December 27

### Up to 1900

- 537 – The Hagia Sophia is consecrated as a church in Byzantium.
- 1703 – Portugal and England sign the Methuen Treaty which gives preference to Portuguese imported wines into England.
- 1814 – War of 1812: American schooner (a type of sailing boat) USS _Carolina_ is destroyed.
- 1831 – Charles Darwin begins his trip on the boat the HMS _Beagle_, where he will think of the theory of evolution.
- 1836 – The worst ever avalanche in England happens at Lewes, Sussex, killing 8 people.
- 1845 – Ether anesthetic is used for childbirth for the first time (Dr. Crawford Williamson Long in Jefferson, Georgia).

### 1901 – 2000

- 1904 – James Barrie's play _Peter Pan_ begins to be shown in London.
- 1904 – The Abbey Theatre opens.
- 1911 – Jana Gana Mana, the national anthem of India, is first sung at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress.
- 1918 – Beginning of Great Poland Uprising. The Poles in Poland beign to fight against the Germans so that they can become free.
- 1922 – Japanese aircraft carrier _Hosho_ becomes the first purpose–built aircraft carrier to be commissioned in the world.
- 1923 – Daisuke Namba, Japanese student, tries to assassinate Japan's then–Prince–Regent Hirohito.
- 1932 – Radio City Music Hall opens in New York City.
- 1936 – Spanish Civil War: Francisco Franco's forces bomb Santander.
- 1939 – Erzincan, Turkey, is struck by a major earthquake, killing 30,000 people.
- 1939 – Winter War: Finland holds off a Soviet Union attack in the Battle of Kelja.
- 1945 – The World Bank is created with the signing of an agreement by 28 nations.
- 1945 – Korea is divided (put into two pieces).
- 1947 – Howdy Doody, a children's television program, makes its debut (NBC).
- 1949 – Indonesian National Revolution: Queen Juliana of the Netherlands recognises Indonesia as an independent country.
- 1959 – In a referendum, voters in the Pacific islands of Wallis and Futuna decide that their islands should have the status of a French overseas territory.
- 1960 – The Beatles play their first performance in Litherland Town Hall, Liverpool.
- 1966 – The Cave of Swallows, the largest–known cave shaft, is discovered near San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
- 1968 – Long–time radio show _The Breakfast Club_ ends on ABC radio.
- 1975 – A mining explosion in Jharkhand, India, causes a flood, in which 372 miners drown.
- 1978 – Spain becomes a democracy (a place where people vote) after 40 years of dictatorship.
- 1979 – The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan and Babrak Karmal becomes the new president. The old one, Hafizullah Amin, was killed.
- 1985 – Palestinian fighters kill twenty people in the Rome and Vienna airports (places where airplanes take off and land).
- 1985 – American naturalist Dian Fossey is found murdered in Rwanda.
- 1996 – Taliban fighters take over the Bagram air base. They became safer and stronger in Kabul after they did that.
- 1997 – Protestant paramilitary (paramilitary is what you call an army that is not legal and part of the government) leader Billy Wright is assassinated in Northern Ireland.

### From 2001

- 2001 – The People's Republic of China is granted permanent normal trade relations with the United States.
- 2002 – Two truck bombs in Grozny kill 72 and hurt 200 at the building where the government of Chechnya works.
- 2004 – Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar "SGR 1806-20" reaches Earth. It is the brightest extrasolar (outside the Solar System) event known to have been witnessed on the planet.
- 2006 – Space telescope _COROT_ is launched on a Russian Soyuz rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
- 2007 – Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, is killed in a terrorist attack in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
- 2007 – Mwai Kibaki is declared the winner of a disputed Presidential election in Kenya. Riots start, which ultimately lead to a political, economic and humanitarian crisis.
- 2008 – A three–week war begins in the Gaza Strip, as Israel launches Operation Cast Lead on suspected Hamas militants in Gaza, lasting three weeks.

