March 27 is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 279 days remaining until the end of the year.

[edit] Events

• 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt.
• 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates Venice and all its population.
• 1329 - Pope John XXII issues his 'In Agro Dominico' condemning some writings of Meister Eckhart as heretical.
• 1513 (not 1512 as often cited) - Explorer Juan Ponce de León sights North America (specifically Florida) for the first time, mistaking it for another island.
• 1613 - The first English child born in Canada at Cuper's Cove, Newfoundland to Nicholas Guy.
• 1625 - Charles I becomes King of England, Scotland and Ireland as well as claiming the title King of France.
• 1642 - The sixth Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Joseph takes office.
• 1782 - Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• 1794 - The United States Government establishes a permanent navy and authorizes the building of six frigates.
• 1794 - Denmark and Sweden form a neutrality compact.
• 1814 - War of 1812: In central Alabama, U.S. forces under General Andrew Jackson defeat the Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
• 1836 - Texas Revolution: Goliad massacre - Antonio López de Santa Anna orders the Mexican army to kill about 400 Texans at Goliad, Texas.
• 1836 - Kirtland Temple in Ohio is dedicated in an 8 hour long service led by Joseph Smith, Jr. and Sidney Rigdon.
• 1846 - Mexican-American War: Siege of Fort Texas.
• 1851 - First reported case of Europeans seeing Yosemite Valley.
• 1854 - Crimean War: The United Kingdom declares war on Russia.
• 1868 - The Lake Ontario Shore Railroad Company is organized in Oswego, New York.
• 1871 - The first international rugby football match, England v. Scotland, is played in Edinburgh at Raeburn Place.
• 1881 - Rioting takes place in Basingstoke in protest against the daily vociferous promotion of rigid Temperance by the Salvation Army.
• 1890 - A tornado strikes Louisville, Kentucky, killing 76 and injuring 200.
• 1906 - Founding of the Alpine Club of Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 1910 - Fire during a barn-dance in Ököritófülpös, Hungary, killed 312
• 1918 - Moldova and Bessarabia join Romania.
• 1938 - The Battle of Taierzhuang takes place.
• 1941 - World War II: Yugoslavian Air Force officers topple the pro-axis government in a bloodless coup.
• 1943 - World War II: Battle of the Komandorski Islands - In the Aleutian Islands the battle begins when United States Navy forces intercept Japanese attempting to reinforce a garrison at Kiska.
• 1945 - World War II: Operation Starvation, the aerial mining of Japan's ports and waterways begins.
• 1948 - The Second Congress of the Workers Party of North Korea is convened.
• 1958 - Nikita Khrushchev becomes Premier of the Soviet Union.
• 1963 - Beeching axe: Dr. Richard Beeching issues a report calling for huge cuts to the United Kingdom's rail network.
• 1964 - The Good Friday Earthquake, the most powerful earthquake in U.S. history at a magnitude of 9.2 strikes South Central Alaska, killing 125 people and inflicting massive damage to the city of Anchorage.
• 1969 - Mariner 7 is launched.
• 1970 - The Concorde makes its first supersonic flight.
• 1976 - The first 4.6 miles of the Washington Metro subway system opens.
• 1977 - Tenerife disaster: Two Boeing 747 airliners collide on a foggy runway on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, killing 583 (all 248 on KLM and 335 on Pan Am) and 61 survived on the Pan Am flight.
• 1980 - The Norwegian oil platform Alexander Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212.
• 1986 - A car bomb explodes at Russell Street Police HQ in Melbourne, killing 1 police officer and injuring 21 people.
• 1990 - The United States begins broadcasting TV Martí to Cuba in an effort to bridge the information blackout imposed by the Castro regime.
• 1993 - Jiang Zemin is appointed President of the People's Republic of China.
• 1993 - Italian former minister and Christian Democracy leader Giulio Andreotti is accused of mafia allegiance by the tribunal of Palermo.
• 1994 - TV tycoon Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing coalition wins the general elections in Italy.
• 1994 - One of the biggest tornado outbreaks in recent memory hits the Southeastern United States. One tornado slams into a church in Piedmont, Alabama during Palm Sunday services killing 20 and injuring 90.
• 1994 - The Eurofighter takes its first flight in Manching, Germany.
• 1998 - The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.
• 1999 - An F-117 Nighthawk is shot down during the Kosovo War.
• 2000 - Phillips explosion of 2000 kills 1 and injures 71 in Pasadena, Texas.
• 2002 - Passover Massacre: A suicide bomber kills 29 people in Netanya, Israel.
• 2004 - HMS Scylla, a decommissioned Leander frigate, is sunk as an artificial reef off Cornwall, the first of its kind in Europe.
• 2006 - The United Nations Commission on Human Rights holds its final meeting.

