Events on Dec 27

• 0418[Etalius] begins his reign as Catholic Pope
• 0537St. Sofia-church in Constantinople, initiated
• 1437Albrecht II von Habsburg becomes King of Bohemia
• 1521"Zwickauer profeten" appear in Wittenberg
• 1679Dutch troops capture Madurees Prince Trunudjojo in Java
• 1703England and Portugal sign Methuen-Asiento-trade agreement
• 1741Prussian forces took Olmutz, Czechoslovakia
• 18251st public railroad using steam locomotive completed in England
• 1831Darwin begins his voyage on board HMS Beagle
• 1831HMS Beagle / Charles Darwin departs England for South America
• 1836Worst English avalanche kills 8 of 15 buried (Lewes Sussex)
• 1845Ether 1st used in childbirth in US - Jefferson, Georgia
• 1850Hawaiian Fire Department established
• 1862Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs, MS (Chickasaw Bayou)
• 1862Battle of Elizabethtown, Kentucky
• 1887Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of Blue Carbuncle" (BG)
• 1892Foundation Stone of Cathedral of St. John laid (NYC)
• 1892N C Biddle beats Livingston 4-0 in 1st black college football game
• 1897Stanley Cup: Montreal Victorias beat Ottawa Capitals, 15-2
• 1903"Sweet Adaline, " a barbershop quartet favorite, is 1st sung
• 1904Duke of York Theatre opens in London (1st musical Peter Pan)
• 1905M A Noble scores 281 (369 mins, 21 fours) NSW vs. Victoria
• 19061st annual meeting of American Sociological Society, Providence, Rhode Island
• 1919Red Sox owner Harry Frazee announces they will deal any player except Harry Hooper, Hooper is sent to the White Sox after 1920 season
• 1923Unsuccessful attempt on prince-regent Hirohito of Japan
• 1926Depot Square in Bronx renamed Botanical Square
• 1926Latkin Square in Bronx named for 1st US Jewish soldier to die in WWI
• 1932Radio City Music Hall opens (NYC)
• 19341st youth hostel in US opens (Northfield, Massachusetts)
• 1934Shah of Persia declares Persia now Iran

Born on Dec 27

• 1555Johann Arndt: German Lutherian theologist
• 1645Giovanni Adb Viscardi: Switzerland -- Architect
• 1654Jean / Jacobus Bernouilli: Switzerland -- Mathematician
• 1709Pieter de Swart: Dutch architect (Royal Palace, Hague)
• 1721Franciscus "French" Hemsterhuis: Frisian philosopher
• 1748William Marshall: Composer
• 1752Johann Georg Anton Mederitsch-Gallus: Composer
• 1755Antons Klemens Theodor: King of Saksen (1827-36)
• 1761Michael A Barclay de Tolly: Scot / Russ Minister of War
• 1773George Cayley: England, United Kingdom -- Founder Science of Aerodynamics
• 1800John Goss: Composer
• 1801Guillaume L Baud: Dutch Minister of Colonies (1848-49)
• 1802Thomas Fearnley: Norway -- Landscape painter
• 1803John ACA van Nispen Sevenaer: Member of Dutch 2nd parliament (1848-75)
• 1814James Henry Carleton: Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1873
• 1816Eliakim Parker Scammon: Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1894
• 1822John Roberts: Composer
• 1825Reinhold Finsterbusch: Composer
• 1829James Clay Rice: Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1864
• 1831Lucius Fairchild: Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1896
• 1836Henricus Oort: Dutch theologist (Leidse translation)
• 1845Augusto de Oliviera Machado: Composer
• 1855Paul Ehrenreich: German etnologist / mythologist
• 1856Andre Gedalge: Composer
• 1859William Henry Hadow: Composer
• 1879Robert Greig: Australia -- Actor (Horse Feathers)
• 1879Sydney Greenstreet: Sandwich, England -- Actor (Maltese Falcon)
• 1884Bernard van Dieren: Composer
• 1890Maurice Schoemaker: Composer
• 1892Feliks Roderyk Labunski: Composer

