May 27 in history — What Happened Today in History
Curious what May 27 in history holds? From 2018 back through the centuries, our timeline gathers everything that happened on May 27 — events, birthdays and deaths on one cozy page.
On this page, May 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 May 27 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on May 27 in History 40
- 2018
Maryland Flood Event: A flood occurs throughout the Patapsco Valley, causing one death, destroying the entire first floors of buildings on Main Street in Ellicott City, and causing cars to overturn.
- 2017
Andrew Scheer takes over after Rona Ambrose as the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
- 2016
Barack Obama is the first president of the United States to visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and meet Hibakusha.
- 2014
The football club Kerala Blasters FC and its first supporters' group Manjappada are formed.
- 2006
The 6.4 Mw Yogyakarta earthquake shakes central Java with an MSK intensity of VIII (Damaging), leaving more than 5,700 dead and 37,000 injured.
- 2001
Members of Abu Sayyaf, an Islamist separatist group, seize twenty hostages from an affluent island resort on Palawan in the Philippines; the hostage crisis would not be resolved until June 2002.
- 1999
Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on STS-96, the first shuttle mission to dock with the International Space Station.
- 1998
Oklahoma City bombing: Michael Fortier is sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $200,000 for failing to warn authorities about the terrorist plot.
- 1997
The 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak occurs, spawning multiple tornadoes in Central Texas, including the F5 that killed 27 in Jarrell.
- 1996
First Chechen War: Russian president Boris Yeltsin meets with Chechen rebels for the first time and negotiates a cease-fire.
- 1988
Somaliland War of Independence: The Somali National Movement launches a major offensive against Somali government forces in Hargeisa and Burao, then the second- and third-largest cities of Somalia.
- 1984
The Danube–Black Sea Canal is opened, in a ceremony attended by the Ceaușescus. It had been under construction since the 1950s.
All entries for May 27（+28）
- 1980
The Gwangju Massacre: Airborne and army troops of South Korea retake the city of Gwangju from civil militias, killing at least 207 and possibly many more.
- 1977
A plane crash at José Martí International Airport in Havana, Cuba, kills 67.
- 1975
Dibbles Bridge coach crash near Grassington, in North Yorkshire, England, kills 33, the highest ever death toll in a road accident in the United Kingdom.
- 1971
The Dahlerau train disaster, the worst railway accident in West Germany, kills 46 people and injures 25 near Wuppertal.
- 1971
Pakistani forces massacre over 200 civilians, mostly Bengali Hindus, in the Bagbati massacre.
- 1967
Australians vote in favor of a constitutional referendum granting the Australian government the power to make laws to benefit Indigenous Australians and to count them in the national census.
- 1967
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy is launched by Jacqueline Kennedy and her daughter Caroline.
- 1965
Vietnam War: American warships begin the first bombardment of National Liberation Front targets within South Vietnam.
- 1962
The Centralia mine fire is ignited in the town's landfill above a coal mine.
- 1960
In Turkey, a military coup removes President Celâl Bayar and the rest of the democratic government from office.
- 1958
First flight of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.
- 1950
The Linnanmäki amusement park is opened for the first time in Helsinki.
- 1942
World War II: In Operation Anthropoid, Reinhard Heydrich is fatally wounded in Prague; he dies of his injuries eight days later.
- 1941
World War II: U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaims an "unlimited national emergency".
- 1941
World War II: The German battleship Bismarck is sunk in the North Atlantic, killing almost 2,100 men.
- 1940
World War II: In the Le Paradis massacre, 99 soldiers from a Royal Norfolk Regiment unit are shot after surrendering to German troops; two survive.
- 1937
In California, the Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrian traffic, creating a vital link between San Francisco and Marin County, California.
- 1935
New Deal: The Supreme Court of the United States declares the National Industrial Recovery Act to be unconstitutional in A.L.A. Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, (295 U.S. 495).
- 1933
New Deal: The U.S. Federal Securities Act is signed into law requiring the registration of securities with the Federal Trade Commission.
- 1930
The 1,046 feet (319 m) Chrysler Building in New York City, the tallest man-made structure at the time, opens to the public.
- 1927
The Ford Motor Company ceases manufacture of the Ford Model T and begins to retool plants to make the Ford Model A.
- 1919
The NC-4 aircraft arrives in Lisbon after completing the first transatlantic flight.
- 1917
Pope Benedict XV promulgates the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the first comprehensive codification of Catholic canon law in the legal history of the Catholic Church.
- 1915
HMS Princess Irene explodes and sinks off Sheerness, Kent, with the loss of 352 lives.
