August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining.

Events

500 BC - AD 1899

• 479 BC - Battle of Plataea ends the Persian invasion of Greece, Mardonius routed by Pausanias, the Spartan commander of the Greek army.
• 55 BC - Julius Caesar Lands in Britain for the first time.
• AD 1776 - Battle of Long Island, in present day Brooklyn, New York British forces under General William Howe defeat Americans under General George Washington
• 1813 - Napoleon defeats the Austrians, Russians and Prussians at the Battle of Dresden
• 1828 - The Russians defeat the Turks at Akhaltzikke.
• 1859 - Oil discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania. World's first successful oil well.
• 1861 - Union forces attack Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
• 1883 - The after effects caused by the Krakatau explosion in Indonesia kills 36,000 people.
• 1896 - The shortest war in the world - 9:02 - 9:40 between Britain and Zanzibar

1900-1999

• 1900 - British defeat Boer commandos at Bergendal
• 1928 - Kellogg-Briand Pact, outlawing war, signed by sixty nations
• 1939 - First jet airplane flight
• 1952 - Reparation negotiations between West Germany and Israel end in Luxembourg; West Germany to pay 3 billion Deutschmarks.
• 1962 - Mariner 2 launched
• 1979 - An IRA bomb kills Lord Mountbatten and 3 others on holiday in Sligo, Republic of Ireland. Another near Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland kills 18 British soldiers.
• 1990 - The British Broadcasting Corporation launches BBC Radio Five Live at 9am GMT with a mixture of sports, news, and children's programming. The station broadcasts for eighteen hours per day.
• 1991 - The European Community recognizes the independence of the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
• 1991 - Moldova declares independence from the USSR.
• 1993 - The Florida DOT decides to cease producing its distinctive colored U.S. Highway shields so that it can make use of Federal funds for those signs.

2000-2099

• 2003 - Mars makes closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing approximately 34,646,416 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) from Earth.

Births

600 BC - AD 1899

• 551 BC - Confucius, philosopher (d. 479 BC)
• AD 1407 - Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Ashikaga shogun (d. 1425)
• 1770 - Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, philosopher. (d. 1831)
• 1809 - Hannibal Hamlin, Vice President of the United States of America. (d. 1891)
• 1858 - Giuseppe Peano, mathematician. (d. 1932)
• 1865 - James Henry Breasted, Egyptologist (d. 1935)
• 1865 - Charles G. Dawes, the 30th Vice President of the United States (d. 1951)
• 1871 - Theodore Dreiser, author (d. 1945)
• 1875 - Katharine McCormick, U.S. women's rights activist (d. 1967)
• 1886 - Eric Coates, English composer
• 1890 - Man Ray, photographer, artist (d. 1976)
• 1899 - C.S. Forester, author (d. 1966)

1900-1999

• 1904 - Norah Lofts, author
• 1906 - Ed Gein, serial killer (d. 1984)
• 1908 - Don Bradman, cricketer (d. 2001)
• 1908 - Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States (d. 1973)
• 1909 - Lester Young, jazz musician (d. 1959)
• 1910 - Mother Teresa, missionary, humanitarian (d. 1997)
• 1916 - Martha Raye, actress (d. 1994)
• 1926 - Kristen Nygaard (d. 2002)
• 1928 - Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Chief Minister of defunct KwaZulu bantustan, former South African minister of Home Affairs.
• 1929 - Ira Levin, author
• 1932 - Antonia Fraser, author
• 1935 - Frank Yablans, film producer
• 1952 - Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman), actor
• 1957 - Bernhard Langer, German golfer
• 1968 - John Henry Williams, controversial son of baseball great Ted Williams (d. 2004)
• 1970 - Peter Ebdon, English snooker player
• 1970 - Jim Thome, baseball player
• 1974 - Jose Vidro, Major League Baseball All-Star
• 1975 - Jonny Moseley, Olympic Games gold medal winning skier
• 1976 - Carlos Moya, Spanish tennis player
• 1976 - Mark Webber, Australian Formula One driver
• 1977 - Deco, football player
• 1978 - Ma$e, rapper
• 1987 - Kenza Chaouai, Canadian actress

Deaths

500 BC - AD 1899

• 479 BC - Confucius, ethicist.
• 1577 - Titian, artist
• 1590 - Pope Sixtus V
• 1635 - Félix Lope de Vega, playwright
• 1875 - William Ralston, entrepreneur

