April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining.

Events

• 1124 - David becomes King of Scotland.
• 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated by Edward I of England.
• 1509 - Pope Julius II places the Italian state of Venice under interdict.
• 1521 - Explorer Ferdinand Magellan is killed by natives in the Philippines.
• 1565 - Cebu is established becoming the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines.
• 1667 - The blind, impoverished John Milton sells the copyright of Paradise Lost for £10.
• 1773 - The British Parliament passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by granting it a monopoly on the North American tea trade.
• 1805 - First Barbary War: United States Marines and Berbers attack the Tripolitan city of Derna (The "shores of Tripoli" part of the Marines' hymn).
• 1813 - War of 1812: United States troops capture the capital of Ontario, York (present day Toronto, Ontario).
• 1840 - Foundation stone for new Palace of Westminster, London, laid by wife of Sir Charles Barry.
• 1861 - President Abraham Lincoln suspends the writ of habeas corpus.
• 1861 - American Civil War: West Virginia secedes from Virginia.
• 1865 - The steamboat Sultana, carrying 2,300 passengers, explodes and sinks in the Mississippi River, killing 1,700, most of whom were Union survivors of the Andersonville Prison.
• 1897 - Grant's Tomb is dedicated.
• 1908 - The 1908 Summer Olympics open in London.
• 1909 - Sultan of Turkey Abdul Hamid II is overthrown, and is succeeded by his brother, Murat V.
• 1936 - The United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) gains autonomy from the American Federation of Labor.
• 1941 - World War II: German troops enter Athens.
• 1947 - Babe Ruth Day is celebrated at Yankee Stadium
• 1950 - Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed formally segregating races.
• 1954 - The film White Christmas, starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, premieres.
• 1960 - Togo gains independence from French-administered UN trusteeship.
• 1961 - Sierra Leone is granted its independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1967 - Expo '67 opens in Montreal, Quebec.
• 1972 - Constructive Vote of No Confidence against German Chancellor Willy Brandt fails under obscure circumstances.
• 1981 - Xerox PARC introduces the computer mouse.
• 1986 - Captain Midnight (John R. MacDougall) hijacks HBO's satellite and transmits his own message to HBO viewers.
• 1994 - The first democratic South Africa, in which black citizens vote.
• 1994 - The funeral of former U.S. President Richard Nixon is held in Nixon's hometown of Yorba Linda, California. Several foriegn dignitaries and all five living U.S. presidents attend.
• 1997 - Andrew Cunanan murders Jeffrey Trail, beginning a murder spree that will last until July and terminate with the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.

Births

• 1737 - Edward Gibbon, historian (d. 1794)
• 1759 - Mary Wollstonecraft, feminist, activist, author (d. 1797)
• 1791 - Samuel F. B. Morse, inventor of Morse code (d. 1872)
• 1812 - Friedrich von Flowtow, composer (d. 1883)
• 1820 - Herbert Spencer, philosopher (d. 1903)
• 1822 - Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States (d. 1885)
• 1878 - Frank Alvin Gotch, American wrestler (d. 1917)
• 1888 - Florence La Badie, pioneer actress (d. 1917)
• 1894 - Nicolas Slonimsky, musicologist and composer (d.1995)
• 1896 - Rogers Hornsby, Baseball Hall of Famer (d. 1963)
• 1900 - Martin Beheim-Schwarzenbach, narrator, lyricist and essayist (d. 1985)
• 1900 - Walter Lantz, cartoonist (d. 1994)
• 1904 - Cecil Day-Lewis, poet and writer (d. 1972
• 1913 - Philip Hauge Abelson, physicist, co-discoverer of Neptunium (d. 2004)
• 1916 - Enos Slaughter, Baseball Hall of Famer (d. 2002)
• 1920 - Guido Cantelli, conductor (d. 1956)
• 1922 - Jack Klugman, actor
• 1927 - Coretta King, civil rights activist and widow of the Reverend Martin Luther King
• 1931 - Igor Oistrakh, Ukrainian violinist
• 1932 - Anouk Aimée, actress
• 1932 - Casey Kasem, American disc jockey
• 1932 - Gian-Carlo Rota, mathematician and philosopher (d. 1999)
• 1937 - Sandy Dennis, actress (d. 1992)
• 1941 - Lee Roy Jordan, American football player
• 1945 - August Wilson, playwright
• 1947 - Ace Frehley, musician ("KISS")
• 1959 - Sheena Easton, singer
• 1963 - Cali Timmins, actress
• 1970 - Kylie Travis, actress and model

