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Today January 27th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
98 – Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva.
661 – Rashidun Caliphate ended with death of Ali.
1142 – Wrongful execution of noted Song Dynasty General Yue Fei.
1186 – Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, weds Constance of Sicily.
1343 – Pope Clement VI issues the Bull Unigenitus.
1593 – Vatican opens 7 year trial against scholar Giordano Bruno.
1606 – Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins, and ending in their execution on January 31.
1695 – Mustafa II becomes the Ottoman sultan in Istanbul on the death of Ahmed II. Mustafa rules until his death in 1703.
1785 – The University of Georgia is founded, the first public university in the United States.
1825 – U.S. Congress approves Indian Territory (in what is present-day Oklahoma), clearing the way for forced relocation of the Eastern Indians on the Trail of Tears.
1870 – The first women s fraternity, Kappa Alpha Theta, is formed at DePauw University.
1888 – In Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Society is founded.
1909 – The Young Left is founded in Norway.
1918 – The first hostilities occurred in the Finnish Civil War.
1939 – First flight of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
1944 – World War II: The 900-days Siege of Leningrad is lifted.
1945 – World War II: The Red Army arrives at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland.
1951 – Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site begins with a one-kiloton bomb dropped on the Frenchman Flats.
1967 – Apollo program: Apollo 1 – Astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee are killed in a fire during a test of the spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center.
1967 – More than sixty nations sign the Outer Space Treaty banning nuclear weapons in space.
1967 – The Doors self titled debut album is released.
1973 – Paris Peace Accords officially end the Vietnam War. Colonel William Nolde falls, becoming the conflict s last recorded American combat casualty.
1974 – Brisbane river floods causing the largest flood to affect Brisbane City in the 20th Century
1983 – Pilot shaft of the Seikan Tunnel, the world s longest subaqueous tunnel (53.85 km) between the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido breaks through.
1987 – Prawn farm massacre, massacre of 83 Tamil prawn farm workers in eastern Sri Lanka by a unit of Sri Lankan Police.
1996 – Colonel Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara deposes the first democratically elected president of Niger, Mahamane Ousmane, in a military coup.
1996 – Germany first observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Births
1443 – Albert, Duke of Saxony (d. 1500)
1546 – Joachim Friedrich, Elector of Brandenburg (d. 1608)
1585 – Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (d. 1634)
1603 – Harbottle Grimston, English politician (d. 1685)
1621 – Thomas Willis, English physician (d. 1675)
1662 – Richard Bentley, English classical scholar (d. 1742)
1687 – Balthasar Neumann, German architect (d. 1753)
1701 – Johann Nikolaus von Hontheim, German historian (d. 1790)
1708 – Anna Petrovna of Russia (d. 1728)
1720 – Samuel Foote, English dramatist (d. 1777)
1741 – Hester Thrale, Welsh diarist (d. 1821)
1756 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian composer (d. 1791)
1805 – Samuel Palmer, English artist (d. 1881)
1805 – Sophie of Bavaria, archduchess of Austria (d. 1872)
1805 – Maria Anna of Bavaria, queen consort of Saxony (d. 1877)
1806 – Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, Spanish composer (d. 1826)
