What Happened On
Photo Credit: Audrey disse
Photo Credit: Audrey disse
Viagra
March 27, 1998
Sildenafil, marketed as Viagra, becomes the first oral drug approved for use in the U.S. for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It was originally developed as a treatment for angina; however, an interesting side effect was noticed.
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
North America's Largest Recorded Earthquake
March 27, 1964
A quake measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale hits near Prince William Sound, Alaska destroying property and causing about 139 deaths. An ensuing 27-foot (8.2 m) tsunami destroyed the village of Chenega, killing 23 of the 68 people who lived there. In all, 15 people died as a result of the earthquake itself, 106 died from the subsequent tsunami in Alaska, five died from the tsunami in Oregon, and 13 died from the tsunami in California.
It is also the second most powerful earthquake recorded in world history.
Washington D.C. Cherry Trees
March 27, 1912
The first of the famous cherry trees encircling the Tidal Basin in Washington D.C. are planted. They were a gift from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo City to the city of Washington, D.C. celebrating the growing friendship between the U.S. and Japan. U.S. First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two of these trees on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. These two trees still stand.
Geronimo shortly before surrendering to Crook
Geronimo shortly before surrendering to Crook
Geronimo Captured
March 27, 1886
Apache Indian Chief Geronimo is captured by General George Crook and forced to surrender. However, Geronimo managed to escape and continued fighting until he was captured again the following September, thus ending the Indian Wars in the Southwest.
The Corkscrew
March 27, 1860
Patent granted to M.L. Byrn of New York City.
Alexander Kieland Disaster
March 27, 1980
The Alexander Kieland hotel ship overturns in the North Sea killing 137 people.
Funky Winkerbean
March 27, 1972
Funky Winkerbean comic strip premieres, by Tom Batiuk.
Khrushchev Becomes Premier
March 27, 1958
Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev becomes Premier of the Soviet Union. The previous premier, Bulganin, had resigned.
First Indirect Blood Transfusion
March 27, 1914
The first indirect blood transfusion, where the patient and donor were not connected together, is performed by a Belgian Surgeon.
End of the Creek War
March 27, 1814
Andrew Jackson defeats the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, Alabama. 90% of the Indians were killed.
Birthdays
Photo Credit: www.oneillseaodyssey.org
Photo Credit: www.oneillseaodyssey.org
Inventor of the Wetsuit
Jack O'Neill
Born March 27, 1923 d. 2017
American surfer. He is credited with inventing the wetsuit. Wanting to surf longer in the colder waters of Northern California, he developed the first neoprene wetsuit. He established the O'Neill surf wear and gear company (1952). He was known for his eye patch, which he wore due to a surfing accident.
Happy Birthday to You
Patty Smith Hill
Born March 27, 1868 d. 1946
American schoolteacher. She wrote the words to Happy Birthday to You (1924). Composed by her sister Mildred Hill, it has become the most sung song in the world.
Jimi Heselden (James William Heselden)
Born March 27, 1948 d. 2010
British entrepreneur. In 2010, he bought Segway Inc. maker of the Segway personal transport system. He died later that year after backing off a cliff while riding an off road version of the Segway.
Photo Credit: Ted Van Pelt
Photo Credit: Ted Van Pelt
Cale Yarborough
Born March 27, 1939 d. 2023
American Hall of Fame auto racer, 4-time Daytona 500 winner. He was one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships (1976, 1977, 1978) and was one of the preeminent stock car drivers from the 1960s to the 1980s. Yarborough was also a three-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Driver of the Year Award (1977, 1978, 1979).
David Janssen (David Harold Meyer)
Born March 27, 1931 d. 1980
American actor. TV: The Fugitive (1963-67, Dr. Richard Kimble).
Hy Eisman
Born March 27, 1927
American cartoonist, artist. Writes and draws the Sunday strips The Katzenjammer Kids (since 1986) and Popeye (since 1994).
Gloria Swanson (Gloria Svensson)
Born March 27, 1899 d. 1983
American actress, sex symbol of the 1920s. Film: Sunset Boulevard (1950).
