Discover what happened on December 27 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

December 27

Discover what happened on December 27 with HISTORY&#8217;s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

December 27 Archives - History.com

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1932

2007

1895

1831

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1944

1904

1900

1979

1941

1918

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian - the U.S. president - would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

World War I pitted Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire against Great Britain, the United States, France, Russia, Italy and Japan. New military technology resulted in unprecedented carnage. By the time the war was over and the Allied Powers claimed victory, more than 16 million people—soldiers and civilians alike—were dead.

World War I

NASA

Afghanistan

Theater

Assassinations

Crime has been a dark and powerful undercurrent in human society throughout history. Uncover the facts behind some of the most daring robberies, brazen scams and brutal murders ever committed.&nbsp;

Crime

Charles Darwin

Entertainment

Videos

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History.com Editors

Art history tells the complex story of human civilization through art and design. It ranges from prehistoric art of the Neolithic period through Renaissance masterpieces, Impressionism, Modernism, the Bauhaus and contemporary art.

Art, Literature, and Film History

Middle East

Space exploration, one of the greatest technological achievements in human history, includes the Apollo missions, the Space Shuttles Columbia and Challenger, and people like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.

Space Exploration

Inventions from the telephone to the Model T and the computer have defined human history, and inventors like Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell have transformed our society.

Inventions & Science

Science

Cold War

The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted for decades and resulted in anti-communist suspicions and international incidents that led the two superpowers to the brink of nuclear disaster.

The Middle East is a large and diverse region composed of several countries and cultures in north Africa and western Asia. Its complex history includes the Persian Gulf War, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Yom Kippur War, Zionism and more.

Middle Eastern History

Explore the wars, battles, leaders, civilizations, regimes, prominent figures and major events from the continent that encompasses 2 percent of the Earth’s surface. From Stonehenge to the Great Awakening to the French Revolution to the rise and fall of Communism in Russia, see how Europe’s often tumultuous history unfolded.

European History

Natural disasters and changes in the environment, such as global warming, the San Francisco Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, the Galveston Hurricane, the Krakatoa eruption and others, have profoundly shaped human history. Explore both the sudden and long-term impacts of natural and human-made disasters.

This Day In History: December 27

Radio City Music Hall opens

Also on This Day in History December | 27

This Day in History Video: What Happened on December 27

Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto assassinated

The legend of “Stagger Lee” is born

Charles Darwin sets sail from England

Apollo 8 returns to Earth

FDR seizes control of Montgomery Ward

J.M. Barrie’s play “Peter Pan” opens in London

Prohibitionist Carry Nation smashes bar

Soviets take over in Afghanistan

Office of Price Administration begins to ration automobile tires

Polish citizens take up arms against German troops in Poznan

Also on This Day in History December | 27

Wake Up to This Day in History