Deaths

• 399 BC - Socrates, philosopher (poison via hemlock) (b. 470 BC)
• 1404 - Philip the Bold Duke of Burgundy (b. 1342)
• 1521 - Ferdinand Magellan, explorer (b. 1470)
• 1605 - Pope Leo XI (b. 1535)
• 1613 - Robert Abercromby, Jesuit (b. 1532)
• 1813 - Zebulon Pike, mountain man, explorer (b. 1779)
• 1882 - Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist (b. 1803)
• 1915 - Alexander Scriabin, composer (b. 1872)
• 1932 - Hart Crane, writer (suicide) (b. 1899)
• 1936 - Karl Pearson, statistician (b. 1857)
• 1965 - Edward R. Murrow, journalist (b. 1908)
• 1972 - Kwame Nkrumah, first post-independence leader of Ghana (b. 1909)
• 1992 - Olivier Messiaen, composer (b. 1908)
• 1995 - Willem Frederik Hermans, Dutch writer (b. 1921)
• 1999 - Al Hirt, musician (b. 1922)
• 2002 - George Alec Effinger, science fiction author (b. 1947)
• 2002 - Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, Swiss industrialist and art collector

Holidays and observances

• Slovenia: Day of Uprising Against Occupation
• South Africa: Freedom day
• Togo: Independence Day (1960)
• Feast of Saint Zita in the Roman Catholic Church

Recorded this date

• 1900 "The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring" (w. William S. Gilbert m. Arthur Sullivan)
  - Original Lyric Trio
  
• 1905 "Father O'Flynn" (w. A. P. Graves m. arr. Charles Villiers Stanford)
  - William Hooley
  
• 1906 "I'm On The Water Wagon Now" (w. Paul West m. John W. Bratton)
  - Billy Murray
  
• 1906 "Cheyenne" (w. Harry H. Williams m. Egbert Van Alstyne)
  - Billy Murray
  
• 1907 "The Bandolero" (w. m. Leslie Stuart)
  - Peter Dawson
  
• 1909 "Down Among The Dead Men" (Macfarren & Phipps)
  - Peter Dawson
  
• 1909 "Out On the Deep" (Frederic N. Löhr, Samuel K. Cowan)
  - Peter Dawson
  
• 1916 "The Honolulu Blues" (w. Grant Clarke & Eddie Cox m. James V. Monaco)
  - Peerless Quartette
  
• 1916 "Arrah Go On, I'm Gonna Go Back To Oregon" (w. Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young m. Bert Grant)
  - Peerless Quartette
  
• 1927 "One Sweet Letter From You" (w. Lew Brown & Sidney Clare m. Harry Warren)
  - Ted Lewis & his Band
  
• 1932 "One Hour With You" (w. Leo Robin m. Richard A. Whiting)
  - Jeanette MacDonald with Nat Finston & Paramount Studio Orchestra
  
• 1932 "Hills Of Devon" (Sievier & Jalowicz)
  - Peter Dawson
  
• 1932 "Devil-May-Care" (May)
  - Peter Dawson
  
• 1932 "The Arrow And The Song" (w. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow m. Michael William Balfe)
  - Peter Dawson with O/Lawrence A. Collingwood
  
• 1932 "Will O' The Wisp" (Cherry)
  - Peter Dawson
  
• 1932 "Gypsy Moon" (Eyton, Borganoff)
  - Gladys Moncrieff
  
• 1932 "My Hero" (w. (Eng) Stanislaus Stange (Ger) Rudolf Bernauer & Leopold Jacobson m. Oscar Straus)
  - Gladys Moncrieff
  
• 1932 "We Will Always Be Sweethearts" (w. Leo Robin m. Oscar Straus)
  - Gladys Moncrieff
  
• 1932 "One Hour With You" (w. Leo Robin m. Richard A. Whiting)
  - Gladys Moncrieff
  
• 1934 "After All, You're All I'm After" (w. Edward Heyman m. Arthur Schwartz)
  - Al Bowlly with Ray Noble
  
• 1934 "She Loves Me Not" (w. Edward Heyman m. Arthur Schwartz)
  - Al Bowlly with Ray Noble & his Orchestra
  
• 1934 "My Sweet" (Hamilton)
  - Al Bowlly with Ray Noble & his Orchestra
  
• 1934 "The Lonesome Road" (w. Gene Austin m. Nathaniel Shilkret)
  - Boswell Sisters with O/Victor Young
  
• 1934 "The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (w. Al Dubin m. Harry Warren)
  - Connie Boswell with O/Victor Young
  
• 1934 "Carioca" (w. Gus Kahn & Edward Eliscu m. Vincent Youmans)
  - Connie Boswell with O/Victor Young
  
• 1934 "Guiding Star" (w.m. Jack Lumsdaine)
  - John Warren with Jim Davidson & his Palais Royal Orchestra
  