### Up to 1900

- 1350 – John I of Aragon (d. 1396)
- 1390 – Anne de Mortimer, claimant to the English throne (d. 1411)
- 1459 – John I Albert, King of Poland (d. 1501)
- 1555 – Johann Arndt, German theologian (d. 1621)
- 1566 – Jan Jesenius, Slovakian physician, politician and philosopher (d. 1621)
- 1571 – Johannes Kepler, German astronomer (d. 1630)
- 1572 – Johannes Vodnianus Campanus, Czech humanist (d. 1622)
- 1654 – Jacob Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (d. 1705)
- 1717 – Pope Pius VI (d. 1799)
- 1755 – Anthony of Saxony (d. 1836)
- 1761 – Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, Russian field marshal (d. 1818)
- 1773 – George Cayley, English naturalist, physical scientist, engineer, politician (d. 1857)
- 1776 – Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (d. 1811)
- 1793 – Alexander Gordon Laing, Scottish explorer (d. 1826)
- 1796 – Mirza Ghalib, poet of Urdu (d. 1869)
- 1797 – Manuela Saenz, South American independence activist (d. 1856)
- 1802 – Gerardus Johannes Mulder, Dutch physician and chemist (d. 1880)
- 1803 – François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, Canadian activist (d. 1839)
- 1822 – Louis Pasteur, French scientist (d. 1895)
- 1823 – Sir Mackenzie Bowell, fifth Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1896)
- 1832 – Pavel Tretyakov, Russian businessman and patron of art (d. 1897)
- 1851 – Percy Gilchrist, metallurgist (d. 1935)
- 1858 – Juan Luis Sanfuentes, President of Chile (d. 1930)
- 1860 – David Hendricks Bergey, bacteriologist (d. 1937)
- 1863 – Louis Lincoln Emmerson, 27th Governor of Illinois (d. 1941)
- 1867 – Léon Delacroix, Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 1929)
- 1879 – Sydney Greenstreet, British actor (d. 1954)
- 1881 – Antonio Granjo, Portuguese politician (d. 1921)
- 1883 – Cyrus S. Eaton, Canadian–American financier, businessman and philanthropist (d. 1979)
- 1888 – Thea von Harbou, German writer and actress (d. 1954)
- 1892 – Alfred Edwin McKay, Canadian pilot (d. 1917)
- 1896 – Carl Zuckmayer, German writer (d. 1977)
- 1896 – Louis Bromfield, writer (d. 1956)
- 1900 – Hans Stuck, German automobile racer (d. 1978)

### 1901 – 1950

- 1901 – Marlene Dietrich, German actress and singer (d. 1992)
- 1903 – Hermann Volk, German cardinal (d. 1988)
- 1906 – Oscar Levant, composer and actor (d. 1972)
- 1907 – Sebastian Haffner, German publicist (someone who tells people about things) (d. 1999)
- 1907 – Willem van Otterloo, Dutch conductor and composer (d. 1978)
- 1909 – Henryk Jablonski, Polish politician (d. 2003)
- 1914 – Doris Bowdon, American actress (d. 2005)
- 1915 – William Masters, American sexologist (d. 2001)
- 1917 – Buddy Boudreaux, American jazz musician (d. 2015)
- 1923 – Lucas Mangope, South African politician (d. 2018)
- 1925 – Michel Piccoli, French actor
- 1926 – Jerome Courtland, American actor, director and producer
- 1926 – Rodrigo Carazo Odio, President of Costa Rica (d. 2009)
- 1927 – Nityanand Swami, Indian politician, 1st Chief Minister of Uttarakhand (d. 2012)
- 1928 – Walter Romberg, German politician (d. 2014)
- 1930 – Marshall Sahlins, American anthropologist
- 1931 – John Charles, Welsh footballer (d. 2004)
- 1931 – Tommy Lapid, Israeli politician (d. 2008)
- 1931 – Scotty Moore, American rock musician (d. 2016)
- 1934 – Larisa Latynina, Russian gymnast
- 1935 – Michael Turnbull, English bishop
- 1938 – Stanislav Stanojevic, Serbian–born French movie director and actor
- 1938 – Rolf Wolfsohl, German cyclist
- 1939 – John Amos, American actor
- 1941 – Miles Aiken, American basketball player and coach
- 1941 – Mike Pinder, English singer-songwriter and keyboardist
- 1941 – Nolan Richardson, American basketball player and coach
- 1942 – Charmian Carr, American actress (d. 2016)
- 1942 – Thomas Menino, 53rd Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2014)
- 1942 – Ron Jacobs, American basketball coach (d. 2015)
- 1943 – Joan Manuel Serrat, Catalan singer-songwriter
- 1943 – Cokie Roberts, American journalist (d. 2019)
- 1944 – Markus Werner, Swiss writer (d. 2016)
- 1946 – Janet Street-Porter, English journalist and television presenter
- 1946 – Polly Toynbee, English journalist
- 1948 – Gérard Depardieu, French actor
- 1949 – Klaus Fischer, German footballer
- 1950 – Roberto Bettega, Italian footballer

