January 27

Events

* 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva.
*661 - Rashidun Caliphate ended with death of Ali.
*1142 - Wrongful execution of noted Song Dynasty General Yue Fei.
*1186 - Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, weds Constance of Sicily.
*1343 - Pope Clement VI issues the Bull "Unigenitus".
*1593 - Vatican opens 7 year trial against scholar Giordano Bruno.
*1606 - Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins, and ending in their execution on January 31.
*1695 - Mustafa II becomes the Ottoman sultan in Istanbul on the death of Ahmed II. Mustafa rules until his death in 1703.
*1785 - The University of Georgia is founded, the first public university in the United States.
*1825 - U.S. Congress approves Indian Territory (in what is present-day Oklahoma), clearing the way for forced relocation of the Eastern Indians on the "Trail of Tears."
*1870 - The first women's fraternity, Kappa Alpha Theta, is formed at DePauw University.
*1888 - In Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Society is founded.
*1909 - The Young Left is founded in Norway.
*1918 - The first hostilities occurred in the Finnish Civil War.
*1939 - First flight of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
*1944 - World War II: The two-year Siege of Leningrad is lifted.
*1945 - World War II: The Red Army arrives at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland.
*1951 - Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site begins with a one-kiloton bomb dropped on the Frenchman Flats.
*1967 - Apollo program: Apollo 1 - Astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee are killed in a fire during a test of the spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center.
* 1967 - More than sixty nations sign the Outer Space Treaty banning nuclear weapons in space.
*1973 - Paris Peace Accords officially end the Vietnam War. Colonel William Nolde falls, becoming the conflict's last recorded American combat casualty.
*1974 - Brisbane river floods causing the largest flood to affect Brisbane City in the 20th Century
*1983 - Pilot shaft of the Seikan Tunnel, the world's longest subaqueous tunnel (53.85 km) between the Japanese islands of Honshū and Hokkaidō breaks through.
*1996 - Colonel Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara deposes the first democratically elected president of Niger, Mahamane Ousmane, in a military coup.
* 1996 - Germany first observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Births

*1443 - Albert, Duke of Saxony (d. 1500)
*1546 - Joachim Friedrich, Elector of Brandenburg (d. 1608)
*1585 - Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (d. 1634)
*1603 - Harbottle Grimston, English politician (d. 1685)
*1621 - Thomas Willis, English physician (d. 1675)
*1662 - Richard Bentley, English classical scholar (d. 1742)
*1687 - Balthasar Neumann, German architect (d. 1753)
*1701 - Johann Nikolaus von Hontheim, German historian (d. 1790)
*1708 - Anna Petrovna of Russia (d. 1728)
*1720 - Samuel Foote, English dramatist (d. 1777)
*1741 - Hester Thrale, Welsh diarist (d. 1821)
*1756 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian composer (d. 1791)
*1805 - Samuel Palmer, English artist (d. 1881)
* 1805 - Sophie of Bavaria, archduchess of Austria (d. 1872)
*1805 - Maria Anna of Bavaria, queen consort of Saxony (d. 1877)
*1806 - Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, Spanish composer (d. 1826)
*1814 - Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, French architect (d. 1879)
*1821 - John Chivington, American officer, (d. 1892)
*1823 - Edouard Lalo, French composer (d. 1892)