1814 – Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, French architect (d. 1879)
1821 – John Chivington, American officer, (d. 1892)
1823 – Edouard Lalo, French composer (d. 1892)
1826 – Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian writer (d. 1889)
1826 – Richard Taylor, American Confederate general (d. 1879)
1832 – Lewis Carroll, English author (d. 1898)
1836 – Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Austrian writer (d. 1895)
1841 – Arkhip Kuindzhi, Russian painter (d. 1910)
1848 – Togo Heihachiro, Japanese admiral (d. 1934)
1850 – Samuel Gompers, American labor leader (d. 1924)
1850 – Edward J. Smith, English captain of the Titanic (d. 1912)
1859 – Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany (d. 1941)
1885 – Jerome Kern, American composer (d. 1945)
1885 – Eduard Künneke, German composer (d. 1953)
1885 – Maeda Seison, Japanese painter (d. 1977)
1891 – Ilya Ehrenburg, Russian writer (d. 1967)
1893 – Soong Ching-ling, Chinese wife of Sun Yat-sen (d. 1981)
1895 – Harry Ruby, American composer (d. 1974)
1900 – Hyman Rickover, American admiral (d. 1986)
1901 – Art Rooney, American football team owner (d. 1988)
1901 – Willy Fritsch, German actor (d. 1973)
1903 – John Carew Eccles, Australian neuropsychologist, Nobel Laureate (d. 1997)
1903 – Otto P. Weyland, American military figure (d. 1979)
1905 – Howard McNear, American actor (d. 1969)
1908 – Oran Page, American musician (d. 1954)
1908 – William Randolph Hearst, Jr., American newspaper magnate (d. 1993)
1912 – Arne Næss, Norwegian philosopher
1918 – Skitch Henderson, English bandleader (d. 2005)
1918 – Elmore James, American blues musician (d. 1963)
1918 – William Seawell, United States Army Brigadier General (d. 2005)
1919 – Ross Bagdasarian, American musician (d. 1972)
1920 – Helmut Zacharias, German violinist (d. 2002)
1920 – John Box, British film production designer and art director (d. 2005)
1921 – Donna Reed, American actress (d. 1986)
1924 – Sabu Dastagir, Indian actor (d. 1963)
1924 – Rauf Denktas, Turkish political figure
1926 – Fritz Spiegl, Austrian journalist (d. 2003)
1926 – Ingrid Thulin, Swedish actress (d. 2004)
1928 – Michael Craig, British actor
1928 – Hans Modrow, a German politician, premier of East Germany
1929 – Gastón Suárez, Bolivian novelist (d. 1984)
1930 – Bobby Blue Bland, American singer
1931 – Mordecai Richler, Canadian author (d. 2001)
1932 – Boris Shakhlin, Soviet gymnast
1933 – Mohamed Al-Fayed, Egyptian billionaire businessman
1934 – George Follmer, American race car driver
1936 – Troy Donahue, American actor (d. 2001)
1936 – Samuel C. C. Ting, American physicist, Nobel Laureate
1937 – John Ogdon, English pianist (d. 1989)
1940 – James Cromwell, American actor
1940 – Terry Harper, Canadian ice hockey player
1942 – John Witherspoon, American actor
1942 – Kate Wolf, American folk singer and songwriter (d. 1986)
1942 – Stewart Raffill, American film director
1944 – Peter Akinola, Nigerian religious leader
1944 – Mairéad Corrigan, Irish activist, Nobel Prize Laureate
1944 – Nick Mason, English drummer (Pink Floyd)
1945 – Harold Cardinal, Cree political leader (d. 2005)
1946 – Nedra Talley, American singer (Ronettes)
1947 – Björn Afzelius, Swedish singer (d. 1999)
1947 – Vyron Polydoras, Greek politician
1948 – Jean-Philippe Collard, French pianist
1948 – Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian-American dancer
1949 – Ethan Mordden, American author
1950 – Amos Grunebaum, Israeli-born physician
1950 – Derek Acorah, English spirit medium
1951 – Brian Downey, Irish musician (Thin Lizzy)
1952 – White Shoes Johnson, American football player
1954 – Ed Schultz, Radio talk show host
1954 – Peter Laird, American comic-book artist
