On This Day in History — April 27

Highlights of April 27

• 2012 — Unknown perpetrators carried out a series of four bombings in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. Read more
• 2011 — During the most active day of the 2011 Super Outbreak 218 tornadoes killed 317 people across 16 U.S. states. Read more
• 2005 — The Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger airliner, made its maiden flight from Toulouse, France. Read more
• 1997 — American spree killer Andrew Cunanan murdered Jeffrey Trail, a former friend and a Gulf War veteran, who became the first victim of Cunanan's killing spree. Read more
• 1993 — Thirty people died, including players and staff of the Zambia football team and the crew, in a plane crash en route to play a World Cup qualifying match against Senegal. Read more
• 1985 — The black-ball final, one of the most famous snooker matches in history, began between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor. Read more
• 1967 — The Expo 67 world's fair opened in Montreal, with 62 nations participating and more than 50 million visitors ultimately attending. Read more
• 1965 — Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation: British forces repelled a surprise Indonesian attack on a base at Plaman Mapu in Sarawak. Read more
• 1961 — Prime Minister Milton Margai led the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate to independence from the United Kingdom. Read more
• 1949 — In response to the treatment of Lorenzo Gamboa under the White Australia policy, the Philippine House of Representatives passed a bill banning Australians from the country. Read more
• 1945 — World War II: The photograph Raising the Flag on the Three-Country Cairn (pictured) was taken after German troops withdrew to Norway at the end of the Lapland War. Read more
• 1936 — The trilogy The Adventure Girls (second book pictured), by the children's author Clair Blank, was copyrighted by A. L. Burt. Read more
• 1911 — The Second Canton Uprising took place but was suppressed in Guangzhou, China. Read more
• 1904 — Chris Watson became the first prime minister of Australia from the Australian Labor Party. Read more
• 1848 — The French National Assembly under Victor Schœlcher proclaims the abolition of slavery within France and it's colonies following the February Revolution. Read more
• 1810 — Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor, better known as "Für Elise" , one of his most popular compositions. Read more
• 1805 — First Barbary War: U.S. Marines engaged forces of the Barbary Coast at the Battle of Derna in Tripoli, marking the first recorded land battle by the United States on foreign soil. Read more
• 1777 — American Revolutionary War: British Army regulars defeated Patriot militias in the Battle of Ridgefield, galvanizing resistance in the Connecticut Colony. Read more
• 1650 — Wars of the Three Kingdoms: Covenanter forces defeated the Royalists at the Battle of Carbisdale near the village of Culrain, Scotland. Read more
• 1522 — Four Years' War: The combined forces of Spain and the Papal States defeated a French and Venetian army at the Battle of Bicocca. Read more
• 630 — Shahrbaraz usurped the throne of the Sasanian Empire from Ardashir III, but was himself killed six weeks later. Read more
• 395 — Aelia Eudoxia married Byzantine emperor Arcadius without the knowledge or consent of Rufinus, the Praetorian prefect who had intended for his own daughter to wed the emperor. Read more

