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On This Day in History — October 27
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Highlights of October 27
- 2019 — The Mocking of Christ (pictured) by Cimabue sold at auction in France for €19.5 million, a record for a pre-1500 artwork. Read more
- 2011 — Michael D. Higgins (pictured) was elected President of Ireland with far more votes than any politician in the country's history. Read more
- 2004 — The Boston Red Sox completed a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals to win the 2004 World Series, breaking the so-called "Curse of the Bambino". Read more
- 1999 — Armed men led by Nairi Hunanyan carried out a mass shooting at the Armenian parliament, killing Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan (pictured), National Assembly speaker Karen Demirchyan, and six others. Read more
- 1993 — Widerøe Flight 744 suffered a controlled flight into terrain while on approach to Namsos Airport, Norway, killing two crew members and four passengers. Read more
- 1992 — U.S. Navy Petty Officer Allen R. Schindler Jr. was killed in Sasebo, Japan, for being gay, which led to the U.S. Armed Forces' "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Read more
- 1980 — The Chun Doo-hwan government arrested 153 people related to the Jogye Order, which is considered an abuse of state power. Read more
- 1967 — American Catholic priest Philip Berrigan led a protest against the Vietnam War by pouring blood over Selective Service records in Baltimore, Maryland. Read more
- 1964 — Actor Ronald Reagan delivered a speech on behalf of Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, launching his own political career, which culminated in him serving two full terms as U.S. president. Read more
- 1946 — Inter-religious riots in which Hindu mobs targeted Muslim families began in the Indian state of Bihar, resulting in 2,000 to 30,000 deaths. Read more
- 1942 — The Empire of Japan achieved a pyrrhic victory against the United States at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Read more
- 1914 — World War I: The Royal Navy dreadnought HMS Audacious was sunk by a mine, but its loss was kept secret for four years. Read more
- 1913 — A rail workers' strike in Chile escalates into a general strike, organized by the Regional Workers' Federation of Chile. Read more
- 1904 — The first underground segment of the New York City Subway opened, connecting New York City Hall (station pictured) with Harlem. Read more
- 1775 — King George III expanded on his Proclamation of Rebellion in the Thirteen Colonies in his speech from the throne at the opening of Parliament. Read more
- 1726 — J. S. Bach led the first performance of Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56, one of few works he called a cantata. Read more
- 1726 — J. S. Bach led the first performance of Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56, one of few works he called a cantata. Read more
- 1674 — Franco-Dutch War: French forces surrender the fortress town of Grave to the Dutch army after a three month siege. Read more
Events
- 2019 — Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi kills himself and three children by detonating a suicide vest during the U.S. military Barisha raid in northwestern Syria. Read more
- 2018 — A gunman opens fire on a Pittsburgh synagogue killing eleven and injuring six, including four police officers. Read more
- 2018 — Leicester City F.C. owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha dies in a helicopter crash along with four others after a Premier League match against West Ham United at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, England. Read more
- 2017 — Catalonia declares independence from Spain. Read more
- 2014 — Britain withdraws from Afghanistan at the end of Operation Herrick, after 12 years four months and seven days. Read more
- 1999 — Gunmen open fire in the Armenian Parliament, killing the Prime Minister and seven others. Read more
- 1997 — The 1997 Asian financial crisis causes a crash in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Read more
- 1994 — Gliese 229B is the first Substellar Mass Object to be unquestionably identified. Read more
- 1993 — Widerøe Flight 744 crashes in Overhalla Municipality, Norway, killing six people. Read more
- 1992 — United States Navy radioman Allen R. Schindler, Jr. is murdered by shipmate Terry M. Helvey for being gay, precipitating debate about gays in the military that results in the United States' "Don't ask, don't tell" military policy. Read more
- 1991 — Turkmenistan achieves independence from the Soviet Union. Read more
- 1988 — Cold War: Ronald Reagan suspends construction of the new U.S. Embassy in Moscow due to Soviet listening devices in the building structure. Read more
- 1986 — The British government suddenly deregulates financial markets, leading to a total restructuring of the way in which they operate in the country, in an event now referred to as the Big Bang. Read more
- 1981 — Cold War: The Soviet submarine S-363 runs aground on the east coast of Sweden. Read more
- 1980 — The Chun Doo-hwan government forcibly arrests and investigates monks and personnel of the Jogye Order. Read more
- 1979 — Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains its independence from the United Kingdom. Read more
- 1971 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo is renamed Zaire. Read more
- 1964 — Ronald Reagan delivers a speech on behalf of the Republican candidate for president, Barry Goldwater. The speech launches his political career and comes to be known as "A Time for Choosing". Read more
