Some of the significant events which took place on July 27 taken from the leaf of History:
432- St Celestine I ends his reign as Catholic Pope.
1983- Black July: In July 1983, Sri Lankan army men were killed by members of the terrorist group ‘LTTE’ (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). This initiated the riots which came to be known as the Black July, and on 27th July, 1983, in the Welikada Prison, Tamil prisoners were brutally murdered by Sinhalese detainees.
1990- Belarus gains independence: On 27th July, 1990, the Supreme Soviet (governing legislative body) of ‘Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic’, announced the independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union. It was recognized as the official Independence Day until President Alexander Lukashenko suggested some changes in accordance to the Belarusian referendum.
1900- President A. N. R. Robinson held captive: ‘Jamaat-al-Muslimeen’ was a Muslim group based in Trinidad and Tobago, headed by Imam Yasin Abu Bakrm. On this day in 1990, this group organized a coup against the government and in order to do that they seized the parliament and the national television headquarters. With this act, the group held captive the president and a few members of his cabinet.
1997 – Massacre in Si Zerrouk: A civil war broke in Algeria after the military called off an election in which the political party ‘Islamic Salvation Front’ was a strong contender. This infuriated the terrorist group ‘Armed Islamic Group of Algeria’ (GIA). On this day in 1997, a sudden power cut was followed by guerrillas entering houses and attacking local residents of Si Zerrouk. This is known as the as the Si Zerrouk massacre and though there is no evidence, the act is thought to have been initiated by the ‘GIA’.
1776 – Silas Deane Letter: Silas Deane was a representative sent to France by the Committee of Congress for Secret Correspondence to meet Charles Gravier, the Foreign Minister of France. On this day, he sent a letter to the Congress telling them of his success in the task assigned to him.
1789- United States Department of State established: On this day in 1789, the Department of Foreign Affairs was established and this was the first agency of the Federal government of the United States. This was later named as the United States Department of State and it is same as the ministry of foreign affairs in other countries.
1794- Maximilien Robespierre arrested: One of the most infamous figures of the Reign of Terror phase of the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre, was detained by the National Convention on this day in 1794. Robespierre was accused for being involved in the mass murder of thousands who did not support the Revolution and for this act he and his followers were executed in Place de la Revolution, Paris.
1900- The Hun Speech: A combined force including the French, Russian, British, American, German and the Japanese, prepared to suppress the Boxer Rebellion, which took place in China. While bidding the German troops farewell, Emperor Wilhelm II, delivered a speech in which he addressed them as Huns and this word became an integral part in the anti-German propaganda during World War I.
1919- Chicago Race riot: An African-American drowned after being stoned by whites for not abiding by the informal demarcation of a Chicago beach. This agitated the people and a racial riot broke on 27th July, 1919, after authorities denied registering a case against the ones who were involved in the incident.
1929- Geneva Convention signed: The Geneva Convention resulted in a treaty, made to protect people who are incapable of participating in wars. These include soldiers who are sick, wounded or detained as prisoners of war. On this day in 1929, 53 countries signed the ‘Geneva Convention’ setting the rules of how prisoners of wars will be treated during such situations.
1965- Edward Heath elected: Edward Heath, before becoming the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, served many offices in the government. On this day in 1965, Heath won the election as the leader of the ‘Conservative Party’, which came as a surprise to his opponents Reginald Maudling and Enoch Powell.
1974- Accusation on former U.S President Nixon: A trail of scandals in the political arena followed and it involved the then president Richard M. Nixon. Therefore, the House Judiciary Committee suggested that he should be impeached and on this day in 1974, the procedures for the same began.
1976- Kakuei Tanaka arrested: The reason behind the infamous Lockheed bribery scandal was the bribes offered by the aerospace firm ‘Lockheed Corporation’ to various countries with regard to its business. The scandals included various high profile officials, and one of them was the then Prime Minister of Japan, who was arrested on this day in 1976, and announced guilty later.
1982- Colonel Mad Mike found guilty: Thomas Michael Hoare (Mad Mike) served in the British Army before he became a mercenary leader. On this day in 1982, Mike, along with six accomplices of his were found guilty of seizing an aircraft and were sentenced with imprisonment term of 10 to 15 years.
1202- Battle of Basian: The Battle of Basian was fought during the Georgian–Seljuk wars between the Kingdom of Georgia and the Seljuqid Sultanate of Rum. On 27th July, 1202, the army of the Kingdom of Georgia emerged victorious battling the Sultanate of Rum.
1214 – Battle of Bouvines: During the Anglo-French War, the Battle of Bouvines was fought and the end of this battle concluded the war. On this day in 1214, the army headed by Philip II of France defeated the combined force comprising of of the English, Roman and the Flemish.