[edit] Births

• 972 - King Robert II of France (d. 1031)
• 1416 - Antonio Squarcialupi, Italian composer (d. 1480)
• 1627 - Stephen Fox, English politician (d. 1716)
• 1676 - Francis II Rákóczi, leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburg (d. 1735)
• 1696 - Antoine Court, French Huguenot minister (d. 1760)
• 1702 - Johann Ernst Eberlin, German composer (d. 1762)
• 1712 - Claude Bourgelat, French veterinary surgeon (d. 1779)
• 1714 - Francesco Antonio Zaccaria, Italian theologian and historian (d. 1795)
• 1730 - Thomas Tyrwhitt, English classical scholar (d. 1786)
• 1746 - Michael Bruce, Scottish poet (d. 1767)
• 1765 - Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (d. 1841)
• 1785 - King Louis XVII of France (d. 1795)
• 1797 - Alfred de Vigny, French author (d. 1863)
• 1809 - Baron Haussmann, French civic planner (d. 1891)
• 1810 - William Hepworth Thompson, English classical scholar (d. 1886)
• 1813 - Nathaniel Currier, American illustrator (d. 1888)
• 1817 - Karl Wilhelm von Nägeli, Swiss biologist (d. 1891)
• 1845 - Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1923)
• 1847 - Otto Wallach, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931)
• 1851 - Vincent d'Indy, French composer and teacher (d. 1931)
• 1857 - Karl Pearson, English statistician (d. 1936)
• 1859 - George Giffen, Australian cricketer (d. 1927)
• 1860 - Frank Frost Abbott, American classical scholar (d. 1924)
• 1863 - Sir Henry Royce, English automobile pioneer (d. 1933)
• 1869 - James McNeill, Irish politician (d. 1938)
• 1871 - Heinrich Mann, German writer (d. 1950)
• 1879 - Miller Huggins, American baseball player and manager (d. 1929)
• 1883 - Marie Under, Estonian author and poet (d. 1980)
• 1886 - Sergey Kirov, Russian bolshevik leader (d. 1934)
• 1886 - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, German architect (d. 1969)
• 1892 - Ferde Grofé, American composer (d. 1972)
• 1893 - Karl Mannheim, Hungarian sociologist (d. 1947)
• 1899 - Gloria Swanson, American actress (d. 1983)
• 1897 - Douglas Hartree, English mathematical physicist (d. 1958)
• 1901 - Carl Barks, American illustrator (d. 2000)
• 1901 - Erich Ollenhauer, German politician (d. 1963)
• 1901 - Eisaku Sato, Prime Minister of Japan, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1975)
• 1901 - Kenneth Slessor, Australian poet (d. 1971)
• 1902 - Charles Lang, American cinematographer (d. 1998)
• 1905 - Elsie MacGill, Canadian aeronautical engineer (d. 1980)
• 1906 - Pee Wee Russell, American musician (d. 1969)
• 1909 - Golo Mann, German historian (d. 1994)
• 1909 - Ben Webster, American jazz saxophonist (d. 1973)
• 1912 - James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2005)
• 1913 - Theodor Dannecker, SS officer (d. 1945)
• 1914 - Richard Denning, American actor (d. 1998)
• 1914 - Budd Schulberg, American screenwriter and novelist
• 1915 - Robert Lockwood, Jr., American blues guitarist (d. 2006)
• 1917 - Cyrus Vance, American politician (d. 2002)
• 1920 - Robin Jacques, illustrator (d. 1995)
• 1921 - Harold Nicholas, American dancer (d. 2000)
• 1922 - Stefan Wul, French author (d. 2003)
• 1923 - Endo Shusaku, Japanese author (d. 1996)
• 1923 - Louis Simpson, Jamaican-born poet
• 1924 - Sarah Vaughan, American singer (d. 1990)
• 1927 - Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian cellist and conductor (d. 2007)
• 1931 - David Janssen, American actor (d. 1980)
• 1935 - Abelardo Castillo, Argentine writer
• 1935 - Julian Glover, British actor
• 1935 - Fr. Stanley Rother, Roman Catholic Priest, Martyr and Missionary to Guatemala (d. 1981)
• 1937 - Thomas Aquinas Daly, American painter
• 1939 - Cale Yarborough, American race car driver