*1826 - Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian writer (d. 1889)
* 1826 - Richard Taylor, American Confederate general (d. 1879)
*1832 - Lewis Carroll, English author (d. 1898)
*1836 - Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Austrian writer (d. 1895)
*1841 - Arkhip Kuindzhi, Russian painter (d. 1910)
*1848 - Togo Heihachiro, Japanese admiral (d. 1934)
*1850 - Samuel Gompers, American labor leader (d. 1924)
* 1850 - Edward J. Smith, English captain of the Titanic (d. 1912)
*1859 - Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany (d. 1941)
*1885 - Jerome Kern, American composer (d. 1945)
* 1885 - Eduard Künneke, German composer (d. 1953)
*1885 - Maeda Seison, Japanese painter (d. 1977)
*1891 - Ilya Ehrenburg, Russian writer (d. 1967)
*1893 - Soong Ching-ling, Chinese wife of Sun Yat-sen (d. 1981)
*1895 - Harry Ruby, American composer (d. 1974)
*1900 - Hyman Rickover, American admiral (d. 1986)
*1901 - Art Rooney, American football team owner (d. 1988)
* 1901 - Willy Fritsch, German actor (d. 1973)
*1903 - John Carew Eccles, Australian neuropsychologist, Nobel Laureate (d. 1997)
* 1903 - Otto P. Weyland, American military figure (d. 1979)
*1905 - Howard McNear, American actor (d. 1969)
*1908 - Oran Page, American musician (d. 1954)
* 1908 - William Randolph Hearst, Jr., American newspaper magnate (d. 1993)
*1912 - Arne Næss, Norwegian philosopher
*1918 - Skitch Henderson, English bandleader (d. 2005)
* 1918 - Elmore James, American blues musician (d. 1963)
* 1918 - William Seawell, United States Army Brigadier General (d. 2005)
*1919 - Ross Bagdasarian, American musician (d. 1972)
*1920 - Helmut Zacharias, German violinist (d. 2002)
* 1920 - John Box, British film production designer and art director (d. 2005)
*1921 - Donna Reed, American actress (d. 1986)
*1924 - Sabu Dastagir, Indian actor (d. 1963)
* 1924 - Rauf Denktaş, Turkish political figure
*1926 - Fritz Spiegl, Austrian journalist (d. 2003)
* 1926 - Ingrid Thulin, Swedish actress (d. 2004)
*1928 - Michael Craig, British actor
* 1928 - Hans Modrow, a German politician, premier of East Germany
*1929 - Gastón Suárez, Bolivian novelist (d. 1984)
*1930 - Bobby Blue Bland, American singer
*1931 - Mordecai Richler, Canadian author (d. 2001)
*1932 - Boris Shakhlin, Soviet gymnast
*1933 - Mohamed Al-Fayed, Egyptian billionaire businessman
*1934 - George Follmer, American race car driver
*1936 - Troy Donahue, American actor (d. 2001)
* 1936 - Samuel C. C. Ting, American physicist, Nobel Laureate
*1937 - John Ogdon, English pianist (d. 1989)
*1940 - James Cromwell, American actor
* 1940 - Terry Harper, Canadian ice hockey player
*1942 - John Witherspoon, American actor
* 1942 - Kate Wolf, American folk singer and songwriter (d. 1986)
*1944 - Peter Akinola, Nigerian religious leader
* 1944 - Mairéad Corrigan, Irish activist, Nobel Prize Laureate
* 1944 - Nick Mason, English drummer (Pink Floyd)
*1945 - Harold Cardinal, Cree political leader (d. 2005)
*1946 - Nedra Talley, American singer (Ronettes)
*1947 - Björn Afzelius, Swedish singer (d. 1999)
*1947 - Vyron Polydoras, Greek politician
*1948 - Jean-Philippe Collard, French pianist
* 1948 - Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian-American dancer
*1949 - Ethan Mordden, American author
*1950 - Amos Grunebaum, Israeli-born physician
* 1950 - Derek Acorah, English spirit medium
*1951 - Brian Downey, Irish musician "(Thin Lizzy)"
*1952 - "White Shoes" Johnson, American football player
*1954 - Ed Schultz, Radio talk show host
*1954 - Peter Laird, American comic-book artist
*1954 - Joko Ninomiya, Japanese martial artist
*1955 - Brian Engblom, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1955 - John G. Roberts, 17th Chief Justice of the United States
