer (b. 1922)
2014  Benno Pludra, German writer (b. 1925)
2014  Jan Groth, Norwegian rock music singer (b. 1946)
2014  Jacques Friedel, French physicist (b. 1921)
2015  Darryl Dawkins, American basketball player (b. 1957)
2015  Joan Garriga, Spanish motorcycle racer (b. 1963)
2017  Yitzhak Pundak, Polish-born Israeli military officer and diplomat (b. 1913)
2017  Ebrahim Yazdi, Iranian politician and diplomat (b. 1931)
2018  Dale M. Cochran, American politician (b. 1928)
2018  Mirka Mora, French-born Australian artist (b. 1928)
2018  Fredd Wayne, American actor and columnist (b. 1924)
2018  Murray Westgate, Canadian actor (b. 1918)

Observances 
 Independence Day (Moldova)
 Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (Texas)

Days of the year