February 27 in history — What Happened Today in History
Welcome to February 27 in history! Here you can discover what happened on February 27, including the major events, the famous people born on February 27 and the notable deaths on February 27, with the newest story starting in 2019.
On this page, February 27 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about February 27 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on February 27 in History 40
- 2019
Pakistan Air Force JF-17 Thunder downs Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman's Mig-21 in an aerial dogfight and captures him after conducting airstrikes in Jammu and Kashmir.
- 2015
Russian politician Boris Nemtsov is assassinated in Moscow while out walking with his girlfriend.
- 2013
A shooting takes place at a factory in Menznau, Switzerland, in which five people (including the perpetrator) are killed and five others injured.
- 2010
An earthquake measuring 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale strikes central parts of Chile leaving over 500 victims, and thousands injured. The quake triggers a tsunami which strikes Hawaii shortly after.
- 2008
Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari escapes from a detention center in Singapore, hiding in Johor, Malaysia until he was recaptured over a year later.
- 2007
Chinese stock bubble of 2007: The Shanghai Stock Exchange falls 9%, the largest daily fall in ten years, following speculation about a crackdown on illegal share offerings and trading, and fears about accelerating inflation.
- 2004
A bombing of a SuperFerry by Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines' worst terrorist attack kills more than 100 passengers.
- 2004
Shoko Asahara, the leader of the Japanese doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo, is sentenced to death for masterminding the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack.
- 2002
Ryanair Flight 296 catches fire at London Stansted Airport causing minor injuries.
- 2002
Godhra train burning: A Muslim mob torches a train returning from Ayodhya, killing 59 Hindu pilgrims.
- 2001
Loganair Flight 670A crashes while attempting to make a water landing in the Firth of Forth in Scotland.
- 1991
Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that "Kuwait is liberated".
All entries for February 27（+28）
- 1988
Sumgait pogrom: The Armenian community in Sumgait, Azerbaijan is targeted in a violent pogrom.
- 1976
The former Spanish territory of Western Sahara, under the auspices of the Polisario Front declares independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
- 1973
The American Indian Movement occupies Wounded Knee in protest of the federal government.
- 1971
Doctors in the first Dutch abortion clinic (the Mildredhuis in Arnhem) start performing artificially-induced abortions.
- 1964
The Government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over.
- 1963
The Dominican Republic receives its first democratically elected president, Juan Bosch, since the end of the dictatorship led by Rafael Trujillo.
- 1962
Vietnam War: Two dissident Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilots bomb the Independence Palace in Saigon in a failed attempt to assassinate South Vietnam President Ngô Đình Diệm.
- 1961
The first congress of the Spanish Trade Union Organisation is inaugurated.
- 1951
The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting Presidents to two terms, is ratified.
- 1943
The Smith Mine #3 in Bearcreek, Montana, explodes, killing 74 men.
- 1943
The Holocaust: In Berlin, the Gestapo arrest 1,800 Jewish men with German wives, leading to the Rosenstrasse protest.
- 1942
World War II: Operation Biting launches its overnight raid on the German coastal radar station at Bruneval to retrieve a Würzburg installation.
- 1942
World War II: During the Battle of the Java Sea, an Allied strike force is defeated by a Japanese task force in the Java Sea in the Dutch East Indies.
- 1940
Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14.
- 1939
United States labor law: The U.S. Supreme Court rules in NLRB v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. that the National Labor Relations Board has no authority to force an employer to rehire workers who engage in sit-down strikes.
- 1933
Reichstag fire: Germany's parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, is set on fire; Marinus van der Lubbe, a young Dutch Communist claims responsibility.
- 1932
The Mäntsälä rebellion begins when members of the far-right Lapua Movement start shooting at the social democrats' event in Mäntsälä, Finland.
- 1922
A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States in Leser v. Garnett.
- 1921
The International Working Union of Socialist Parties is founded in Vienna.
- 1916
Ocean liner SS Maloja strikes a mine near Dover and sinks with the loss of 155 lives.
- 1902
Second Boer War: Australian soldiers Harry "Breaker" Morant and Peter Handcock are executed in Pretoria after being convicted of war crimes.
- 1900
Second Boer War: In South Africa, British military leaders receive an unconditional notice of surrender from Boer General Piet Cronjé at the Battle of Paardeberg.