* 1955 - Alexander Stuart, British author
* 1955 - Koji Ushikubo, Japanese racing driver
*1956 - Mimi Rogers, American actress
*1957 - Janick Gers, British guitarist (Iron Maiden)
* 1957 - Frank Miller, American comic book author and film director
*1958 - James Grippando, American novelist
* 1958 - Kadri Mälk, Estonian artist and jewelry designer
* 1958 - Susanna Thompson, American actress
*1959 - Keith Olbermann, American news presenter
* 1959 - Göran Hägglund, Swedish politician
* 1959 - Cris Collinsworth, American football player
*1961 - Margo Timmins, Canadian singer (Cowboy Junkies)
* 1961 - Dina Bonnevie, Filipino actress
* 1961 - Gillian Gilbert, British musician (New Order)
* 1961 - Narciso Rodriguez, American fashion designer
*1962 - Roberto Paci Dalò, Italian director and composer
*1964 - Bridget Fonda, American actress
*1965 - Alan Cumming, Scottish actor
* 1965 - Mike Newell, English football manager
*1967 - Bobby Deol, Indian actor
* 1967 - Byron Mann, Hong Kong actor
* 1967 - Dave Manson, Canadian ice hockey player
*1968 - Patrick Blondeau, French footballer
* 1968 - Mike Patton, American singer (Faith No More)
* 1968 - Tricky, English rapper
*1969 - Cornelius, Japanese musician and producer (Flipper's Guitar)
* 1969 - Michael Kulas, Canadian singer (James)
* 1969 - Patton Oswalt, American actor and writer
*1970 - Jon Douglas Rainey, American TV personality
* 1970 - Emmanuel Pahud, French-Swiss flautist
*1971 - Fann Wong, Singapore entertainer (Shanghai Knights)
* 1971 - Lil Jon, American rapper and producer
* 1971 - Patrice Brisebois, Canadian ice hockey player
*1972 - Guillermo, Mexican-born American TV personality
* 1972 - Keith Wood, Irish rugby player
* 1972 - Mark Owen, English pop singer
* 1972 - Janine Ilitch, Australian netballer
*1974 - Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lankan cricketer
* 1974 - Andrei Pavel, Romanian tennis player
* 1974 - ZP Theart, South African-born English singer (Dragonforce)
*1976 - Clint Ford, American voice actor
* 1976 - Ahn Jung-Hwan, Korean football player
* 1976 - Ruby Lin, Taiwanese actress and singer
* 1976 - Todd MacCulloch, American Basketball Player
*1978 - Pete Laforest, Canadian baseball player
*1979 - Mario Fatafehi, American-born Canadian Football League player
* 1979 - Rosamund Pike, British actress
* 1979 - Liesbet Van Breedam, Belgian beach volleyball player
* 1979 - Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
*1980 - Marat Safin, Russian tennis player
* 1980 - Chanda Gunn, ice hockey player
*1981 - Alicia Molik, Australian tennis player
*1983 - Carlo Colaiacovo, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1983 - Gavin Floyd, American baseball player
* 1983 - Mike Zagurski, American baseball player
*1984 - Davetta Sherwood, American actress
*1987 - Lily Donaldson, British model
* 1987 - Katy Rose, American pop singer
* 1987 - Zuleidy Spanish porn star
*1988 - Kerlon Moura Souza, Brazilian footballer

Deaths

* 98 - Nerva, Roman Emperor (b. 35)
* 661 - Death of Ali, the final Sunni Rashidun and first Shia Imam.(b. 599 or 600)
*1490 - Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Japanese shogun (b. 1435)
*1595 - Sir Francis Drake, European explorer (b. c.1540)
*1629 - Hieronymus Praetorius, German composer (b. 1560)
*1638 - Gonzalo de Céspedes y Meneses, Spanish novelist
*1731 - Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian musical instrument maker (b. 1655)
*1740 - Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon, Prime Minister of France (b. 1692)
*1814 - Johann Gottlieb Fichte, German philosopher (b. 1762)