### 1951 – 1975

- 1951 – Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico
- 1952 – David Knopfler, British musician (Dire Straits)
- 1952 – Tovah Feldshuh, American actress
- 1954 – Kent Benson, American basketball player
- 1956 – Doina Melinte, Romanian athlete
- 1957 – Dane Witherspoon, American actor (d. 2014)
- 1958 – Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Prime Minister of Pakistan
- 1959 – Gerina Dunwich, occult writer
- 1960 – Maryam d'Abo, British actress
- 1961 – Guido Westerwelle, German politician (d. 2016)
- 1963 – Claus Meyer, Danish chef, television host and restaurateur
- 1963 – Gaspar Noé, Argentine–born director
- 1964 – Theresa Randle, American actress
- 1965 – Salman Khan, Indian actor
- 1966 – Masahiro Fukuda, Japanese footballer
- 1966 – Bill Goldberg, American professional wrestler, American football player
- 1966 – Eva LaRue, American actress
- 1969 – Sarah Vowell, American writer and journalist
- 1970 – Chyna, American professional wrestler and pornographic actress (d. 2016)
- 1971 – Duncan Ferguson, Scottish footballer
- 1971 – Sergei Bodrov, Jr., Russian movie actor and director (d. 2002)
- 1971 – Sabine Spitz, German cyclist
- 1973 – Wilson Cruz, actor
- 1974 – Masi Oka, Japanese–American actor
- 1975 – Heather O'Rourke, American child actress (_Poltergeist_) (d. 1988)

### From 1976

- 1976 – Curro Torres, Spanish footballer
- 1976 – Aaron Stanford, American actor and producer
- 1976 – Piotr Morawski, Polish mountaineer (d. 2009)
- 1976 – Tim Roberts, American professional wrestler (d. 2015)
- 1979 – David Dunn, English footballer
- 1979 – Carson Palmer, American football quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner
- 1981 – Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress
- 1981 – Javine, British singer
- 1981 – Lise Darly, French singer
- 1981 – Patrick Sharp, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1983 – Anthony Boric, New Zealand rugby player
- 1983 – Cole Hamels, American baseball player
- 1984 – Black M, French rapper and singer–songwriter
- 1984 – Gilles Simon, French tennis player
- 1985 – Adil Rami, French footballer
- 1985 – Cristian Villagra, Argentine footballer
- 1986 – Torah Bright, Australian snowboarder
- 1986 – Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaican athlete
- 1987 – Logan Bailly, Belgian footballer
- 1988 – Hiroki Yamada, Japanese footballer
- 1988 – Hayley Williams, American singer (Paramore)
- 1988 – Zavon Hines, Jamaican–English footballer
- 1990 – Milos Raonic, Canadian tennis player
- 1991 – Chloe Bridges, American actress
- 1991 – Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht, German actor and rapper
- 1991 – Danny Wilson, Scottish footballer
- 1995 – Mark Lapidus, Estonian chess player
- 1997 – Ana Konjuh, Croatian tennis player

### Up to 1900

- 1065 – King Ferdinand I of Leon and Castile (b. 1018)
- 1076 – Prince Sviatoslav of Kiev (b. 1027)
- 1087 – Bertha of Savoy, German queen and Holy Roman Empress (b. 1051)
- 1381 – Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, English politician
- 1543 – George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (b. 1484)
- 1743 – Hyacinthe Rigaud, French sculptor (b. 1659)
- 1771 – Henri Pitot, French inventor (b. 1695)
- 1782 – Henry Home, Lord Kames, Scottish lawyer and philosopher (b. 1697)
- 1800 – Hugh Blair, Scottish minister and author (b. 1718)
- 1812 – Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of the Chabad Hasidic movement (b. 1745)
- 1836 – Stephen F. Austin, American pioneer (someone who goes to new places) (b. 1793)
- 1873 – Edward Blyth, English zoologist and ornithologist (b. 1810)
- 1881 – John J. Bagley, American politician, 16th Governor of Michigan (b. 1832)
- 1891 – Antonio Arenas, President of Peru (b. 1808)
- 1896 – John Brown, manufacturer (b. 1861)
- 1900 – William George Armstrong, inventor, industrialist and engineer (b. 1810)