1302- Battle of Bapheus: The Battle of Bapheus was a power struggle between the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire. It was fought on the 27th of July in 1302, and in this battle the Ottomans emerged victorious.
1549- Francis Xavier Reaches Japan: Saint Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus. He was on a pursuit to have more people converted to Christianity for that he even travelled Asia. On this day in 1549, his ship arrived at Japan and there he spent more than a year to find converts.
1663- Navigation Act Passed: On this day in 1663, the second Navigation Act was passed by the English Parliament. According to this act, any trade taking place between countries which are colonies of America should only use English ships and English ports.
1689- Battle of Killiecrankie: The Battle of Killiecrankie was fought during the Glorious Revolution, on this day in 1689. In this battle, the Jacobites who wanted to bring King James VII of Scotland back to the throne, and the faction supporting King William of Orange locked horns. Although the battle was won by the Jacobites, it wasn’t a moment to rejoice, as their leader lost his life in the struggle.
1694- Bank of England established: The Bank of England was established on 27th July, 1694, to manage the finances of the government, after a Royal charter was granted to it. It ranks second in the oldest central banks of the world.
1720 – Battle of Grengam: The Great Northern War was fought between the troops of the Russian Tsar and Swedish Empire, and the Battle of Grengam was one of its major episodes. This battle was fought on 27th July, 1720, on the Åland Islands, and the Russian Navy tasted victory.
1778- Battle of Ushant: The Battle of Ushant was fought on this day in 1778 and was an important event of the American Revolution. In this battle, both the French and British armies fought tool and nail.
1806- Blackfoot Indian Shot by Explorer: Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark embarked on an expedition following the Missouri River and reached the Pacific Ocean. After this they separated into two groups and while Clark headed to the Yellowstone River, Lewis decided to go to the Marias River. This was the region inhabited by Blackfoot Indians, and when one of these men tried to steal his horses, Lewis shot him down on this day in 1806.
1862- SS Golden Gate sinks: The SS Golden Gate was on its way from San Francisco to Panama City on 27th July, 1862, when fire was noticed in between the art gallery and the engines. The ship was 15 miles away from Manzanillo, Colima, but the skillful handling by Capt. W.W. Hudson and Capt. R.H. Pearson, saved many from the disaster, but the ship sank.
1866- Transatlantic Telegraph Cable established: After many failed attempts at laying the transatlantic telegraph cable, on 27th July, 1866, the cable was successfully laid across the Atlantic Ocean. This was made possible because of the persistent attempts made by entrepreneur Cyrus West Field, and the telegraph lines extended from Valentia Island to Heart’s Content.
1880- Battle of Maiwand: On 27th July, 1880, the Battle of Maiwand was fought between the British soldiers and the Afghan army, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. In this battle, the Afghan forces, headed by Mohammad Ayub Khan, turned triumphant against the British army.
1890- Vincent Van Gogh shoots himself: Vincent Van Gogh is one of the best known painters of all time but he received fame posthumously. He belongs to the post-impressionist era but his art did not help him earn a livelihood. Gogh suffered from some psychological ailment and on 27th July, 1890, he tried to kill himself by shooting.
1914- Iglesia Ni Cristo Registered: Iglesia Ni Cristo or the Church of Christ is a religious body initiated by Brother Felix. Y. Manalo. On this day in 1914, this church was registered with the Philippine government.
1916- British Seaman killed by Germans: Captain Charles Fryatt was in charge of the ship Brussels when it was travelling from Harwich to Holland. On its way, Germans interrupted the sail and arrested the crew took them to the Ruhleben internment camp, where the captain was accused and executed on this day in 1916.
1917- Allies at The Yser Canal: During World War I, the Battle of Passchendaele was fought between the German army and the Allies troops. The battle began at the Western Front and on this day in 1917, the Allied forces reached the Yser Canal. This was a strategy which the Allies had planned to take control of parts of Ypres, Belgium.
1921- The Discovery of Insulin Hormone: Diabetes was thought to be a fatal disease and the only treatment known was restricted diet. However, the segregation of insulin on this day in 1921, by scientists Frederick Banting and Charles Best was a leap in medical science. This was a blessing for the diabetic patients as it has treated many ever since the discovery.
1940- Bugs Bunny Appears For the first time: Bugs Bunny is one of those cartoon characters belonging to the creative treasure of Warner Brothers which we all are familiar with. On 27th July, 1940, with the release of the animated film A Wild Hare, this character was introduced to the world.
1942- First Battle of El Alamein ends: The First Battle of El Alamein was fought between the Axis forces led by Field Marshal Edwin Rommel, and the Allies headed by British General Claude Auchinleck. On this day in 1942, the Allied forces successfully stopped the Axis from entering Egypt which was a decisive moment in the North African war.