• 1940 - Janis Martin, American singer (d. 2007)
• 1940 - Austin Pendleton, American actor
• 1941 - Ivan Gašparovič, President of Slovakia
• 1942 - John E. Sulston, British chemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• 1942 - Michael York, English actor
• 1942 - Michael Jackson, English writer (d. 2007)
• 1943 - Phil Frank, American cartoonist (d. 2007)
• 1944 - Khosrow Shakibai, Iranian actor (d. 2008)
• 1946 - Olaf Malolepski, German musician (Die Flippers)
• 1947 - Brian Jones, British balloonist
• 1947 - Walt Mossberg, the highest-paid journalist at the Wall Street Journal
• 1950 - Tony Banks, English musician (Genesis)
• 1950 - Petros Efthimiou, Greek politician
• 1950 - Lynn McGlothen, American baseball player (d. 1984)
• 1952 - Maria Schneider, French actress
• 1952 - Richard Séguin, Quebec singer and songwriter
• 1956 - Leung Kwok Hung, Hong Kong activist
• 1956 - Thomas Wassberg, Swedish cross-country skier
• 1957 - Nick Hawkins, British politician
• 1957 - Billy Mackenzie, Scottish musician (Associates) (d. 1997)
• 1959 - Andrew Farriss, Australian musician (INXS)
• 1960 - Hans Pflügler, German footballer
• 1961 - Tak Matsumoto, Japanese guitarist (B'z)
• 1961 - Tony Rominger, Swiss cyclist
• 1962 - Jann Arden, Canadian musician
• 1963 - Charly Alberti, Argentinian musician
• 1963 - Randall Cunningham American football player
• 1963 - Quentin Tarantino, American director, writer, and producer
• 1963 - Xuxa, Brazilian television personality
• 1964 - Glenn Carter, English actor and singer-songwriter
• 1966 - Paula Trickey, American actress
• 1967 - Paul Adams, American celebrity
• 1967 - Talisa Soto, American actress
• 1967 - Kenta Kobashi, Japanese professional wrestler
• 1968 - Sandra Hess, Swiss-born actress and model
• 1969 - Kevin Corrigan, American actor
• 1969 - Pauley Perrette, American actress, photographer, poet, writer
• 1970 - Mariah Carey, American soul/dance-pop singer
• 1970 - Brent Fitz, Canadian musician (Theory of a Deadman)
• 1970 - Brendan Hill, British drummer (Blues Traveler)
• 1970 - Princess Leila of Iran (d. 2001)
• 1970 - Elizabeth Mitchell, American actress
• 1971 - Thom Barron, German porn star
• 1971 - David Coulthard, Scottish Formula One driver
• 1971 - Nathan Fillion, Canadian actor
• 1972 - Charlie Haas, professional wrestler
• 1972 - Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Dutch footballer
• 1974 - Russ Haas, wrestler (d. 2001)
• 1974 - Gaizka Mendieta, Spanish footballer
• 1975 - Stacy Ferguson, American pop singer (The Black Eyed Peas)
• 1975 - Tom Goegebuer, Belgian weightlifter
• 1975 - Chakrit Yamnam, Thai film and television actor
• 1976 - Djamel Belmadi, Algerian footballer
• 1976 - Carl Ng, Hong Kong/British actor and model
• 1977 - Violetta Blue, American porn star
• 1977 - Vitor Meira, Brazilian racing driver
• 1977 - Adrian Anca, Romanian footballer
• 1979 - Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins baseball player
• 1981 - Carey Davis, National Football League fullback
• 1981 - Lin Jun Jie, Chinese Singer
• 1981 - Terry McFlynn, Northern Irish footballer
• 1982 - Kurara Chibana, Japanese beauty queen, first runner-up Miss Universe 2006
• 1984 - Laura Critchley, British singer/song writer
• 1985 - Dario Baldauf, Austrian footballer
• 1985 - Stijn De Smet, Belgian footballer
• 1985 - Caroline Winberg, Swedish supermodel
• 1986 - Valerie "So Cal Val" Wyndham, American professional wrestling valet
• 1986 - Ramani, Indian Girl
• 1987 - Chad Denny, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1988 - Brenda Song, American actress
• 1990 - Scott Selwood, Australian rules footballer
• 1995 - Taylor Atelian, American actress