1954 – Joko Ninomiya, Japanese martial artist
1955 – Brian Engblom, Canadian ice hockey player
1955 – John G. Roberts, 17th Chief Justice of the United States
1955 – Alexander Stuart, British author
1955 – Koji Ushikubo, Japanese racing driver
1956 – Mimi Rogers, American actress
1957 – Janick Gers, British guitarist (Iron Maiden)
1957 – Frank Miller, American comic book author and film director
1957 – Frank Skinner, English writer and Comedian
1958 – James Grippando, American novelist
1958 – Kadri Mälk, Estonian artist and jewelry designer
1958 – Susanna Thompson, American actress
1959 – Keith Olbermann, American news presenter
1959 – Göran Hägglund, Swedish politician
1959 – Cris Collinsworth, American football player
1961 – Margo Timmins, Canadian singer (Cowboy Junkies)
1961 – Dina Bonnevie, Filipino actress
1961 – Gillian Gilbert, British musician (New Order)
1961 – Narciso Rodriguez, American fashion designer
1962 – Roberto Paci Dalò, Italian director and composer
1964 – Bridget Fonda, American actress
1965 – Alan Cumming, Scottish actor
1965 – Mike Newell, English football manager
1967 – Bobby Deol, Indian actor
1967 – Byron Mann, Hong Kong actor
1967 – Dave Manson, Canadian ice hockey player
1968 – Patrick Blondeau, French footballer
1968 – Mike Patton, American singer (Faith No More)
1968 – Tricky, English rapper
1969 – Cornelius, Japanese musician and producer (Flipper s Guitar)
1969 – Michael Kulas, Canadian singer (James)
1969 – Patton Oswalt, American actor and writer
1970 – Jon Douglas Rainey, American TV personality
1970 – Emmanuel Pahud, French-Swiss flautist
1971 – Fann Wong, Singapore entertainer (Shanghai Knights)
1971 – Lil Jon, American rapper and producer
1971 – Patrice Brisebois, Canadian ice hockey player
1972 – Guillermo, Mexican-born American TV personality
1972 – Keith Wood, Irish rugby player
1972 – Mark Owen, English pop singer
1972 – Janine Ilitch, Australian netballer
1974 – Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lankan cricketer
1974 – Andrei Pavel, Romanian tennis player
1974 – ZP Theart, South African-born English singer (Dragonforce)
1976 – Clint Ford, American voice actor
1976 – Ahn Jung-Hwan, Korean football player
1976 – Ruby Lin, Taiwanese actress and singer
1976 – Zoriah Miller, American photojournalist and war photographer
1976 – Todd MacCulloch, American Basketball Player
1978 – Pete Laforest, Canadian baseball player
1979 – Mario Fatafehi, American-born Canadian Football League player
1979 – Rosamund Pike, British actress
1979 – Liesbet Van Breedam, Belgian beach volleyball player
1979 – Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
1980 – Marat Safin, Russian tennis player
1980 – Chanda Gunn, ice hockey player
1981 – Alicia Molik, Australian tennis player
1983 – Carlo Colaiacovo, Canadian ice hockey player
1983 – Gavin Floyd, American baseball player
1983 – Mike Zagurski, American baseball player
1984 – Davetta Sherwood, American actress
1987 – Lily Donaldson, British model
1987 – Katy Rose, American pop singer
1987 – Zuleidy Spanish porn star
1988 – Kerlon Moura Souza, Brazilian footballer
Deaths
98 – Nerva, Roman Emperor (b. 35)
661 – Ali, the final Sunni Rashidun and first Shia Imam
1490 – Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Japanese shogun (b. 1435)
1540 – Saint Angela Merici, Italian religious leader and saint (b. 1474)
1595 – Sir Francis Drake, European explorer (b. c.1540)
1629 – Hieronymus Praetorius, German composer (b. 1560)
1638 – Gonzalo de Céspedes y Meneses, Spanish novelist
1731 – Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian musical instrument maker (b. 1655)
1740 – Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon, Prime Minister of France (b. 1692)