Died on Dec 27

• 0418Zosimus: Greek Pope (417-8)
• 0975Balderik: Bishop of Utrecht (918-75)
• 1590Emmanuel-Philibert of Lalaing: Marquis of Renty, dies at 33
• 1595Pietro Pontio: Composer, dies at 63
• 1603Thomas Cartwright: English Presbyterian publicist, dies at about 68
• 1631John Pijnas: Dutch painter, buried at about 47
• 1805Belle van Zuylen: Netherlands / Swiss writer (Trois Femmes), dies at 65
• 1836Stephen Fuller Austin: Founder of state of Texas, dies at 43
• 1858Alexandre Pierre Francois Boely: Composer, dies at 73
• 1877Nikolai A Nekrasov: Russian Poet (Metshty into Zvuki), dies at 56
• 1880Alessandro Nini: Composer, dies at 75
• 1900William G Armstrong: Of Cragside, British const (hydr crane), dies at 90
• 1919Achilles Alferaki: Composer, dies at 73
• 1924William Archer: Scottish critic / playwright (Green Goddess), dies at 68
• 1925Louis Dosfel: Flemish lawyer / literary (Assault!), dies at 44
• 1931Peter Christian Lutkin: Composer, dies at 73
• 1931Walter Courvoisier: Composer, dies at 56
• 1936Hans von Seeckt: German General / advisor of Chiang Kai-shek, dies at 70
• 1938Emile Vandervelde: Belgian Secretary of State (BWP), dies at 72
• 1938O Mandelstam: Writer
• 1944Amy Marcy Cheney Beach: Composer, dies at 77
• 1950Max Beckmann: German Painter / graphic artist, dies at 66
• 1952Henri G Winkelman: Dutch Supreme Commander army / navy 1940, dies at 76
• 1957Alan Bridge: Actor (Hail the Conquering Hero), dies at 66
• 1959Alfonso Reyes: Mexican Poet / Historian / diplomat, dies at 70
• 1972Lester B Pearson: 14th Canadian Prime Minister (Nobel 1957), dies at 75
• 1974Amy Vanderbilt: US Author (Complete book of etiquette), dies at 66
• 1974Raymond Glenn: Actor (Raisin in the Sun, Carmen Jones), dies at 76
• 1978Bob de Lange: Dutch actor / director (Daniel), dies at 62
• 1978Chris Bell: Rock guitarist (Big Star), dies at 27 in car crash

Historical events on December 28

• 0418St. Boniface I begins his reign as Catholic Pope
• 0801Louis the Vrome occupies Barcelona
• 1065Westminister Abbey opens in London
• 1614Sperm whale beached at Noordwijk
• 1816American Colonization Society organizes
• 1821Naples: Gioacchini Rossini moves to Bologna
• 18286.8 earthquake strikes Echigo Japan, 30,000 killed
• 1832John Calhoun becomes 1st VP to resign (differences with President Jackson)
• 1836Spain recognizes independence of Mexico
• 1846Iowa becomes 29th state
• 1849M Jolly-Bellin discovers dry-cleaning, he accidentally upset lamp containing turpentine and oil on his clothing and sees cleaning effect
• 1850Rangoon Burma, destroyed by fire
• 1864Battle of Egypt Station, Mississippi
• 1869William Finley Semple of Mount Vernon, Ohio, patents chewing gum
• 1877John Stevens, applies for a patent for his flour rolling mill
• 1878Pope Leo XIII publishes encyclical Quod apostolici muneris (socialism)
• 1887Sir John Layton Jarvis, 1st British race horse trainer knighted
• 1893French lieutenant Boiteux annexes Tumbuktu
• 19021st indoor pro football game, Syracuse beats Philadelphia 6-0 (Madison Square Garden, NYC)
• 1902Trans-Pacific cable links Hawaii to US
• 1903Electric lamp sets fire to Iroquois theater in Chicago; 602 die
• 19041st daily wireless weather forecasts published (London)
• 1905Intercollegiate Athletic Association of US founded (becomes NCAA in 1910)
• 1905New South Wales all out for 805 vs. Victoria, win by innings and 253
• 1906Ecuador adopts its constitution
• 1908Earthquake strikes Messina, Italy; 80,000 die
• 1908Messina, Italy struck by an earthquake (nearly 80,000 died)
• 1912National Council of Young Israel convenes
• 1912San Francisco Municipal Railway starts operation at Geary Street
• 1915San Francisco City Hall dedicated by Mayor James Rolph

Born on December 28

• 1484Joachim Vadianus [von Watt]: Switzerland -- Physician / Mayor of Sankt Gallen
• 1631Ludolf Backhuysen: Dutch seascape painter / cartoonist
• 1694Ceslav Vanura: Composer
• 1731Christian Cannabich: German composer / royal chaplain master
• 1738Thaddaus Ferdinand Lipowsky: Composer
• 1751Josef Blazej Smrcek: Composer
• 1753Johan Wikmanson: Composer
• 1783Robert Gallenberg: Composer
• 1787Hermanus J Abbring: Dutch writer / engineer on Curacao
• 1801James Barnes: Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1869
• 1805Tomas Genoves y Lapetra: Composer
• 1812Julius Reitz: Composer
• 1822William Booth Taliaferro: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1898
• 1823Thomas Alexander Scott: Assistant Secretary of War (Union), died in 1881
• 1826Conrad Busken Huet: Dutch vicar / literary (Country of Rubens)
• 1827Robert Latimer McCook: Volunteers Brigadier General (Union), died in 1862
• 1828Karl L Kahlbaum: German psychiatrist (katatonie)
• 1833Charles Miller Shelley: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1907
• 1835Archibald Geikie: British geologist
• 1837Benjamin Johnson Lang: Composer
• 1842Calixa Lavallee: Composer
• 1845Homer Newton Bartlett: Composer
• 1849Herbert von Bismarck: German politician / Son of Otto of Bismarck
• 1859Gerard Brucken Fock: Composer
• 1859John W Fortescue: Military historian
• 1860Alexander von Fielitz: Composer
• 1880Christian DFL Leipoldt: South African Physician / writer / poet
• 1882Arthur Eddington: England, United Kingdom -- Astrophysicist / cosmologist / mathematician
• 1883A Wolfenstein: Writer
• 1884Joseph Pholien: Belgian Premier (1950-52) / communist hunter