- 1962 — Major Rudolf Anderson of the United States Air Force becomes the only direct human casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis when his U-2 reconnaissance airplane is shot down over Cuba by a Soviet-supplied surface-to-air missile. Read more
- 1962 — By refusing to agree to the firing of a nuclear torpedo at a US warship, Vasily Arkhipov averts nuclear war. Read more
- 1961 — NASA tests the first Saturn I rocket in Mission Saturn-Apollo 1. Read more
- 1958 — Iskander Mirza, the first President of Pakistan, is deposed by General Ayub Khan, who had been appointed the enforcer of martial law by Mirza 20 days earlier. Read more
- 1954 — Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. becomes the first African-American general in the United States Air Force. Read more
- 1948 — A deadly smog event begins in Donora, Pennsylvania, eventually killing 20 and sickening thousands. Read more
- 1944 — World War II: German forces capture Banská Bystrica during Slovak National Uprising thus bringing it to an end. Read more
- 1936 — Abdication Crisis: Mrs. Wallis Simpson obtains her divorce, which would eventually allow her to marry King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, thus forcing his abdication from the throne. Read more
- 1930 — Ratifications are exchanged in London for the first London Naval Treaty go into effect immediately, further limiting the expensive naval arms race among its five signatories. Read more
- 1924 — The Uzbek SSR is founded in the Soviet Union. Read more
- 1922 — A referendum in Rhodesia rejects the country's annexation to the South African Union. Read more
- 1919 — The Fourth Regional Congress of Peasants, Workers and Insurgents is held by the Makhnovshchina at Oleksandrivsk. Read more
- 1916 — Negus Mikael, marching on the Ethiopian capital in support of his son Emperor Iyasu V, is defeated by Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis, securing the throne for Empress Zewditu I. Read more
- 1914 — World War I: The new British battleship HMS Audacious is sunk by a minefield laid by the armed German merchant-cruiser Berlin. Read more
- 1913 — A rail workers' strike in Chile escalates into a general strike, organized by the Regional Workers' Federation of Chile. Read more
- 1907 — Fifteen people are killed in Hungary when gendarmes opened fire on a crowd gathered at a church consecration. Read more
- 1870 — Franco-Prussian War: Marshal Bazaine surrenders to Prussian forces at the conclusion of the Siege of Metz along with 140,000 French soldiers. Read more
- 1864 — American Civil War: Union General Benjamin Butler launches an attack during the Siege of Petersburg with the Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road, but is repulsed by the next day. Read more
- 1863 — American Civil War: Union forces led by General William F. Smith defeat Confederate forces in the Battle of Brown's Ferry, opening up a supply line to the besieged city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Read more
- 1838 — Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs issues the Extermination Order, which orders all Mormons to leave the state or be killed. Read more
- 1810 — United States annexes the former Spanish colony of West Florida. Read more
- 1806 — The French Army under Napoleon enters Berlin following the Prussian defeat at the Battle of Jena–Auerstedt. Read more
- 1795 — The United States and Spain sign the Treaty of Madrid, which establishes the boundaries between Spanish colonies and the U.S. Read more
- 1775 — King George III expands on his Proclamation of Rebellion in the Thirteen Colonies in his speech from the throne at the opening of Parliament. Read more
- 1726 — J. S. Bach leads the first performance of Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56, one of few works he called a cantata. Read more
- 1682 — Philadelphia is founded in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Read more
- 1674 — The French garrison in Grave surrenders the town to a Dutch army after a difficult siege. Read more
- 1644 — Second Battle of Newbury in the English Civil War. Read more
- 1553 — Condemned as a heretic, Michael Servetus is burned at the stake just outside Geneva. Read more
- 1524 — French troops lay siege to Pavia. Read more
- 1275 — Traditional founding of the city of Amsterdam. Read more
- 625 — Election of pope Honorius I following the death of pope Boniface V two days prior. Read more
- 312 — Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Read more
Born on October 27
- 1999 — Haruka Kudo, Japanese singer and actress Read more
- 1997 — Lonzo Ball, American basketball player Read more
- 1997 — James TW, English singer-songwriter Read more
- 1996 — Rasmus Andersson, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
- 1996 — Kim Woo-seok, South Korean singer and actor Read more
- 1995 — Leon Draisaitl, German ice hockey player Read more
- 1994 — Rasmus Ristolainen, Finnish ice hockey player Read more
- 1993 — Troy Gentile, American actor Read more
- 1993 — Kiefer Ravena, Filipino basketball player Read more
- 1992 — Stephan El Shaarawy, Italian footballer Read more
- 1992 — Emily Hagins, American director, producer, and screenwriter Read more
- 1992 — Brandon Saad, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1992 — Daniel Sams, Australian cricketer Read more
- 1991 — Shohei Takahashi, Japanese footballer Read more
- 1990 — Alex Bentley, American-Belarusian basketball player Read more
- 1990 — Dimitrios Gkourtsas, Greek footballer Read more
- 1990 — Oktovianus Maniani, Indonesian footballer Read more