- 1900
The British Labour Party is founded.
- 1900
Fußball-Club Bayern München is founded.
- 1898
King George I of Greece survives an assassination attempt.
- 1881
First Boer War: The Battle of Majuba Hill takes place.
- 1870
The current flag of Japan is first adopted as the national flag for Japanese merchant ships.
- 1864
American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia.
Famous Birthdays on February 27 in History 25
- 2002
Johnny Davis, American basketball player
- 1998
Todd Cantwell, English footballer
- 1996
Chris Godwin, American football player
- 1996
Ten, Thai singer and dancer
- 1995
Laura Gulbe, Latvian tennis player
- 1995
Sergej Milinković-Savić, Serbian footballer
- 1995
Tomáš Souček, Czech footballer
- 1994
Mike Matheson, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1993
Alphonse Areola, French footballer
- 1992
Meyers Leonard, American basketball player
- 1992
Ioannis Potouridis, Greek footballer
- 1992
Jonjo Shelvey, English footballer
All entries for February 27（+13）
- 1992
Callum Wilson, English footballer
- 1991
Azeem Rafiq, Pakistani cricketer
- 1990
Chandler Jones, American football player
- 1990
Adam Morgan, American baseball player
- 1990
Lindsey Morgan, American actress
- 1989
David Button, English footballer
- 1989
Lloyd Rigby, English footballer
- 1988
Dustin Jeffrey, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1988
Iain Ramsay, Australian footballer
- 1987
Valeriy Andriytsev, Ukrainian wrestler
- 1987
Florence Kiplagat, Kenyan runner
- 1986
Yovani Gallardo, Mexican baseball player
- 1986
Daniel Gibson, American basketball player and coach
Notable Deaths on February 27 in History 25
- 2025
Boris Spassky, Russian chess grandmaster (born 1937)
- 2023
Gérard Latortue, Haitian prime minister (born 1934)
- 2021
Ng Man-tat, Hong Kong actor (born 1952)
- 2019
France-Albert René, Seychellois politician, 2nd President of Seychelles (born 1935)
- 2018
Steve Folkes, Australian rugby league player and coach (born 1959)
- 2016
Yi Cheol-seung, South Korean lawyer and politician (born 1922)
- 2016
James Z. Davis, American lawyer and judge (born 1943)
- 2015
Boris Nemtsov, Russian academic and politician, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia (born 1959)
- 2015
Leonard Nimoy, American actor (born 1931)
- 2015
Julio César Strassera, Argentinian lawyer and jurist (born 1933)
- 2014
Aaron Allston, American game designer and author (born 1960)
- 2014
Terry Rand, American basketball player (born 1934)
All entries for February 27（+13）
- 2013
Van Cliburn, American pianist (born 1934)
- 2013
Ramon Dekkers, Dutch mixed martial artist and kick-boxer (born 1969)
- 2013
Dale Robertson, American actor (born 1923)
- 2013
Adolfo Zaldívar, Chilean lawyer and politician (born 1943)
- 2012
Ma Jiyuan, Chinese general (born 1921)
- 2012
Tina Strobos, Dutch physician and psychiatrist (born 1920)
- 2012
Helga Vlahović, Croatian journalist and producer (born 1945)
- 2011
Frank Buckles, American soldier (born 1901)
- 2011
Necmettin Erbakan, Turkish engineer and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1926)
- 2011
Duke Snider, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster (born 1926)
- 2011
Gary Winick, American director and producer (born 1961)
- 2010
Nanaji Deshmukh, Indian educator and activist (born 1916)
- 2008
William F. Buckley, Jr., American author and journalist, founded the National Review (born 1925)
That is the story of February 27 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on February 27 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on February 27 in history?
The biggest event on February 27 in history is: 2019 — Pakistan Air Force JF-17 Thunder downs Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman's Mig-21 in an aerial dogfight and captures him after conducting airstrikes in Jammu and Kashmir.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on February 27?
25 famous people were born on February 27 in history, the best known being 2002 — Johnny Davis, American basketball player.
Who died on February 27?
25 notable people died on February 27 in history, including 2025 — Boris Spassky, Russian chess grandmaster (born 1937).
Why should I read about February 27 in history?
Exploring February 27 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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