Died on December 28

• 1542Albert Pigge [Pighius]: Dutch Theologist / astronomer, dies at about 52
• 1673Joan Blaeu: Dutch cartographer / publisher (Atlas Major), dies at 77
• 1706Pierre Bayle: French Theologist (History of Criticism), dies at 59
• 1772Ernst J Earl van / of Biron: Russian Duke of Courland, dies at 82
• 1775Peter A van de Parra: Governor-General of (Netherlands Indies), dies at 61
• 1779Gennaro Manna: Composer, dies at 64
• 1793Louis Earl of Bylandt: Dutch Admiral, dies at about 75
• 1830Adrien-Joseph van Helmont: Composer, dies at 83
• 1859Thomas Babington Macaulay: English essayist / historian
• 1860Cornelius Broere: Dutch RC clergyman / poet, dies at 57
• 1862Joaquim Casimiro Junior: Composer, dies at 54
• 1870Peter van Schendel: Dutch painter, dies at 64
• 1878Jose Bernardo Alcedo: Composer, dies at 90
• 1884Gerben Colmjon: Frisian linguist / publisher, dies at 56
• 1891Alfred Cellier: Composer, dies at 47
• 1903George [Robert] Gissing: English Novelist, dies at 46
• 1915Gerrit Jan van Heek: Dutch textile manufacturer / politician, dies at 78
• 1916Eduard Strauss: Austrian Composer (318 dances), dies at 81
• 1918George H White: Last post Reconstruction congressman (Penn)
• 1923Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel: Engineer (Eiffel Tower), dies at 91
• 1935Clarence Day: Writer (Life with Father)
• 1937Maurice J Ravel: Swiss / French Composer (Bolero), dies in Paris at 62
• 1938Florence Lawrence: Silent screen actress (Confidence), dies at 48
• 1945Theodore Dreiser: Novelist (An American Tragedy), dies at 74
• 1946Carrie Jacobs Bond: American Composer (I Love You Truly), dies at 85
• 1947Victor Emmanuel III: King of Italy (1900-46) / Ethiopia, dies at 78
• 1948Mahmud Nokrashy Pasha: Prime Minister of Egypt (19..-48), assassinated
• 1949Jack Lovelock: NZ / US surgeon / athlete (1936 Olympics - Gold Medalist), dies at 39
• 1949W Hervey Allen: US writer / Poet (Anthony Adverse), dies at 60
• 1956Roelof Kranenburg: Dutch Social Democratic Party-chairman, dies at 76

Events on Dec 29

• 1503Battle at Carigliano: Spanish army beats France
• 1539St. Jacobs Church burns after being hit by lightning
• 1541Isabella of Poland and King Ferdinand of Austria sign Treaty of Gyalu
• 1558Charles V, German Emperor, buried
• 1708Great Alliance occupies Gent
• 1778English troops occupy Savannah, Georgia
• 17821st nautical almanac in US published by Samuel Stearns, Boston
• 1813British burn Buffalo, New York during War of 1812
• 1837Canadian militia destroy Caroline, a US steamboat docked at Buffalo
• 1837Steam-powered threshing machine patented, Winthrop, Maine
• 1841King / grand Duke Willem II installs Order of Eikenkroon
• 1845Texas admitted as 28th state
• 1852Emma Snodgrass arrested in Boston for wearing pants
• 1862Battle of Chichasaw Bayou: confederate armies defeat General Sherman
• 1862Bowling ball invented
• 1864Fire Department celebrates 1st annual ball
• 18671st telegraph ticker used by a brokerage house, Groesbeck and Co, New York
• 187611 passenger cars crash in a ravine near Ashtabula Ohio, 92 die
• 1885Gottlieb Daimler patents 1st bike (Germany)
• 1890US 7th Cavalry massacre 200+ captive Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota
• 1891Edison patents "transmission of signals electrically" (radio)
• 1895Dr L S Jameson begins failed raid on Johannesburg
• 1899English fleet brings German postschip Bundesrath up
• 1900General Viljoen surprise attack British garrison to Helvetia
• 1903French Equatorial Africa separates into Gabon, Chad and Ubangi-Shari
• 1906Montreal Wanderers beat New Glasgow (NS) for Stanley Cup (2nd of 1906)
• 1908Patent granted for a 4-wheel automobile brake, Clintonville, Wisc
• 1911San Francisco Symphony formed
• 19131st movie serial, "Adventures of Kathlyn, " premieres in Chicago
• 1920The netherlands / Venezuela recover diplomatic relations