- 1905
Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Tsushima begins.
- 1896
The F4-strength St. Louis–East St. Louis tornado hits in St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois, killing at least 255 people and causing over $10 million in damage.
- 1883
Alexander III is crowned Tsar of Russia.
- 1874
The first group of Dorsland trekkers under the leadership of Gert Alberts leaves Pretoria.
Famous Birthdays on May 27 in History 25
- 2003
Franco Colapinto, Argentine racing driver
- 2002
Jérémy Doku, Belgian footballer
- 2002
Gabri Veiga, Spanish footballer
- 2000
Abner Vinícius, Brazilian footballer
- 1999
Matheus Cunha, Brazilian footballer
- 1999
Lily-Rose Depp, French-American actress and model
- 1998
Josep Martínez, Spanish footballer
- 1997
Anna Bondar, Hungarian tennis player
- 1997
Daniel Jones, American football player
- 1997
Konrad Laimer, Austrian footballer
- 1996
Kim Jae-hwan, South Korean singer
- 1995
Yoán Moncada, Cuban baseball player
All entries for May 27（+13）
- 1994
Maximilian Arnold, German footballer
- 1994
João Cancelo, Portuguese footballer
- 1994
Aymeric Laporte, French-Spanish footballer
- 1994
Aleksandra Uznańska-Wiśniewska, Polish–Thai politician, political scientist, and humanitarian
- 1992
Aaron Brown, Canadian sprinter
- 1992
Jeison Murillo, Colombian footballer
- 1992
Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, Canadian canoer
- 1991
Sebastien Dewaest, Belgian footballer
- 1991
Tim Lafai, Samoan rugby league player
- 1991
Ksenia Pervak, Russian tennis player
- 1991
Mário Rui, Portuguese footballer
- 1991
Armando Sadiku, Albanian footballer
- 1991
Eneli Vals, Estonian footballer
Notable Deaths on May 27 in History 25
- 2025
Freddie Aguilar, Filipino musician and singer-songwriter (born 1953)
- 2024
Elizabeth MacRae, American actress (born 1936)
- 2024
Bill Walton, American basketball player and sportscaster (born 1952)
- 2021
Poul Schlüter, former Prime Minister of Denmark (born 1929)
- 2020
Larry Kramer, American playwright, public health advocate and LGBT rights activist (born 1935)
- 2018
Gardner Dozois, American science fiction author and editor (born 1947)
- 2017
Gregg Allman, American musician, singer and songwriter (born 1947)
- 2015
Erik Carlsson, Swedish rally driver (born 1929)
- 2015
Nils Christie, Norwegian sociologist, criminologist, and author (born 1928)
- 2015
Andy King, English footballer and manager (born 1956)
- 2015
Michael Martin, American philosopher and academic (born 1932)
- 2014
Robert Genn, Canadian painter and author (born 1936)
All entries for May 27（+13）
- 2014
Helma Sanders-Brahms, German director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1940)
- 2014
Roberto Vargas, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1929)
- 2014
Massimo Vignelli, Italian-American graphic designer (born 1931)
- 2013
Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, Indian politician (born 1917)
- 2013
Bill Pertwee, English actor (born 1926)
- 2013
Abdoulaye Sékou Sow, Malian politician, Prime Minister of Mali (born 1931)
- 2012
Simeon Daniel, Nevisian educator and politician, 1st Premier of Nevis (born 1934)
- 2012
Friedrich Hirzebruch, German mathematician and academic (born 1927)
- 2012
Anahit Perikhanian, Russian-born Armenian Iranologist (born 1928)
- 2012
David Rimoin, Canadian-American geneticist and academic (born 1936)
- 2011
Jeff Conaway, American actor and singer (born 1950)
- 2011
Margo Dydek, Polish-American basketball player (born 1974)
- 2011
Gil Scott-Heron, American singer-songwriter and poet (born 1949)
That is the story of May 27 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on May 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 May 27 in history?
The biggest event on May 27 in history is: 2018 — Maryland Flood Event: A flood occurs throughout the Patapsco Valley, causing one death, destroying the entire first floors of buildings on Main Street in Ellicott City, and causing cars to overturn.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on May 27?
25 famous people were born on May 27 in history, the best known being 2003 — Franco Colapinto, Argentine racing driver.
Who died on May 27?
25 notable people died on May 27 in history, including 2025 — Freddie Aguilar, Filipino musician and singer-songwriter (born 1953).
Why should I read about May 27 in history?
Exploring May 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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