*1816 - Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, British admiral (b. 1724)
*1851 - John James Audubon, French-born naturalist and ornithologist (b. 1789)
*1857 - Dorothea Lieven, Russian noblewoman (b. 1785)
*1860 - János Bolyai, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1802)
*1880 - Edward Middleton Barry, English architect (b. 1830)
*1901 - Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer (b. 1813)
*1910 - Thomas Crapper, English inventor (b. 1836)
*1919 - Endre Ady, Hungarian poet (b. 1877)
*1921 - Maurice Vincent Buckley, Australian soldier (b. 1891)
*1927 - Georgios Grivas, Cyprus-born general in the Greek Army
*1927 - Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis-Matulevičius (Matulewicz), Lithuanian bishop
*1940 - Isaac Babel, Ukrainian writer (b. 1894)
*1942 - Kaarel Eenpalu, Estonian Prime Minister (b. 1888)
*1956 - Erich Kleiber, Argentine conductor (b. 1890)
*1967 - Roger Chaffee - Crew of Apollo 1 (b. 1935)
* 1967 - Virgil "Gus" Grissom - Crew of Apollo 1 (b. 1926)
* 1967 - Edward White - Crew of Apollo 1 (b. 1930)
* 1967 - Alphonse Juin, Marshal of France (b. 1888)
*1970 - Rita Angus, New Zealand painter (b. 1908)
*1971 - Jacobo Arbenz, President of Guatemala (b. 1913)
*1972 - Mahalia Jackson, American singer (b. 1911)
* 1972 - Richard Courant, German-American mathematician (b. 1888)
*1973 - William Nolde, last American combat casualty of Vietnam War (b. 1929)
*1975 - Bill Walsh, American producer and writer (b. 1913)
*1979 - Qalander Ba Ba Auliya, Sufi master (b. 1898)
*1983 - Louis de Funès, French actor (b. 1914)
*1986 - Lilli Palmer, German-born actress (b. 1914)
*1988 - Massa Makan Diabaté, Malian author (b. 1938)
*1989 - Thomas Sopwith, British aviation pioneer (b. 1888)
* 1989 - Bayani Casimiro, Filipino dancer and actor (b. 1918)
*1993 - André the Giant, French professional wrestler and actor (b. 1946)
*1994 - Claude Akins, American actor (b. 1918)
*1996 - Ralph Yarborough, American politician (b. 1903)
*1997 - Gerald Marks, American songwriter (All of Me) (b. 1900)
*2000 - Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist (b. 1930)
*2001 - Stavros Damianides, Greek musician (b. 1941)
*2003 - Henryk Jabłoński, President of Poland (b. 1909)
* 2003 - Louis Archambault, Quebec sculptor (b. 1915)
*2004 - Jack Paar, American television show host (b. 1918)
* 2004 - Salvador Laurel, Vice President of the Philippines (b. 1928)
*2006 - Johannes Rau, 8th President of Germany (b. 1931)
* 2006 - Gene McFadden, American singer and songwriter (b. 1948)
* 2006 - Jean-Christophe Lafaille, French mountaineer (disappeared) (b. 1965)
*2007 - Tige Andrews, American actor (b. 1920)
* 2007 - Yang Chuan-kwang, Taiwanese athlete (b. 1933)
*2008 - Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1910)
* 2008 - Suharto, President of Indonesia (b. 1921)
* 2008 - Louie Welch, mayor of Houston (b. 1918)
* 2008 - Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Holidays and observances

* UN — International Holocaust Remembrance Day
* United Kingdom — Holocaust Memorial Day.
* Germany — "Gedenktag für die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus" (Commemoration Day for the Victims of National Socialism).
* Poland — "Dzień Pamięci Ofiar Nazizmu" (Memorial Day for the Victims of Nazism).
* Italy — "" (Memorial Day).
* Catholicism — Catholic Schools Week.
* Serbia — St. Sava Day.
* Denmark — "Auschwitzdag" (Auschwitz Day; commemoration day for the victims of the Holocaust and other genocide).
* Monaco, day of Saint Devota, patron saint
* January 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/27 BBC: On This Day]
*
* [http://www1.sympatico.ca/cgi-bin/on_this_day?mth=Jan&day=27 On This Day in Canada] ----