Events

• 2026 — A train crash kills at least 15 people and injures 84 others near Jakarta, Indonesia. Read more
• 2018 — The Panmunjom Declaration is signed between North and South Korea, officially declaring their intentions to end the Korean conflict. Read more
• 2012 — At least four explosions hit the Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk with at least 27 people injured. Read more
• 2011 — The 2011 Super Outbreak devastates parts of the Southeastern United States, especially the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. Two hundred five tornadoes touched down on April 27 alone, killing more than 300 and injuring hundreds more. Read more
• 2007 — Estonian authorities remove the Bronze Soldier, a Soviet Red Army war memorial in Tallinn, amid political controversy with Russia. Read more
• 2007 — Israeli archaeologists discover the tomb of Herod the Great south of Jerusalem. Read more
• 2006 — Construction begins on the Freedom Tower (later renamed One World Trade Center) in New York City. Read more
• 2005 — Airbus A380 aircraft has its maiden test flight. Read more
• 1994 — South African general election: The first democratic general election in South Africa, in which black citizens could vote. The Interim Constitution comes into force.This marked the end of Apartheid. Read more
• 1993 — Most of the Zambia national football team lose their lives in a plane crash off Libreville, Gabon en route to Dakar, Senegal to play a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Senegal. Read more
• 1992 — The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, comprising Serbia and Montenegro, is proclaimed. Read more
• 1992 — Betty Boothroyd becomes the first woman to be elected Speaker of the British House of Commons in its 700-year history. Read more
• 1992 — The Russian Federation and 12 other former Soviet republics become members of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Read more
• 1989 — The April 27 demonstrations, student-led protests responding to the April 26 Editorial, during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Read more
• 1987 — The U.S. Department of Justice bars Austrian President Kurt Waldheim (and his wife, Elisabeth, who had also been a Nazi) from entering the US, charging that he had aided in the deportations and executions of thousands of Jews and others as a German Army officer during World War II. Read more
• 1986 — The city of Pripyat and surrounding areas are evacuated due to the Chernobyl disaster. Read more
• 1978 — John Ehrlichman, a former aide to U.S. President Richard Nixon, is released from the Federal Correctional Institution, Safford, Arizona, after serving 18 months for Watergate-related crimes. Read more
• 1978 — The Saur Revolution begins in Afghanistan, ending the following morning with the murder of Afghan President Mohammed Daoud Khan and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Read more
• 1978 — Willow Island disaster: In the deadliest construction accident in United States history, 51 construction workers are killed when a cooling tower under construction collapses at the Pleasants Power Station in Willow Island, West Virginia. Read more
• 1976 — Thirty-seven people are killed when American Airlines Flight 625 crashes at Cyril E. King Airport in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Read more
• 1974 — One hundred nine people are killed in a plane crash near Pulkovo Airport. Read more
• 1967 — Expo 67 officially opens in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a large opening ceremony broadcast around the world. It opens to the public the next day. Read more
• 1953 — Operation Moolah offers $50,000 to any pilot who defects with a fully mission-capable Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 to South Korea. The first pilot was to receive $100,000. Read more
• 1945 — World War II: The last German formations withdraw from Finland to Norway. The Lapland War and thus, World War II in Finland, comes to an end and the Raising the Flag on the Three-Country Cairn photograph is taken. Read more
• 1945 — World War II: Benito Mussolini is arrested by Italian partisans in Dongo, while attempting escape disguised as a German soldier. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: German troops enter Athens. Read more
• 1936 — The United Auto Workers (UAW) gains autonomy from the American Federation of Labor. Read more
• 1927 — Carabineros de Chile (Chilean national police force and gendarmerie) are created. Read more
• 1911 — The Second Canton Uprising takes place in Guangzhou, Qing China, but is suppressed. Read more
• 1909 — Sultan of Ottoman Empire Abdul Hamid II is overthrown, and is succeeded by his brother, Mehmed V. Read more
• 1906 — The State Duma of the Russian Empire meets for the first time. Read more
• 1861 — American President Abraham Lincoln suspends the writ of habeas corpus. Read more
• 1813 — War of 1812: American troops capture York, the capital of Upper Canada, in the Battle of York. Read more
• 1805 — First Barbary War: United States Marines and Berbers attack the Tripolitan city of Derna (The "shores of Tripoli" in the Marines' Hymn). Read more
• 1667 — Blind and impoverished, John Milton sells Paradise Lost to a printer for £10, so that it could be entered into the Stationers' Register. Read more
• 1650 — The Battle of Carbisdale: A Royalist army from Orkney invades mainland Scotland but is defeated by a Covenanter army. Read more
• 1595 — The relics of Saint Sava are incinerated in Belgrade on the Vračar plateau by Ottoman Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha; the site of the incineration is now the location of the Church of Saint Sava, one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world Read more
• 1565 — Cebu is established becoming the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. Read more
• 1539 — Official founding of the city of Bogotá, New Granada (nowadays Colombia), by Nikolaus Federmann and Sebastián de Belalcázar. Read more
• 1522 — A Spanish-Imperial army defeats French-Venetian army in the battle of Bicocca. The battle marks the end of dominance of Swiss mercenaries on the battlefield and is one of the first where firearms play a decisive role. Read more
• 1521 — Battle of Mactan: Explorer Ferdinand Magellan is killed by natives in the Philippines led by chief Lapulapu. Read more
• 1509 — Pope Julius II places the Italian state of Venice under interdict. Read more
• 1296 — First War of Scottish Independence: John Balliol's Scottish army is defeated by an English army commanded by John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey at the Battle of Dunbar. Read more
• 711 — Islamic conquest of Hispania: Moorish troops led by Tariq ibn Ziyad land at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus). Read more
• 395 — Emperor Arcadius marries Aelia Eudoxia, daughter of the Frankish general Flavius Bauto. She becomes one of the more powerful Roman empresses of Late Antiquity. Read more
• 247 — Philip the Arab marks the millennium of Rome with a celebration of the ludi saeculares. Read more