Born on Dec 29

• 1563Francesco Maria Guaitoli: Composer
• 1586Francisco de Moncada: Spanish Earl of Osuna / Marquis of Aytona
• 1678Gotthard Wagner: Composer
• 1709Elisabeth Petrovna: Tsarina of Russia / Daughter of Peter the Great
• 1721Madame De Pompadour: Mistress of French King Louis the 15th
• 1743Alexander van Bylandt: Dutch military officer
• 1767Aime Ambroise Simon Leborne: Composer
• 1776Charles Macintosh: Scotland, United Kingdom -- Patented waterproof fabric
• 1792Archibald Alison: Scottish historian (History of Europe)
• 1800Charles Goodyear: Inventor (vulcanization process for rubber)
• 1809Albert Pike: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1891
• 1813Etienne-Joseph Soubre: Composer
• 1831Adam Badeau: Bvt Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1895
• 1833John James Ingalls: (Rep-Kansas)
• 1850Tomas Breton y Hernandez: Composer
• 1856Thomas J Stieltjes: Mathematician (Stieltjes integral)
• 1866Joseph Limburg: Liberal Second-Member of parliament (1905-19)
• 1876Pablo Casals: Vendrell Catalonia, Spain -- Violinist / conductor / composer
• 1879Billy Mitchell: Aviation hero General (WWI)
• 1880Jean-Fernand Vaubourgoin: Composer
• 1887Kiyoshi Nobutoki: Composer
• 1888Joseph Beran: Czechoslovakia -- Archbishop of Prague / Cardinal
• 1892Emory Parnell: St. Paul, Minnesota -- Actress (Rocket Man, County Fair)
• 1897Hermann Heiss: Composer
• 1898Jeanne Leleu: Composer
• 1900Willie Humphrey: Jazz Clarinetist
• 1903Clyde McCoy: Jazz trumpeter / bandleader
• 1907James Gardner: Designer
• 1908Claire Dodd: Arkansas, United States -- Actress (Ex-Lady, In the Navy)
• 1908Gerben Sonderman: Dutch test pilot (Fokker)

Died on Dec 29

• 1141Yue Fei: Chinese General, executed
• 1170Thomas Beckett: Archbishop, assassinated by 4 knights of King Henry II
• 1558Hermann Finck: Composer, dies at 31
• 1619Antoine Arnauld: French lawyer (Philippica)
• 1630Jan Baptist Stalpart van der Wiele: RC pastor / lyricist, dies at 51
• 1689Olfert Dapper: Amsterdam Historian / geographer, buried
• 1703Mustapha II: Sultan of Turkey, dies at 39
• 1731J Brook Taylor: English mathematician, dies at 46
• 1785Johann Heinrich Rolle: Composer, dies at 69
• 1815Saartjie Baartman: Hottentot Venus, dies in Paris
• 1821Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau de Bergendael: S Netherlands General, dies at 61
• 1822Albert Christoph Dies: Composer, dies at 67
• 1825Giuseppe Maria Gioacchino Cambini: Composer
• 1825Jacques-Louis David: French Painter (Death of Marat), dies at 77
• 1835Charles-Joseph Tolbecque: Composer, dies at 29
• 1836Johann Baptist Schenk: Composer, dies at 83
• 1847William Crotch: Composer, dies at 72
• 1871Ferdinand Marcucci: Composer, dies at 71
• 1877Willem Sassen: Dutch attorney General on Curacao (Affair-S)
• 1890Big Foot: Sioux indian chief, dies at Wounded Knee
• 1891Leopold Kronecker: German mathematician, dies at 68
• 1894Chris Rossetti: Writer, dies at 64
• 1898Georg Goltermann: Composer, dies at 74
• 1915Charles Beach Hawley: Composer, dies at 57
• 1916Grigori J Rasputin: Russian faith healer / intriguer, murdered at 45
• 1926Rainer M Rilke: Austrias songwriter / writer (Wise Queen), dies at 51
• 1933Joh Georghe Duca: Premier of Romania, murdered
• 1942Frank D Adams: Canadian geologist, dies at 83
• 1943William H Singer: US Painter / collector (Singer Museum), dies at 75
• 1947Joseph Cuvelier: Belgian Historian / General, dies at 78