On This Day in History – August 27

August 27 has been a day of scientific milestones, musical legends, and historical turning points. From inventions and revolutions to the birth of world-changers, this date reminds us how each day holds a piece of the world’s story.

Major Events

• 1660 – Bookseller John Fell publishes the first edition of the Oxford Gazette, which would become the London Gazette.
• 1859 – Petroleum is discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania, marking the beginning of the American oil industry.
• 1883 – Krakatoa erupts in one of the most violent volcanic events in recorded history, heard over 3,000 miles away.
• 1896 – Anglo-Zanzibar War begins and ends—it lasts between 38 and 45 minutes, the shortest war in recorded history.
• 1928 – The Kellogg-Briand Pact is signed by 15 nations, renouncing war as a national policy.
• 1955 – The first edition of the Guinness Book of Records is published in London.
• 1975 – Haile Selassie, former Emperor of Ethiopia, dies under mysterious circumstances while under house arrest.
• 2003 – Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years.
• 2008 – Barack Obama officially accepts the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.
• 2020 – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announces resignation due to health issues.

Famous Birthdays

• 1770 – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German philosopher (d. 1831)
• 1871 – Theodore Dreiser, American novelist (d. 1945)
• 1908 – Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States (d. 1973)
• 1929 – Ira Levin, American author and playwright (d. 2007)
• 1939 – Tuesday Weld, American actress
• 1952 – Paul Reubens, American actor and comedian (d. 2023)
• 1953 – Peter Stormare, Swedish actor
• 1961 – Tom Ford, American fashion designer and filmmaker
• 1967 – Cesar Millan, Mexican-American dog trainer and TV personality
• 1976 – Sarah Chalke, Canadian actress

Notable Deaths

• 1576 – Titian, Italian painter (b. 1488)
• 1664 – Francisco de Zurbarán, Spanish painter (b. 1598)
• 1965 – Le Corbusier, Swiss-French architect (b. 1887)
• 1975 – Haile Selassie, Ethiopian emperor (b. 1892)
• 1980 – Tex Avery, American animator and cartoonist (b. 1908)
• 1984 – Truman Capote, American author (b. 1924)
• 1988 – Eileen Ford, American modeling agency founder (b. 1922)
• 2006 – Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Indian film director (b. 1922)
• 2011 – Cliff Robertson, American actor (b. 1923)
• 2021 – Ed Asner, American actor and activist (b. 1929)

Holidays

• Moldova – Independence Day
• Philippines – National Heroes’ Day (observed)
• Christianity – Feast Day of Saint Monica
• Romania – National Language Day (celebrated week of August 27)

Fun Facts

• The Anglo-Zanzibar War is the shortest recorded war in history, lasting under 45 minutes.
• Krakatoa’s eruption in 1883 altered global climate and created stunning sunsets worldwide for years.
• The Guinness Book of Records was originally published to settle pub arguments in Britain.
• Mars came exceptionally close to Earth in 2003, sparking public interest in space and science.
• The Kellogg-Briand Pact aimed to outlaw war and was signed by major world powers following World War I.