Born on April 27

• 2005 — Mathys Tel, French footballer Read more
• 2004 — Arch Manning, American football player Read more
• 2003 — Xavier Worthy, American football player Read more
• 2002 — Anthony Elanga, Swedish footballer Read more
• 1999 — Peter Hola, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1998 — Cristian Romero, Argentine footballer Read more
• 1997 — Jesse Ramien, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1995 — Nick Kyrgios, Australian tennis player Read more
• 1994 — Corey Seager, American baseball player Read more
• 1992 — Keenan Allen, American football player Read more
• 1991 — Lara Gut, Swiss skier Read more
• 1990 — Austin Dillon, American race car driver Read more
• 1989 — Lars Bender, German footballer Read more
• 1989 — Sven Bender, German footballer Read more
• 1988 — Lizzo, American singer and rapper Read more
• 1988 — Semyon Varlamov, Russian ice hockey player Read more
• 1987 — Taylor Chorney, American ice hockey player Read more
• 1987 — William Moseley, English actor Read more
• 1987 — Wang Feifei, Chinese singer and actress Read more
• 1986 — Jenna Coleman, English actress Read more
• 1986 — Dinara Safina, Russian tennis player Read more
• 1985 — Meselech Melkamu, Ethiopian runner Read more
• 1984 — Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1984 — Daniel Holdsworth, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1984 — Patrick Stump, American musician, singer, and songwriter Read more
• 1983 — Ari Graynor, American actress and producer Read more
• 1980 — Sybille Bammer, Austrian tennis player Read more
• 1980 — Christian Lara, Ecuadorian footballer Read more
• 1979 — Vladimir Kozlov, Ukrainian actor and wrestler Read more
• 1976 — Isobel Campbell, Scottish singer-songwriter and cellist Read more
• 1976 — Sally Hawkins, English actress Read more
• 1976 — Walter Pandiani, Uruguayan footballer Read more
• 1975 — Chris Carpenter, American baseball player Read more
• 1975 — Pedro Feliz, Dominican baseball player Read more
• 1975 — Kazuyoshi Funaki, Japanese ski jumper Read more
• 1974 — Frank Catalanotto, American baseball player Read more
• 1973 — Sharlee D'Angelo, Swedish bass player and songwriter Read more
• 1973 — Sébastien Lareau, Canadian tennis player Read more
• 1972 — Nigel Barker, English photographer and author Read more
• 1969 — Cory Booker, African-American lawyer and politician Read more