### 1901 – 2000

- 1914 – Charles Martin Hall, chemist, inventor (b. 1863)
- 1923 – Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect (b. 1832)
- 1925 – Sergei Yesenin, Russian poet (b. 1895)
- 1936 – Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Turkish poet, writer and academic (b. 1873)
- 1937 – William Noble Andrews, American politician (b. 1876)
- 1938 – Calvin Bridges, geneticist (b. 1889)
- 1942 – William G. Morgan, American inventor of volleyball (b. 1870)
- 1950 – Max Beckmann, German painter (b. 1884)
- 1953 – Julian Tuwim, Polish poet (b. 1894)
- 1957 – Otto Nuschke, German politician (b. 1883)
- 1958 – Harry Warner, American studio executive (b. 1881)
- 1966 – Guillermo Stabile, Argentine footballer (b. 1905)
- 1968 – Victor Ernest Shelford, zoologist (b. 1877)
- 1972 – Lester Pearson, fourteenth Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1897)
- 1974 – Vladimir Fock, Russian physicist and mathematician (b. 1898)
- 1974 – Amy Vanderbilt, American author (b. 1908)
- 1978 – Houari Boumedienne, President of Algeria (b. 1932)
- 1979 – Hafizullah Amin, President of Afghanistan (b. 1929)
- 1981 – Hoagy Carmichael, American composer, singer (b. 1899)
- 1982 – Jack Swigert, American astronaut (b. 1931)
- 1985 – Dian Fossey, American biologist (b. 1932)
- 1988 – Hal Ashby, movie director (b. 1929)
- 1994 – Fanny Cradock, British chef and cookery writer (b. 1909)
- 1997 – Billy Wright, Irish Protestant paramilitary leader (b. 1960)
- 1997 – Brendan Gill, columnist, humorist (someone who makes people laugh) (b. 1953)

### From 2001

- 2002 – George Roy Hill, movie director (b. 1922)
- 2003 – Alan Bates, British actor (b. 1934)
- 2003 – Ivan Calderon, baseball player (b. 1962) (murdered)
- 2007 – Benazir Bhutto, Pakistani politician (b. 1953)
- 2007 – Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Polish movie director (b. 1922)
- 2007 – Jaan Kross, Estonian writer (b. 1920)
- 2008 – Alfred Pfaff, German footballer (b. 1926)
- 2009 – Takashi Takabayashi, Japanese footballer (b. 1931)
- 2010 – Ronald Lee Herrick, organ donor (b. 1931)
- 2011 – Helen Frankenthaler, American painter (b. 1928)
- 2011 – Michael Dummett, British philosopher (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Harry Carey, Jr., American actor (b. 1921)
- 2012 – Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., American general (b. 1934)
- 2012 – Jesco von Puttkamer, German–American engineer (b. 1933)
- 2013 – Mohamad Chatah, Lebanese economist and diplomat (b. 1951) (car bombing)
- 2013 – Elvira Quintilla, Spanish actress (b. 1928)
- 2014 – Tomaz Salamun, Slovenian poet (b. 1941)
- 2014 – Karel Poma, Belgian politician (b. 1920)
- 2015 – Alfredo Pacheco, El Salvadorean footballer (b. 1982)
- 2015 – Haskell Wexler, American cinematographer, movie producer and director (b. 1922)
- 2015 – Dave Henderson, American baseball player (b. 1958)
- 2015 – Ellsworth Kelly, American painter, sculptor and printmaker (b. 1923)
- 2015 – Meadowlark Lemon, American basketball player (b. 1932)
- 2015 – Stein Eriksen, Norwegian skier (b. 1927)
- 2015 – Gabriel Tambon, French politician (b. 1930)
- 2016 – Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (b. 1951)
- 2016 – Claude Gensac, French actress (b. 1927)
- 2016 – Carrie Fisher, American actress and writer (b. 1956)
- 2016 – Hans Tietmeyer, German economist (b. 1931)
- 2017 – Ben Barres, American neurobiologist (b. 1954)
- 2017 – Osvaldo Fattori, Italian footballer (b. 1922)
- 2017 – Thomas Hunter, American actor (b. 1932)

## Observances

- Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist
- Constitution Day (North Korea)
- Saint Stephen's Day (Eastern Orthodox Church), public holiday in Romania.