Alonzo "Lonnie" Clayton
Born March 27, 1876 d. 1917
American horse racer. He was the youngest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby (1892 at 15 years old).
Sir Frederick Henry Royce
Born March 27, 1863 d. 1933
English auto maker. Co-founder of the Rolls-Royce automobile company (1904).
Roentgen's wife's hand
Roentgen's wife's hand
Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen
Born March 27, 1845 d. 1923
German physicist. Discoverer of X-rays (1895). He took the first x-ray of a human of his wife's hand. When she saw her skeleton, she exclaimed "I have seen my death!"
He died of cancer.
Nathaniel Currier
Born March 27, 1813 d. 1888
American lithographer, co-founded (1857) Currier & Ives, which recorded American history in their prints from the mid 1800s to the turn of the century.
Georges Eugene Haussmann
Born March 27, 1809 d. 1891
French financier. He was responsible for the rebuilding of Paris in the mid 1800s and for building its underground sewer system.
Deaths
Milton Berle (Milton Berlinger)
Died March 27, 2002 b. 1908
American comedian, known as "Uncle Miltie" and "Mr. Television." He got his start in advertising as the Buster Brown kid. TV: Batman (1966-68, Louie the Lilac).
Inventor of Racquetball
Joseph Sobek
Died March 27, 1998 b. 1918
American sportsman, inventor of racquetball (1950). He was the first person inducted into the Racquetball Hall of Fame.
First Man in Space
Yuri A. Gagarin
Died March 27, 1968 b. 1934
Soviet cosmonaut. In 1961, he became the first man in space aboard the Soviet Vostok 1. The craft orbited the Earth for 108 minutes, making Gagarin also the first human to orbit the Earth. Gagarin's response of "Let's go!", shortly before launch, became a phrase in the Eastern Bloc referring to the beginning of the Space Age.
For his accomplishments, he was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union. This was his only spaceflight.
He and a flight instructor died in a plane crash during a routine training mission.
Farley Granger
Died March 27, 2011 b. 1925
American actor. Film: Rope (1948) and Strangers on a Train (1951). TV: One Life to Live (the first Dr. Will Vernon) and As the World Turns (Earl Mitchell).
Dudley Moore
Died March 27, 2002 b. 1935
English actor, composer. Film: 10 (1979) and Arthur (1981).
Billy Wilder (Samuel Wilder)
Died March 27, 2002 b. 1906
Austrian-born Oscar-winning author, director. Once directed a cameraman, "Shoot a few scenes out of focus, I want to win the foreign film award." Film: The Lost Weekend (1945, Oscar and U.S. winner of the first Cannes Film Festival), Sunset Boulevard (1950), Stalag 17 (1953), Some Like It Hot (1959), and The Apartment (1960, Oscar).
Anita Colby (Anita Couniham)
Died March 27, 1992 b. 1914
one of America's first super-models, known as "The Face." She was the first model to earn $100 per hour. She turned down marriage proposals from Clark Gable and James Stewart.
Crystal Bird Fauset
Died March 27, 1965 b. 1893
American politician. First African American woman U.S. state legislator (1939, Pennsylvania House of Representatives).
Sir James Dewar
Died March 27, 1923 b. 1842
British chemist, physicist. Inventor of the Dewar flask (the vacuum thermos bottle). With Sir Frederick Abel, invented cordite, a smokeless explosive (1891), which was used by the British army in WWI. It enabled the battlefield to remain visible during heavy bombings.
Mother of American Kindergartens
Susan Elizabeth Blow
Died March 27, 1916 b. 1843
American educator. "Mother of American Kindergartens," she established the first American public kindergarten (1873). Since poorer children usually only got about three years of schooling before going to work at age 10, she felt the need to start school earlier. She solved this problem with kindergarten.
James Harper
Died March 27, 1869 b. 1795
American publisher. Co-founded Harper & Row, Publishers.
James I
Died March 27, 1625 b. 1566
King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1603-25). In 1604 he commissioned the creation of the King James Bible (completed in 1611).
Gregory XI (Pierre Roger de Beaufort)
Died March 27, 1378 b. circa 1329
French-born religious leader, 201st Pope (1370-78).