AUGUST 27 | Birthdays and Events
Famous Birthdays
People born on August 27
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Died: January 4, 1821 (age 46 years)
The founder of the country's parochial school system, which included religion, math, science, and other academic subjects.
Hannibal Hamlin
Died: July 4, 1891 (age 81 years)
The 15th Vice President of the U.S., serving under President Abraham Lincoln from 1861-1865.
Ödön Lechner
Died: June 10, 1914 (age 68 years)
Hungarian architect who designed the Museum of Applied Arts and the Church of St Elisabeth. He is remembered for his extraordinary use of the Zsolnay tile pattern.
Matilda "Lida" Howell
Died: December 20, 1938 (age 79 years)
The first female gold medalist in archery in the U.S.
James Henry Breasted
Died: December 2, 1935 (age 70 years)
Archaeologist and historian who was the first American to obtain a doctorate in Egyptology (study of Egypt).
Charles Dawes
Died: April 23, 1951 (age 85 years)
The 30th Vice President of the U.S., serving under President Calvin Coolidge from 1925 to 1929.
Charles Rolls
Died: July 12, 1910 (age 32 years)
English engineer who co-founded Rolls-Royce Limited.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Died: January 22, 1973 (age 64 years)
The 36th President of the U.S., serving from 1963 to 1969. He was serving as Vice President under President John F. Kennedy until his assassination in 1963.
Jack Dreyfus
Died: March 27, 2009 (age 95 years)
Founder of the investment company known as the Dreyfus Corporation.
Gordon Bashford
Died: September 29, 1991 (age 75 years)
English engineer who co-designed the Range Rover.
Carter Stanley
Died: December 1, 1966 (age 41 years)
Lead singer and guitarist for the bluegrass band the Stanley Brothers.
William J. Rutter
Died: July 11, 2025 (age 97 years)
Biochemist and co-founder of the biotechnology firm Chiron Corporation.
Ira Levin
Died: November 12, 2007 (age 78 years)
Critically acclaimed author who wrote Rosemary's Baby, Boys From Brazil, and This Perfect Day.
Jeff Cook
Died: November 7, 2022 (age 73 years)
Country music guitarist, singer and fiddler for the iconic country band Alabama.
Paul Reubens
Died: July 30, 2023 (age 70 years)
Actor and comedian also known as Pee-wee Herman.
Cesar Millan
Well-known Mexican-American dog trainer, television personality, and author.
Carissa Moore
World surfing champion (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2019).
Historical Events on August 27
Events that occurred on August 27 throughout history
The Goseibai Shikimoku becomes the first legal code governing samurai class (people).
Shikken Hojo Yasutoki, of the Kamakura shogunate, puts into law the Goseibai Shikimoku. The laws were the first Japanese legal code governing the samurai class (people).
The Black Hawk War between the Sauk tribe and the U.S. ends.
The Black Hawk War between the Sauk tribe and the U.S. ends after tribal leader Black Hawk surrenders. The battle lasted five months and was the result of disputed lands from the 1804 Treaty of St. Louis.
The first successful oil well is drilled in Titusville, Pennsylvania.
The first successful oil well is drilled at Titusville, Pennsylvania. The Seneca Oil Company crew struck oil at a shallow depth of about 69.5 feet along Oil Creek.
The shortest war conflict in world history is fought.
The Anglo-Zanzibar War between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar is fought, lasting from 09:02 to 09:40. The war is considered to be the shortest conflict recorded in history, producing roughly 500 casualties
The Spanish Flu arrives in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Spanish Flu arrives in Boston, Massachusetts, when two sailors report flu-like symptoms. The disease caused roughly 4,000–5,000 deaths in the city.
Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology opens in St. Louis, Missouri.
Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology opens in St. Louis, Missouri. The college trained thousands of pilots and mechanics for the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
The first Afrikaans Bible is introduced.
The first Afrikaans Bible is introduced during a Bible Festival in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The Bible helped standardize Afrikaans as an official written and spoken language.
The first day of the Sarny Massacre takes place.
The first day of the Sarny Massacre takes place in Sarny (present-day Rivne Oblast, Ukraine). An estimated 14,000 to 18,000, mostly Jewish and Roma, were executed by Germans and Ukrainians under German order within two days.
The first edition of the Guinness Book of Records is published.
The first edition of the Guinness Book of Records is published in Great Britain after Sir Hugh Beaver (of Guinness Brewery) argued about the fastest game bird in Europe during a 1951 hunting trip. Unable to find information about the bird record, Beaver and a few others created the Guinness Book of Records to be filled with facts and records to be used to settle pub arguments.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are recognized as independent Baltic states.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are recognized as independent Baltic states after arguing their statehood was illegally occupied under Soviet rule from 1940-1991 and German occupation from 1941–1945. Russia argued the countries joined the Soviet Union on their own accord.
Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years.
Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing 34,646,418 miles away.