- 1989 — Mark Barron, American football player Read more
- 1988 — Brady Ellison, American archer Read more
- 1988 — Viktor Genev, Bulgarian footballer Read more
- 1988 — Illimar Pärn, Estonian ski jumper Read more
- 1988 — Evan Turner, American basketball player Read more
- 1987 — Thelma Aoyama, Japanese singer Read more
- 1987 — Björn Barrefors, Swedish decathlete and heptathlete Read more
- 1987 — Andrew Bynum, American basketball player Read more
- 1987 — Guillaume Franke, French-German rugby player Read more
- 1986 — Chris Butler, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1986 — Anna Cruz, Spanish basketball player Read more
- 1986 — Christine Evangelista, American actress Read more
- 1986 — Crystal Langhorne, American basketball player Read more
- 1986 — Jon Niese, American baseball player Read more
- 1986 — Matty Pattison, South African-English footballer Read more
- 1986 — David Warner, Australian cricketer Read more
- 1986 — Lou Williams, American basketball player Read more
- 1985 — Sirli Hanni, Estonian biathlete Read more
- 1985 — Alex Soros, American investor and philanthropist Read more
- 1984 — Yi Jianlian, Chinese basketball player Read more
- 1984 — Kostas Kapetanos, Greek footballer Read more
- 1984 — Kelly Osbourne, English television personality Read more
- 1984 — Brady Quinn, American football player Read more
Died on October 27
- 2025 — Prunella Scales, English actress (born 1932) Read more
- 2023 — Li Keqiang, premier of China (born 1955) Read more
- 2019 — Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL); suicide (born 1971) Read more
- 2018 — Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Thai businessman, chairman of Leicester City F.C. (born 1958) Read more
- 2016 — Takahito, Prince Mikasa, member of the Imperial Family of Japan (born 1915) Read more
- 2015 — Ayerdhal, French author (born 1959) Read more
- 2015 — Ranjit Roy Chaudhury, Indian pharmacologist and academic (born 1930) Read more
- 2015 — Betsy Drake, French-American actress and singer (born 1923) Read more
- 2015 — Philip French, English journalist, critic, and producer (born 1933) Read more
- 2014 — Daniel Boulanger, French actor and screenwriter (born 1922) Read more
- 2014 — Shin Hae-chul, South Korean singer-songwriter and producer (born 1968) Read more
- 2014 — Starke Taylor, American soldier and politician, mayor of Dallas (born 1922) Read more
- 2013 — Noel Davern, Irish lawyer and politician, Minister for Education and Skills (born 1945) Read more
- 2013 — Leonard Herzenberg, American immunologist, geneticist, and academic (born 1931) Read more
- 2013 — Luigi Magni, Italian director and screenwriter (born 1928) Read more
- 2013 — Lou Reed, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (born 1942) Read more
- 2013 — Michael Wilkes, English general and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Jersey (born 1940) Read more
- 2013 — Vinko Coce, Croatian opera and pop singer (born 1954) Read more
- 2012 — Terry Callier, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1945) Read more
- 2012 — Angelo Maria Cicolani, Italian engineer and politician (born 1952) Read more
- 2012 — Regina Dourado, Brazilian actress (born 1952) Read more
- 2012 — Hans Werner Henze, German composer and educator (born 1926) Read more
- 2012 — Rodney S. Quinn, American colonel, pilot, and politician, 44th Secretary of State of Maine (born 1923) Read more
- 2012 — Göran Stangertz, Swedish actor and director (born 1944) Read more
- 2011 — James Hillman, American psychologist and author (born 1926) Read more
- 2011 — Robert Pritzker, American businessman, co-founded Marmon Group (born 1926) Read more
- 2010 — Néstor Kirchner, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 51st President of Argentina (born 1950) Read more
- 2009 — John David Carson, American actor (born 1952) Read more
- 2009 — August Coppola, American author and academic (born 1934) Read more
- 2009 — David Shepherd, English cricketer and umpire (born 1940) Read more
- 2009 — Taylor Mitchell, Canadian singer and songwriter (born 1990) Read more
- 2008 — Chris Bryant, English actor and screenwriter (born 1936) Read more
- 2008 — Ray Ellis, American conductor and producer (born 1923) Read more
- 2008 — Frank Nagai, Japanese singer (born 1932) Read more
- 2008 — Roy Stewart, Jamaican-English actor and stuntman (born 1925) Read more
- 2007 — Moira Lister, South African actress (born 1923) Read more
- 2006 — Jozsef Gregor, Hungarian opera singer (born 1940) Read more
- 2006 — Reko Lundán, Finnish journalist and author (born 1969) Read more
- 2006 — Marlin McKeever, American football player (born 1940) Read more
- 2006 — Joe Niekro, American baseball player (born 1944) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Abbán; Christian feast day:
Abraham the Poor; Christian feast day:
Gaudiosus of Naples; Christian feast day:
Kaleb of Axum; Christian feast day:
Namatius (Namace); Christian feast day:
Oran of Iona; Christian feast day:
Thraseas; Christian feast day:
October 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Černová Tragedy Day (Slovakia); Flag Day (Greece); Independence Day (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), celebrates the independence of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from United Kingdom in 1979.; International Religious Freedom Day (United States); National Black Cat Day (United Kingdom); Navy Day (United States) (unofficial, official date is October 13); World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “October 27”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.