1814 – Johann Gottlieb Fichte, German philosopher (b. 1762)
1816 – Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, British admiral (b. 1724)
1837 – Alexandr Pushkin, Russian poet
1851 – John James Audubon, French-born naturalist and ornithologist (b. 1789)
1857 – Dorothea Lieven, Russian noblewoman (b. 1785)
1860 – János Bolyai, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1802)
1880 – Edward Middleton Barry, English architect (b. 1830)
1901 – Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer (b. 1813)
1910 – Thomas Crapper, English inventor (b. 1836)
1919 – Endre Ady, Hungarian poet (b. 1877)
1921 – Maurice Vincent Buckley, Australian soldier (b. 1891)
1922 – Nellie Bly, American journalist and writer (b. 1864)
1927 – Georgios Grivas, Cyprus-born general in the Greek Army
1927 – Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis-Matulevicius (Matulewicz), Lithuanian bishop
1940 – Isaac Babel, Ukrainian writer (b. 1894)
1942 – Kaarel Eenpalu, Estonian Prime Minister (b. 1888)
1956 – Erich Kleiber, Argentine conductor (b. 1890)
1967 – Roger Chaffee – Crew of Apollo 1 (b. 1935)
1967 – Virgil Gus Grissom – Crew of Apollo 1 (b. 1926)
1967 – Edward White – Crew of Apollo 1 (b. 1930)
1967 – Alphonse Juin, Marshal of France (b. 1888)
1970 – Rita Angus, New Zealand painter (b. 1908)
1971 – Jacobo Arbenz, President of Guatemala (b. 1913)
1972 – Mahalia Jackson, American singer (b. 1911)
1972 – Richard Courant, German-American mathematician (b. 1888)
1973 – William Nolde, last American combat casualty of Vietnam War (b. 1929)
1975 – Bill Walsh, American producer and writer (b. 1913)
1979 – Qalander Ba Ba Auliya, Sufi master (b. 1898)
1983 – Louis de Funès, French actor (b. 1914)
1986 – Lilli Palmer, German-born actress (b. 1914)
1988 – Massa Makan Diabaté, Malian author (b. 1938)
1989 – Thomas Sopwith, British aviation pioneer (b. 1888)
1989 – Bayani Casimiro, Filipino dancer and actor (b. 1918)
1993 – André the Giant, French professional wrestler and actor (b. 1946)
1994 – Claude Akins, American actor (b. 1918)
1996 – Ralph Yarborough, American politician (b. 1903)
1997 – Gerald Marks, American songwriter (All of Me) (b. 1900)
2000 – Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist (b. 1930)
2001 – Stavros Damianides, Greek musician (b. 1941)
2003 – Henryk Jablonski, President of Poland (b. 1909)
2003 – Louis Archambault, Quebec sculptor (b. 1915)
2004 – Jack Paar, American television show host (b. 1918)
2004 – Salvador Laurel, Vice President of the Philippines (b. 1928)
2006 – Johannes Rau, 8th President of Germany (b. 1931)
2006 – Gene McFadden, American singer and songwriter (b. 1948)
2006 – Jean-Christophe Lafaille, French mountaineer (disappeared) (b. 1965)
2007 – Tige Andrews, American actor (b. 1920)
2007 – Yang Chuan-kwang, Taiwanese athlete (b. 1933)
2008 – Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1910)
2008 – Suharto, President of Indonesia (b. 1921)
2008 – Louie Welch, mayor of Houston (b. 1918)
Holidays and observances
UN — International Holocaust Remembrance Day
United Kingdom — Holocaust Memorial Day.
Germany — Gedenktag für die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus (Commemoration Day for the Victims of National Socialism).
Poland — Dzien Pamieci Ofiar Nazizmu (Memorial Day for the Victims of Nazism).
Italy — Giorno della Memoria (Memorial Day).
Catholicism — Catholic Schools Week.
Serbia — St. Sava Day.
Denmark — Auschwitzdag (Auschwitz Day; commemoration day for the victims of the Holocaust and other genocide).
Monaco, day of Saint Devota, patron saint
January 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
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