Today In History - December 27

418 [Etalius] begins his reign as Catholic Pope
537 St. Sofia-church in Constantinople, initiated
1437 Albrecht II von Habsburg becomes king of Bohemia
1503 Battle at Garigliano] Spanish army under G Cordoba beats France
1521 "Zwickauer profeten" appear in Wittenberg
1679 Dutch troops capture Madurees prince Trunudjojo in Java
1703 England and Portugal sign Methuen-Asiento-trade agreement
1741 Prussian forces took Olmutz, Czechoslovakia
1825 1st public railroad using steam locomotive completed in England
1831 Darwin begins his voyage on board HMS Beagle
1831 HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin departs England for South America
1836 Worst English avalanche kills 8 of 15 buried (Lewes Sussex)
1845 Ether 1st used in childbirth in U.S., Jefferson, Ga
1850 Hawaiian Fire Department established
1862 Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs, MS (Chickasaw Bayou)
1862 Battle of Elizabethtown, KY
1867 Ontario and Quebec legislatures hold 1st meeting
1871 World's 1st cat show (Crystal Palace, London)
1884 Netherlands recognizes king Leopold II's Congo Free State
1887 Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of Blue Carbuncle"
1892 Foundation Stone of Cathedral of St. John laid (New York City)
1892 N C Biddle beats Livingston 4-0 in 1st black college football game
1897 Stanley Cup: Montreal Victorias beat Ottawa Capitals, 15-2
1903 "Sweet Adaline," is 1st sung
1904 Duke of York Theatre opens in London (1st musical Peter Pan)
1904 W B Yeats/Lady Gregory's "On Baile's Strand," premieres in Dublin
1905 M A Noble scores 281 (369 mins, 21 fours) NSW vs. Victoria
1923 Unsuccessful attempt on prince-regent Hirohito of Japan
1926 Depot Square in Bronx renamed Botanical Square
1926 Latkin Square in Bronx named for 1st U.S. Jewish soldier to die in WW I
1927 Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II's "Show Boat," premieres in New York City
1927 Philip Barry's "Paris Bound," premieres in New York City
1927 Stalin's faction wins All-Union Congress in U.S.S.R., Trotsky expelled
1932 Radio City Music Hall opens (New York City)
1934 1st youth hostel in U.S. opens (Northfield, Mass)
1934 Shah of Persia declares Persia now Iran
1934 Vernon Duke and James Hanley's musical premieres in New York City
1937 Bradman scores 246 SA vs. Queensland, 364 mins, 20 fours
1937 Mae West performs Adam and Eve skit that gets her banned from NBC radio
1939 1st American skimobiles (North Conway, NH)
1939 Between 20,000 and 40,000 die in magnitude 8 quake (Erzincam Turkey)
1939 Earthquake in Turkey, about 50,000 die
1941 Japan bombs Manila even though it was declared an "open city"
1941 Siberia: Dmitri Sjostakovitsj completes his 7th Symphony
1942 1st Japanese women camp (Ambarawa) goes into use
1942 NFL Pro Bowl: NFL All-Stars beats Washington 17-14
1943 France transfers most of her powers in Lebanon to Lebanese government
1943 German warship "Scharnhorst" sinks in Barents Sea
1943 Montgomery discusses Overlord with Eisenhower and Bedell Smith
1944 Greece: British premier Churchill flies back to London
1945 Arthur Laurent's "Home of the Brave," premieres in New York City
1945 International Monetary Fund established - World Bank founded
1947 1st "Howdy Doody Show," (Puppet Playhouse), telecast on NBC
1949 Queen Juliana (Netherlands) grants sovereignty to Indonesia
1949 US of Indonesia gains independence from Netherlands
1951 40th Davis Cup: Australia beats USA in Sydney (3-2)

1954 Gian Carlo Menotti's opera "Saint," premieres in New York City
1956 45th Davis Cup: Australia beats USA in Adelaide (5-0)
1956 Bill Sharman (Boston) ends NBA free throw streak of 55 games
1959 Baltimore Colts beat New York Giants 31-16 in NFL championship game
1960 France performs nuclear test
1961 "Subways Are for Sleeping" opens at St. James Theater New York City for 205 performances
1961 Belgium and Congo resume diplomatic relations
1961 Styne/Comden/Green's musical "Subways are for Sleeping," premieres
1962 28th Heisman Trophy Award: Terry Baker, Oregon State (QB)
1964 Cleveland Browns beat Baltimore Colts 27-0 in NFL championship game
1968 Apollo 8 returns to Earth
1968 China PR performs nuclear test at Lop Nor PRC
1970 "Hello, Dolly!" closes at St. James Theater New York City after 2844 performances
1972 "Purlie" opens at Billy Rose Theater New York City for 14 performances
1972 Belgium recognizes German DR
1972 Los Angeles Kings start Islanders on 12 game losing streak
1972 New North Korean constitution comes into effect
1973 Los Angeles Dodgers announce night games will start at 7:30 instead of 8
1974 40th Heisman Trophy Award: Archie Griffin, Ohio State (RB)
1974 Dear Abby show ends run on CBS radio after 11 years
1974 FSLN seizes government hostages at a private Managua party
1974 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk U.S.S.R.
1975 Explosion at Chasnala Colliery collapses drowning 350 (Dhanbad India)
1976 Albania constitution goes into effect
1978 King Juan Carlos ratifies Spain's 1st democratic constitution
1979 "Knots Landing," premieres on CBS-TV
1979 Red Army beats New York Rangers 5-2 at MSG
1979 Soviet troops invade Afghanistan, President Hafizullah Amin overthrown
1980 Calvin Murphy (Rockets) begins longest NBA free throw streak of 78
1981 Oiler Wayne Gretzky becomes fastest NHLer to get 100 pts (38th game)
1981 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk U.S.S.R.
1982 Imran Khan 8-60 to bring innings victory vs. India at Karachi
1983 Pope John Paul II pardons man who shot him (Mehmet Ali Agca)
1983 Propane gas fire devastated 16 blocks of Buffalo
1984 Padres' free agent pitcher Ed Whitson signs with New York Yankees
1986 "Les Miserables" opens at Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.
1986 10th Soap Opera Digest Poll Awards - Young and Restless wins
1987 Steve Largent sets all-time NFL record for career catches when he catches his 752nd pass
1987 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk U.S.S.R.
1988 Bulgaria stops jamming Radio Free Europe after more than 3 decades
1991 Bengals hire Dave Shula as youngest NFL coach (32)
1991 Chuck Knox retires as Seattle Seahawks coach
1992 "3 From Brooklyn" closes at Helen Hayes Theater New York City after 45 performances
1992 "Les Miserables" opens at Ostregaswerks, Copenhagen
1992 "Tommy Tune Tonite! Song and Dance Act" opens at Gershwin New York City for 10 per
1992 13th United Negro College Fund raises $11,000,000
1992 Harry Connick, Jr. is caught with 9mm gun in New York's JFK airport
1992 Nancy Sheehan wins LPGA Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge Golf Tournament
1993 Actress Teri Garr weds John O'Neil
1993 Dow-Jones hits record 3792.93
1995 Boon completes his 21st Test Cricket century (110 vs. SL, MCG)
1996 Carquest Bowl 7: Miami beats Virginia, 31-21

Today In History - December 27

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