1900-1999

• 1909 - Emil Christian Hansen, fermentation physiologist
• 1929 - Herman Potočnik Noordung, Slovene pioneer of astronautics and cosmonautics, and rocket engineer
• 1931 - Frank Harris, author and editor
• 1948 - Charles Evans Hughes, United States Supreme Court justice.
• 1963 - Garrett Morgan, inventor
• 1963 - W.E.B. DuBois, civil rights activist and scholar
• 1964 - Gracie Allen, actress, comedienne.
• 1965 - Le Corbusier, Swiss architect (b. 1887)
• 1967 - Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles
• 1968 - Her Royal Highness Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (b. 1906)
• 1969 - Ivy Compton-Burnett, English novelist
• 1971 - Bennett Cerf, publisher, television personality
• 1975 - Haile Selassie I (Ras Tafari Makonnen), Emperor of Ethiopia (b. 1892)
• 1976 - Mukesh, singer
• 1979 - Earl Mountbatten killed by an IRA bomb
• 1980 - Douglas Kenney, humorist
• 1990 - Stevie Ray Vaughan, guitarist
• 1997 - Brandon Tartikoff, television producer

2000-2099

• 2002 - Richard Ricci, Utah handyman and religious fanatic suspected of kidnapping 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart
• 2003 - Pierre Poujade, French politician

Holidays and observances

• Roman Empire - Volturnalia held in honor of Volturnus
• Moldova - Independence Day (the national holiday)

Recorded this date

• 1898 "The Miner's Dream Of Home" (w.m. Will Godwin & Leo Dryden)
  - Leo Dryden
  
• 1923 "I've Got The Yes! We Have No Bananas Blues" (w. Lew Brown m. James F. Hanley & Robert King)
  - Belle Baker with Virginians
  
• 1924 "Somebody Loves Me" (w. Ballard MacDonald & B. G. De Sylva m. George Gershwin)
  - Cliff Edwards
  
• 1926 "There's A New Star In Heaven Tonight - Rudolph Valentino" (w. J. Keirn Brennan & Irving Mills m. Jimmy McHugh)
  - Vernon Dalhart
  - Vaughan De Leath (as Angelina Marco)
  
• 1926 "Six Feet Of Papa" (Moll, Sizemore)
  - Aileen Stanley
  
• 1928 "I Kiss Your Hand, Madame" (w. (Eng) Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young (Ger) Fritz Rotter m. Ralph Erwin)
  - Whispering Jack Smith
  
• 1928 "Ramona" (w. L. Wolfe Gilbert m. Mabel Wayne)
  - Whispering Jack Smith
  
• 1929 "If Love Were All" (w.m. Noel Coward)
  - Ivy St Helier with O/Ray Noble
  
• 1929 "I'll See You Again" (w.m. Noel Coward)
  - George Metaxa & Peggy Wood with Ray Noble
  
• 1930 "The Kiss Waltz" (w. Al Dubin m. Joe Burke)
  - Ruth Etting
  
• 1930 "I'm Yours" (w. E. Y. Harburg m. John Green)
  - Ruth Etting
  
• 1930 "Don't Tell Him What Happened To Me" (w. B. G. De Sylva & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson)
  - Ruth Etting
  
• 1930 "Great Day!" (w. Billy Rose & Edward Eliscu m. Vincent Youmans)
  - Pat O'Malley with Jack Hylton & his Orchestra
  
• 1930 "Without A Song" (w. Edward Eliscu & Billy Rose m. Vincent Youmans)
  - Pat O'Malley with Jack Hylton & his Orchestra
  
• 1931 "Heebie Jeebies" (w.m. Boyd Atkins)
  - Boswell Sisters with Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
  
• 1931 "Shine On Harvest Moon" (w. Jack Norworth m. Nora Bayes & Jack Norworth)
  - Boswell Sisters with Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
  
• 1931 "The Queen Was In The Parlour" (Sherman Myers, Erroll Reaves)
  - George Baker with Arthur Lally & Millionaires
  
• 1932 "The Flies Crawled Up The Window" (w.m. Douglas Furber & Vivian Ellis)
  - Jack Hulbert
  
• 1933 "I Guess It Had to Be That Way" (w.m. Arthur Johnston & Sam Coslow)
  - Bing Crosby with O/Jimmie Grier
  