1949- The First Jet aircraft ever: De Havilland Comet was the first commercial aircraft working on jet propulsion and was manufactured at the Hatfield Aerodrome, United Kingdom. This aircraft designed by Sir Geoffrey de Havilland made its first flight on 27th July, 1949, before it was made accessible to the people.
1953- End of Korean War: With the invasion of South Korea by North Korea the Korean War was initiated. Things took a bigger turn when the United States entered the scenario to support South Korea, and it was soon joined by People’s Republic of China providing support to North Korea. However, on 27th July, 1953, a truce between the battling parties brought an end to the war.
1964- US sends troops to Vietnam: During the Vietnam War, the United States supported South Vietnam against North Vietnam. On this day in 1964, United States Department of Defense decided to send 5,000 more soldiers to Vietnam making the total number of US forces stationed there sum up to 21,000.
1965- Aerial attack on North Vietnam: On this day in 1965, during the Vietnam War, the United States air force bombarded missile launchers belonging to North Vietnam. A few days before this, North Vietnam fired missiles at the US planes in one of the first counter attacks of the war.
1996- Explosion at Centennial Olympic Park: The 1996 Summer Olympics was held at Atlanta, Georgia in which 197 nations participated. However, this international event was marred by bombing which claimed one life and injured hundreds.
2002- Ukraine Air Disaster: One of the local air force units was celebrating its 60th anniversary on 27th July, 2002, and hundreds of people gathered to witness the celebration. However, this day turned into a gloomy one when a jet crashed into the audience during an air show, killing around 85 people.
1981- Ken Barlow and Deirdre Langton tie the knot: Two of the most renowned characters from the British show Coronation Street were Ken Barlow and Deirdre Langton. The show’s TRP reached heights when on 27th July, 1981, the episode of Ken marrying Deirdre was telecast.
1981- Adam Walsh Kidnapped: A six-year-old child named Adam Walsh was kidnapped from a mall in Florida and then killed. This incident affected his father John Walsh so much that he wanted to do something to help such victims. He, therefore, became a social activist and also launched the show America’s Most Wanted of which he himself was the host.
1987- RMS Titanic Wreckage: Premier Exhibitions Inc. (RMS Titanic Inc.) embarked on their first expedition to recover the remains of RMS Titanic on this day in 1987. Today this company is the only one which holds legal rights to the ruins of the giant ship.
1889: A branch of the Indian National Congress the British India Committee is established under the leadership of Dadabhai Naoroji.
1990- Tin Snail seizes to exist: The vehicle Citroen 2CV, better known as the Tin Snail was created by French automobile company owned by Andre Citroen. This car which was introduced to the people in the post war era became synonymous to French culture, but by the end of 1980s it popularity declined and on this day the production of this car was closed.
1991- Natalie Cole’s Album Ranks #1: Natalie Cole entered the music industry and reached the top with a style unique to herself, and not following her father, Nat King Cole’s music. However, in her album Unforgettable: With Love was composed of songs from her father’s collection and on this day in 1991, the album topped the Billboard 200 album list.
1992- Popular Bollywood actor, famous for his villainous roles, Amjad Khan died, aged 51 in Mumbai. Khan was a renowned actor and director, famous for playing the role of dacoit Gabbar Singh in the 1975 classic film Sholay.
1994: Indian Parliament votes to ban pre-natal sex-determination.
1994: Jaspal Rana wins World Shooting championship.
1995- Korean War veterans’ memorial dedicated: The Korean War Veterans Memorial was built under the supervision of American Battle Monuments Commission and the Korean War Veterans Memorial Advisory Board. It was constructed to honour the millions of American soldiers who became martyrs in the Korean War, and on this day in 1995, this was devoted to them.
2000- NHS Plan: British Labour Party politician and Former Prime Minister announced the NHS (National Health Services) Plan on this day in 2000. This ten year plan included new changes to be made in the NHS along with the flow of funds to carry those out. In the words of Tony Blair, “Our task is to provide both the money and the reform to make sure the health service and its founding principles live on and prosper into the 21st century”.
2005- Space Shuttle Discovery grounded: After the disastrous end of spacecraft Columbia, NASA launched its space shuttle program two years later in 2005. Soon after the launch, this spacecraft too began shedding foam from the external tank, similar to Columbia. This made NASA ground the shuttle and to avoid any disaster.
2013-Seven Killed In Hialeah Shooting: A gunman, identified as Pedro Alberto Vargas, began mercilessly gunning down people at the Todel Apartment in Hialeah, Florida, after setting his house on fire. This horrific incident killed six and when the police rushed to the situation, the murderer was shot down.
2017- American playwright and actor Sam Shepard – whose plays adroitly blend images of the American West, Pop, motifs, science fiction, and other elements of popular and youth culture – died at age 73.
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