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)

Category:Days of the year