• 1933 "Thanks" (w. Sam Coslow m. Arthur Johnston)
  - Bing Crosby with O/Jimmie Grier
  
• 1933 "The Day You Came Along" (w.m. Arthur Johnston & Sam Coslow)
  - Bing Crosby with O/Jimmie Grier
  
• 1933 "Black Moonlight" (w.m. Arthur Johnston & Sam Coslow)
  - Bing Crosby with O/Jimmie Grier
  
• 1934 "Miss Otis Regrets" (w.m. Cole Porter)
  - Anona Winn with The BBC Dance Orchestra
  
• 1934 "Stars Fell On Alabama" (w. Mitchell Parish m. Frank Perkins)
  - Carmen Lombardo with Guy Lombardo & his Orchestra
  
• 1938 "Down And Out Blues" (Sam Mayo)
  - Al Bowlly with Sid Colin with Lew Stone & his Band
  
• 1939 "The Last Two Weeks In July" (w. Sam Lewis m. Abel Baer)
  - Helen Forrest with Artie Shaw & his Orchestra
  
• 1939 "Day In - Day Out" (w. Johnny Mercer m. Rube Bloom)
  - Helen Forrest with Artie Shaw & his Orchestra
  
• 1939 "Two Blind Loves" (w. E. Y. Harburg m. Harold Arlen)
  - Helen Forrest with Artie Shaw & his Orchestra
  
• 1939 "Oh Lady Be Good" (w. Ira Gershwin m. George Gershwin)
  - Artie Shaw
  
• 1940 "Frenesi" (w. (Eng) Ray Charles & Bob Russell m. Alberto Dominguez)
  - Xavier Cugat & his Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra
  
• 1940 "When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano" (w.m. Leon René)
  - Gene Autry
  
• 1941 "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire" (w.m. Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, Bennie Benjamin & Eddie Durham)
  - Ink Spots
  
• 1943 "I'd Like To Set You To Music" (w. Paul Francis Webster m. Harry Revel)
  - Anne Shelton with Personnel from Ambrose Orchestra cond. Stanley Black
  
• 1943 "Put Your Arms Around Me Honey" (w. Junie McCree m. Harry Von Tilzer)
  - Anne Shelton with Ambrose & his Orchestra
  
• 1943 "Take It From There" (w. Leo Robin m. Ralph Rainger)
  - Anne Shelton with Ambrose & his Orchestra
  
• 1943 "Silver Wings In The Moonlight" (w.m. Hugh Charles, Sonny Miller & Leo Towers)
  - Anne Shelton with Personnel from Ambrose Orchestra cond. Stanley Black
  
• 1945 "And Yet I Don't Know" (Weston & Lee)
  - Beatrice Kay & Elm City Four with O/Paul Baron
  
• 1945 "I Only Have Eyes For You" (w. Al Dubin m. Harry Warren)
  - Frank Sinatra w. Ken Lane Singers with O/Axel Stordahl
  
• 1945 "America the Beautiful" (w. Katherine Lee Bates m. Samuel A. Ward)
  - Frank Sinatra w. Ken Lane Singers with O/Axel Stordahl
  
• 1945 "Silent Night" (w. (Ger) Joseph Mohr w. (Eng) anon m. Franz Gruber)
  - Frank Sinatra w. Ken Lane Singers with O/Axel Stordahl
  
• 1945 "The Moon Was Yellow" (w. Edgar Leslie m. Fred E. Ahlert)
  - Frank Sinatra w. Ken Lane Singers with O/Axel Stordahl
  
• 1946 "That's My Desire" (w. Carroll Loveday m. Helmy Kresa)
  - Frankie Laine with O/Carl Fischer
  
• 1958 "Forget Me Not"
  - Kalin Twins with O/Jack Pleis
  
• 1959 "It's All Right With Me" (w.m. Cole Porter)
  - Frank Sinatra with O/Nelson Riddle
  
• 1959 "C'Est Magnifique" (w.m. Cole Porter)
  - Frank Sinatra with O/Nelson Riddle
  
• 1962 "The Look Of Love" (w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen)
  - Frank Sinatra with O/Neal Hefti
  

External links

• BBC: On This Day (http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/27)

August 26 - August 28 - July 27 - September 27 -- listing of all days