Died on April 27

• 2025 — Jiggly Caliente, Filipino-American drag performer, singer and actress (born 1980) Read more
• 2024 — C. J. Sansom, British author (born 1952) Read more
• 2023 — Jerry Springer, American politician and actor (born 1944) Read more
• 2022 — Liao Guoxun, Chinese politician (born 1963) Read more
• 2021 — Manoj Das, Indian writer (born 1934) Read more
• 2017 — Vinod Khanna, Indian actor, producer and politician (born 1946) Read more
• 2017 — Sadanoyama Shinmatsu, Japanese sumo wrestler (born 1938) Read more
• 2015 — Gene Fullmer, American boxer (born 1931) Read more
• 2015 — Verne Gagne, American football player, wrestler, and trainer (born 1926) Read more
• 2015 — Alexander Rich, American biologist, biophysicist, and academic (born 1924) Read more
• 2014 — Yigal Arnon, Israeli lawyer (born 1929) Read more
• 2014 — Vujadin Boškov, Serbian footballer, coach, and manager (born 1931) Read more
• 2014 — Daniel Colchico, American football player and coach (born 1935) Read more
• 2014 — Harry Firth, Australian race car driver and manager (born 1918) Read more
• 2013 — Aída Bortnik, Argentinian screenwriter (born 1938) Read more
• 2013 — Lorraine Copeland, Scottish archaeologist (born 1921) Read more
• 2013 — Antonio Díaz Jurado, Spanish footballer (born 1969) Read more
• 2013 — Jérôme Louis Heldring, Dutch journalist and author (born 1917) Read more
• 2013 — Aloysius Jin Luxian, Chinese bishop (born 1916) Read more
• 2013 — Mutula Kilonzo, Kenyan lawyer and politician, Kenyan Minister of Justice (born 1948) Read more
• 2012 — Daniel E. Boatwright, American soldier and politician (born 1930) Read more
• 2012 — Bill Skowron, American baseball player (born 1930) Read more
• 2011 — Marian Mercer, American actress and singer (born 1935) Read more
• 2009 — Frankie Manning, American dancer and choreographer (born 1914) Read more
• 2009 — Woo Seung-yeon, South Korean model and actress (born 1983) Read more
• 2009 — Feroz Khan (actor), Indian Actor, Film Director & Producer (born 1939) Read more
• 2007 — Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian cellist and conductor (born 1927) Read more
• 2006 — Julia Thorne, American author (born 1944) Read more
• 2005 — Red Horner, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1909) Read more
• 2002 — George Alec Effinger, American author (born 1947) Read more
• 2002 — Ruth Handler, American inventor and businesswoman, created the Barbie doll (born 1916) Read more
• 1999 — Al Hirt, American trumpet player and bandleader (born 1922) Read more
• 1999 — Dale C. Thomson, Canadian historian, author, and academic (born 1923) Read more
• 1999 — Cyril Washbrook, English cricketer (born 1914) Read more
• 1998 — John W. H. Bassett, Canadian journalist and politician (born 1915) Read more
• 1998 — Carlos Castaneda, Peruvian-American anthropologist and author (born 1925) Read more
• 1998 — Anne Desclos, French journalist and author (born 1907) Read more
• 1998 — Browning Ross, American runner and soldier (born 1924) Read more
• 1996 — William Colby, American diplomat, 10th Director of Central Intelligence (born 1920) Read more
• 1996 — Gilles Grangier, French director and screenwriter (born 1911) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast days: Assicus; Christian feast days: Floribert of Liège; Christian feast days: John of Constantinople; Christian feast days: Liberalis of Treviso; Christian feast days: Blessed María Antonia Bandrés Elósegui; Christian feast days: Blessed Osanna of Cattaro; Christian feast days: Pedro Armengol; Christian feast days: Pollio; Christian feast days: Virgin of Montserrat, co-patroness of Catalonia; Christian feast days: Zita; Christian feast days: Origen Adamantius; Christian feast days: April 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Day of Russian Parliamentarism (Russia); Day of the Uprising Against the Occupying Forces (Slovenia); Flag Day (Moldova); Freedom Day (South Africa); Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Sierra Leone from United Kingdom in 1961.; Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Togo from France in 1960.; King's Day (Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten) (celebrated on April 26 if April 27 falls on a Sunday); National Veterans' Day (Finland)

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