• 1934 "Goodnight Little Girl Of My Dreams" (Tobias, Burke)
  - John Warren with Jim Davidson & his Palais Royal Orchestra
  
• 1934 "An Orchid To You" (w. Mack Gordon m. Harry Revel)
  - John Warren with Jim Davidson & his Palais Royal Orchestra
  
• 1934 "There's A Cabin In The Pines" (w.m. Billy Hill)
  - John Warren with Jim Davidson & his Palais Royal Orchestra
  
• 1935 "Popeye The Sailor Man" (w.m. Sammy Lerner)
  - Billy Costello
  
• 1944 "A Bird In A Gilded Cage" (w. Arthur J. Lamb m. Harry Von Tilzer)
  - Virginia O'Brien
  
• 1945 "Gotta Be This Or That" (w.m. Sunny Skylar)
  - Benny Goodman & his Orchestra
  
• 1945 "I Fall In Love Too Easily" (w. Sammy Cahn m. Jule Styne)
  - Eugenie Baird with Mel Tormé & Mel-Tones
  
• 1950 "Count Every Star" (w. Sammy Gallop m. Bruno Coquatrix)
  - Dick Haymes with Artie Shaw & his Orchestra
  
• 1950 "If You Were Only Mine" (w. Charles Newman m. Isham Jones)
  - Dick Haymes with O/Artie Shaw
  
• 1950 "Play A Simple Melody" (w.m. Irving Berlin)
  - Jo Stafford w. Starlighters with Paul Weston's Dixie Eight
  
• 1950 "Pagan Love Song" (w. Arthur Freed m. Nacio Herb Brown)
  - Jo Stafford with Paul Weston's Dixie Eight
  
• 1950 "P.S. I Love You" (w. Johnny Mercer m. Gordon Jenkins)
  - Chorus with Gordon Jenkins & his Orchestra
  
• 1951 "The Morningside Of The Mountain" (w.m. Dick Manning & Larry Stock)
  - Norman Luboff Choir with Paul Weston & his Orchestra
  
• 1951 "Alice In Wonderland / The Unbirthday Song" (w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain)
  - Rosemary Clooney with O/Percy Faith
  
• 1951 "All In A Golden Afternoon / I'm Late" (w. Bob Hilliard m. Sammy Fain)
  - Rosemary Clooney with O/Percy Faith
  
• 1951 "Love Ya" (w. Charles Tobias m. Peter De Rose)
  - Doris Day & Jack Smith with O/Paul Weston
  
• 1951 "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" (w. Jean Kenbrovin w. John W. Kellette)
  - Doris Day & Jack Smith w. Norman Luboff Choir with O/Paul Weston
  
• 1951 "Every Little Movement" (w. Otto Harbach m. Karl Hoschna)
  - Doris Day w. Norman Luboff Choir with O/Paul Weston
  
• 1953 "Matilda, Matilda!" (w.m. Harry Thomas)
  - Harry Belafonte with O/Henri René
  
• 1954 "Apres Moi" (Bernard Bennett)
  - Eartha Kitt with O/Henri René
  
• 1954 "Mink Shmink" (w.m. Sid Cutner & Leo Shuken)
  - Eartha Kitt with O/Henri René
  
• 1954 "Easy Does It"
  - Eartha Kitt with O/Henri René
  
• 1955 "Lover, Come Back To Me" (w. Oscar Hammerstein II m. Sigmund Romberg)
  - Ella Fitzgerald with O/Benny Carter
  
• 1955 "That Old Black Magic" (w. Johnny Mercer m. Harold Arlen)
  - Ella Fitzgerald with O/Benny Carter
  
• 1955 "Relax-Ay-Voo" (w. Sammy Cahn m. Arthur Schwartz)
  - Dean Martin & Line Renaud
  
• 1956 "Big D" (w.m. Frank Loesser)
  - Jo Stafford with O/Paul Weston
  
• 1956 "With A Little Bit Of Luck" (w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe)
  - Jo Stafford with O/Paul Weston
  
• 1956 "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?" (w. Alan Jay Lerner m. Frederick Loewe)
  - Jo Stafford
  
• 1961 "I Wonder As I Wander" (w.m. J. J. Niles)
  - Jo Stafford
  
• 1961 "Shenandoah" (trad)
  - Jo Stafford
  
• 1961 "Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier"
  - Jo Stafford
  
• 1961 "The Nightingale" (trad US)
  - Jo Stafford
  
• 1961 "You Don't Know" (J. Schroeder, M. Hawker)
  - Helen Shapiro with O/Norrie Paramor
  

April 26 - April 28 - March 27 - May 27 -- listing of all days