[edit] Deaths

• 710 - Rupert of Salzburg
• 973 - Herman, Duke of Saxony
• 1191 - Pope Clement III
• 1350 - King Alfonso XI of Castile (b. 1312)
• 1378 - Pope Gregory XI
• 1462 - Vasili II of Russia, Grand Prince of Moscow (b. 1415)
• 1482 - Mary of Burgundy, daughter of Charles the Bold; wife of Maximilian I (b. 1457)
• 1555 - William Hunter, Protestant martyr
• 1572 - Girolamo Maggi, Italian Renaissance man (b. abt. 1523)
• 1625 - King James I of England and Ireland, James VI of Scotland (b. 1566)
• 1635 - Robert Naunton, English politician (b. 1563)
• 1697 - Simon Bradstreet, English colonial magistrate (b. 1603)
• 1757 - Johann Stamitz, Czech-born composer (b. 1717)
• 1770 - Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian artist (b. 1696)
• 1809 - Joseph-Marie Vien, French painter (b. 1716)
• 1827 - François Alexandre Frédéric, French social reformer (b. 1747)
• 1836 - James Fannin, Texas revolutionary (b. 1804)
• 1843 - Karl Salomo Zachariae von Lingenthal, German jurist (b. 1769)
• 1849 - Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford (b. 1776)
• 1850 - Wilhelm Beer, German astronomer (b. 1797)
• 1864 - Jean-Jacques Ampère, French scholar (b. 1800)
• 1865 - Petrus Hoffman Peerlkamp, Dutch scholar (b. 1786)
• 1873 - Amedée Simon Dominique Thierry, French journalist and historian (b. 1797)
• 1875 - Edgar Quinet, French historian (b. 1803)
• 1878 - Sir George Gilbert Scott, English architect (b. 1811)
• 1889 - John Bright, English statesman (b. 1811)
• 1897 - Andreas Anagnostakis, Greek physician (b. 1826)
• 1898 - Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Indian Muslim intellectual (b. 1817)
• 1910 - Alexander Emanuel Agassiz, American scientist; son of Louis Agassiz (b. 1835)
• 1918 - Henry Adams, American historian (b. 1838)
• 1923 - Sir James Dewar, Scottish chemist (b. 1842)
• 1924 - Walter Parratt, English composer (b. 1841)
• 1926 - Georges Vézina, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1887)
• 1927 - Joe Start, American baseball player (b. 1842)
• 1931 - Arnold Bennett, British novelist (b. 1867)
• 1934 - Francis William Reitz, 5th State President of the Orange Free State (b. 1844)
• 1940 - Michael Joseph Savage, Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1872)
• 1967 - Jaroslav Heyrovský, Czech chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1890)
• 1967 - Jim Thompson, American designer (disappeared) (b. 1906)
• 1968 - Yuri Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut (b. 1934)
• 1972 - Sharkey Bonano, American musician (b. 1904)
• 1972 - M. C. Escher, Dutch artist (b. 1898)
• 1977 - A. P. Hamann, American politician
• 1977 - Diana Hyland, American actress (b. 1936)
• 1977 - Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten, Dutch Aviator (b. 1927
• 1981 - Mao Dun, Chinese writer (b. 1895)
• 1988 - Renato Salvatori, Italian actor (b. 1934)
• 1989 - May Allison, American actress (b. 1890)
• 1989 - Jack Starrett, American actor and film director (b. 1936)
• 1991 - Ralph Bates, British actor (b. 1940)
• 1991 - Aldo Ray, American actor (b. 1926)
• 1992 - Easley Blackwood, American bridgeplayer (b. 1903)
• 1993 - Clifford Jordan, American saxophonist and bandleader (b. 1931)
• 1993 - Paul László, Hungarian interior designer and architect (b. 1900)
• 1998 - David McClelland, American psychologist (b. 1917)
• 1998 - Ferry Porsche, Austrian automobile manufacturer (b. 1909)
• 2000 - Ian Dury, English musician (b. 1942)
• 2002 - Milton Berle, American actor and comedian (b. 1908)
• 2002 - Dudley Moore, British actor (b. 1935)
• 2002 - Billy Wilder, American director (b. 1906)
• 2003 - Daniel Ceccaldi, French actor (b. 1927)
• 2003 - Ricardo Munguia, Salvadoran aid worker
• 2003 - Paul Zindel, American writer (b. 1936)
• 2004 - Adán Sánchez, Mexican-American singer (b. 1984)
• 2005 - Wilfred Bigelow, Canadian heart surgeon (b. 1913)
• 2005 - Bob Casey, American baseball announcer (b. 1925)
• 2005 - Grant Johannesen, American concert pianist (b. 1921)
• 2006 - Dan Curtis, American television producer and director (b. 1928)
• 2006 - Ian Hamilton Finlay, Scottish poet, writer, artist and gardener (b. 1925)
• 2006 - Stanisław Lem, Polish writer (b. 1921)
• 2006 - Ruari McLean, British typographer (b. 1917)
• 2006 - Lyn Nofziger, American journalist and political advisor to Ronald Reagan (b. 1924)
• 2007 - Paul Lauterbur, American chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1929)
• 2008 - Jean-Marie Balestre, French president of motor sport's FIA (b. 1921)
• 2008 - George Pruteanu, Romanian literary critic and politician (b. 1947)

[edit] Holidays and observances

• Angolan Victory Day
• Osweiler in Luxembourg

[edit] External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada