December 27 is the 361st day of the year (362nd in leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are four days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday (58 in 400 years each) than on Friday or Saturday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Monday or Wednesday (56).
537 – The construction of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is completed.1512 – The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos , governing the conduct of settlers with regard to native Indians in the New World .1521 – The Zwickau prophets arrive in Wittenberg , disturbing the peace and preaching the Apocalypse .1655 – Second Northern War /the Deluge : Monks at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa are successful in fending off a month-long siege .1657 – The Flushing Remonstrance articulates for the first time in North American history that freedom of religion is a fundamental right.1703 – Portugal and England sign the Methuen Treaty which gives preference to Portuguese imported wines into England.1814 – War of 1812 : The American schooner USS Carolina is destroyed. It was the last of Commodore Daniel Patterson 's makeshift fleet that fought a series of delaying actions that contributed to Andrew Jackson 's victory at the Battle of New Orleans .1831 – Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard the HMS Beagle , during which he will begin to formulate his theory of evolution .1836 – The worst ever avalanche in England occurs at Lewes , Sussex , killing eight people.1845 – Ether anesthetic is used for childbirth for the first time by Dr. Crawford Long in Jefferson, Georgia .1845 – Journalist John L. O'Sullivan , writing in his newspaper the New York Morning News , argues that the United States had the right to claim the entire Oregon Country "by the right of our manifest destiny ".
1911 – "Jana Gana Mana ", the national anthem of India, is first sung in the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress .1918 – The Great Poland Uprising against the Germans begins.1922 – Japanese aircraft carrier Hōshō becomes the first purpose built aircraft carrier to be commissioned in the world.1927 – Kern and Hammerstein's musical play Show Boat Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway .1929 – Soviet General Secretary Joseph Stalin orders the "liquidation of the kulaks as a class ".1932 – Radio City Music Hall , "Showplace of the Nation", opens in New York City.1935 – Regina Jonas is ordained as the first female rabbi in the history of Judaism .1939 – The 7.8 Mw Erzincan earthquake shakes eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme ). At least 32,700 people were killed.1939 – Winter War : Finland holds off a Soviet attack in the Battle of Kelja .
1945 – The International Monetary Fund is created with the signing of an agreement by 29 nations.1949 – Indonesian National Revolution : The Netherlands officially recognizes Indonesian independence. End of the Dutch East Indies .1966 – The Cave of Swallows , the largest known cave shaft in the world, is discovered in Aquismón , San Luis Potosí , Mexico.1968 – Apollo program : Apollo 8 1978 – Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of fascist dictatorship .1979 – The Soviet Union invades the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan .1983 – Pope John Paul II visits Mehmet Ali Ağca in Rebibbia 's prison and personally forgives him for the 1981 attack on him in St. Peter's Square .1985 – Palestinian guerrillas kill eighteen people inside the airports of Rome , Italy, and Vienna , Austria.1989 – The Romanian Revolution concludes, as the last minor street confrontations and stray shootings abruptly end in the country's capital, Bucharest .1996 – Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram Airfield which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul , Afghanistan .1997 – Protestant paramilitary leader Billy Wright is assassinated in Northern Ireland , United Kingdom.2002 – Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny , Chechnya , Russia.2004 – Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reaches Earth. It is the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on the planet.2007 – Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated in a shooting incident.2007 – Riots erupt in Mombasa, Kenya , after Mwai Kibaki is declared the winner of the presidential election , triggering a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis .
2008 – Operation Cast Lead : Israel launches 3-week operation on Gaza.2009 – Iranian election protests : On the Day of Ashura in Tehran , Iran , government security forces fire upon demonstrators.
1350 – John I of Aragon (d. 1395)1390 – Anne de Mortimer , claimant to the English throne (d. 1411)1459 – John I Albert (d. 1501)1481 – Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth , Margrave of Bayreuth (d. 1527)1493 – Johann Pfeffinger , German theologian (d. 1573)1566 – Jan Jesenius , Bohemian physician, politician and philosopher (d. 1621)1571 – Johannes Kepler , German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer (d. 1630)1572 – Johannes Vodnianus Campanus , Czech poet, playwright, and composer (d. 1622)1584 – Philipp Julius, Duke of Pomerania (d. 1625)1595 – Bohdan Khmelnytsky , hetman of Ukraine (d. 1657)1683 – Conyers Middleton , English priest and theologian (d. 1750)1714 – George Whitefield , English preacher and saint (d. 1770)1715 – Philippe de Noailles , French general (d. 1794)1721 – François Hemsterhuis , Dutch philosopher and author (d. 1790)1761 – Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly , Russian field marshal and politician, Governor-General of Finland (d. 1818)1773 – George Cayley , English engineer and politician (d. 1857)1776 – Nikolay Kamensky , Russian general (d. 1811)1797 – Ghalib , Indian poet (d. 1869)1797 – Charles Hodge , American Theologian (d. 1878)1803 – François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier , Canadian activist (d. 1839)1809 – Alexandros Rizos Rangavis , Greek poet and politician, Foreign Minister of Greece (d. 1892)1822 – Louis Pasteur , French chemist and microbiologist (d. 1895)1823 – Mackenzie Bowell , English-Canadian journalist and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1917)1832 – Pavel Tretyakov , Russian businessman and philanthropist, founded the Tretyakov Gallery (d. 1897)1858 – Juan Luis Sanfuentes , Chilean lawyer and politician, 17th President of Chile (d. 1930)1863 – Louis Lincoln Emmerson , American lawyer and politician, 27th Governor of Illinois (d. 1941)1864 – Hermann-Paul , French painter and illustrator (d. 1940)1879 – Sydney Greenstreet , English-American actor (d. 1954)1883 – Cyrus S. Eaton , Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1979)1888 – Thea von Harbou , German actress, director, and screenwriter (d. 1954)1892 – Alfred Edwin McKay , Canadian captain and pilot (d. 1917)1896 – Louis Bromfield , American author and theorist (d. 1956)1896 – Maurice De Waele , Belgian cyclist (d. 1952)
1896 – Carl Zuckmayer , German author and playwright (d. 1977)
1898 – Inejiro Asanuma , Japanese politician (d. 1960)1900 – Hans Stuck , German race car driver (d. 1978)1901 – Marlene Dietrich , German-American actress and singer (d. 1992)1901 – Irene Handl , English actress (d. 1987)
1904 – René Bonnet , French race car driver and engineer (d. 1983)1905 – Cliff Arquette , American actor and comedian (d. 1974)1906 – Oscar Levant , American pianist, composer, and actor (d. 1972)1907 – Asaf Halet Çelebi , Turkish poet (d. 1958)1907 – Sebastian Haffner , German journalist and author (d. 1999)
1907 – Mary Howard , English author (d. 1991)
1907 – Conrad L. Raiford , American baseball player and activist (d. 2002)
1907 – Willem van Otterloo , Dutch conductor and composer (d. 1978)
1909 – James Riddell , English skier and author (d. 2000)1910 – Charles Olson , American poet and educator (d. 1970)1911 – Anna Russell , English-Canadian singer and actress (d. 2006)1915 – William Masters , American gynecologist, author, and academic (d. 2001)1915 – Gyula Zsengellér , Hungarian-Cypriot footballer and manager (d. 1999)
1916 – Werner Baumbach , German pilot (d. 1953)1916 – Cathy Lewis , American actress (d. 1968)
1917 – Buddy Boudreaux , American saxophonist and clarinet player (d. 2015)1917 – T. Nadaraja , Sri Lankan lawyer and academic (d. 2004)
1917 – Onni Palaste , Finnish soldier and author (d. 2009)
1918 – John Celardo , American captain and illustrator (d. 2012)1919 – Charles Sweeney , American general and pilot (d. 2004)1920 – Bruce Hobbs , American jockey and trainer (d. 2005)1923 – Bruno Bobak , Polish-Canadian painter and educator (d. 2012)1924 – Jean Bartik , American computer scientist and engineer (d. 2011)1924 – James A. McClure , American soldier, lawyer, and politician (d. 2011)
1925 – Michel Piccoli , French actor, singer, director, and producer1926 – Jerome Courtland , American actor, director, and producer (d. 2012)1927 – Antony Gardner , English engineer and politician (d. 2011)1927 – Nityanand Swami , Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Uttarakhand (d. 2012)
1927 – Audrey Wagner , American baseball player, obstetrician, and gynecologist (d. 1984)
1930 – Marshall Sahlins , American anthropologist and academic1930 – Wilfrid Sheed , English-born American novelist and essayist (d. 2011)
1931 – Scotty Moore , American guitarist and songwriter (d. 2016)1933 – Dave Marr , American golfer (d. 1997)1934 – Larisa Latynina , Ukrainian gymnast and coach1934 – Jeffrey Sterling, Baron Sterling of Plaistow , English businessman
1935 – Michael Turnbull , English bishop1936 – Phil Sharpe , English cricketer (d. 2014)1936 – Eve Uusmees , Estonian swimmer and coach
1939 – John Amos , American actor1940 – David Shepherd , English cricketer and umpire (d. 2009)1941 – Miles Aiken , American basketball player and coach1941 – Mike Pinder , English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
1941 – Nolan Richardson , American basketball player and coach
1942 – Byron Browne , American baseball player1942 – Thomas Menino , American politician, 53rd Mayor of Boston (d. 2014)
1942 – Ron Rothstein , American basketball player and coach
1943 – Cokie Roberts , American journalist and author1943 – Joan Manuel Serrat , Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist
1943 – Peter Sinfield , English songwriter and producer
1943 – Roy White , American baseball player and coach
1944 – Mick Jones , English guitarist, songwriter, and producer1946 – Lenny Kaye , American guitarist, songwriter, and producer1946 – Joe Kinnear , Irish footballer and manager
1946 – Janet Street-Porter , English journalist and producer
1946 – Polly Toynbee , English journalist and author
1947 – Bill Eadie , American wrestler and coach1947 – Doug Livermore , English footballer and manager
1947 – Osman Pamukoğlu , Turkish general and politician
1947 – Willy Polleunis , Belgian runner
1947 – Mickey Redmond , Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
1948 – Gérard Depardieu , French-Russian actor1949 – Terry Ito , Japanese director, producer, and critic1950 – Haris Alexiou , Greek singer-songwriter1950 – Roberto Bettega , Italian footballer and manager
1950 – Terry Bozzio , American drummer and songwriter
1951 – Ernesto Zedillo , Mexican economist and politician, 54th President of Mexico 1952 – Tovah Feldshuh , American actress, singer, and playwright1952 – Jay Hill , Canadian farmer and politician
1952 – David Knopfler , Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1954 – Mandie Fletcher , English director, producer, and production manager1955 – Brad Murphey , American-Australian race car driver1955 – Barbara Olson , American journalist and author (d. 2001)
1956 – Doina Melinte , Romanian runner1957 – Jerry Gaskill , American drummer1957 – Greg Mortenson , American humanitarian and author
1958 – Steve Jones , American golfer1959 – Gerina Dunwich , American astrologer, historian, and author1959 – Andre Tippett , American football player and coach
1960 – Maryam d'Abo , English actress1960 – Donald Nally , American conductor and academic
1960 – Terry Price , Australian golfer
1961 – Guido Westerwelle , German lawyer and politician, 15th Vice-Chancellor of Germany (d. 2016)1962 – Mark Few , American basketball player and coach1962 – John Kampfner , Singaporean journalist and author
1962 – Bill Self , American basketball player and coach
1962 – Sherri Steinhauer , American golfer
1963 – Gaspar Noé , Argentinian-French director and screenwriter1965 – Chris Mainwaring , Australian footballer and journalist (d. 2007)1965 – Salman Khan , Indian film actor and producer1966 – Marianne Elliott , English director and producer1966 – Bill Goldberg , American football player, wrestler, and actor
1966 – Eva LaRue , American model and actress
1966 – Fabian Núñez , American politician
1969 – Jean-Christophe Boullion , French race car driver1969 – Sarah Vowell , American author and journalist
1969 – Chyna , American professional wrestler and actress (d. 2016)
1970 – Brendon Cook , Australian race car driver and rugby player1970 – Lorenzo Neal , American football player and radio host
1971 – Duncan Ferguson , Scottish footballer and coach1971 – Guthrie Govan , English guitarist and educator
1971 – Savannah Guthrie , American television journalist
1971 – Jason Hawes , American paranormal investigator and author, founded The Atlantic Paranormal Society
1971 – Bryan Smolinski , American ice hockey player and coach
1972 – Colin Charvis , Welsh rugby union player and coach1972 – Kevin Ollie , American basketball player and coach
1972 – Matt Slocum , American guitarist and songwriter
1973 – Kristoffer Zegers , Dutch pianist and composer1974 – Tomáš Janků , Czech high jumper1974 – Masi Oka , Japanese-American actor and visual effects designer
1974 – Fumiko Orikasa , Japanese voice actress and singer
1974 – Jay Pandolfo , American ice hockey player and coach
1975 – Aigars Fadejevs , Latvian race walker and therapist1975 – Kjell Eriksson , Swedish television personality
1975 – Heather O'Rourke , American actress (d. 1988)
1976 – Nikolaos Georgeas , Greek footballer1976 – Piotr Morawski , Polish mountaineer (d. 2009)
1976 – Daimí Pernía , Cuban basketball player and hurdler
1976 – Fernando Pisani , Canadian-Italian ice hockey player
1977 – Jacqueline Pillon , Canadian actress1977 – Chris Tate , English footballer
1978 – Deuce McAllister , American football player1979 – David Dunn , English footballer and manager1979 – Carson Palmer , American football player
1980 – Bernard Berrian , American football player1980 – Dahntay Jones , American basketball player
1980 – Meelis Kompus , Estonian journalist
1981 – David Aardsma , American baseball player1981 – Emilie de Ravin , Australian actress
1981 – Moise Joseph , American-Haitian runner
1981 – Patrick Sharp , Canadian ice hockey player
1982 – Erin E. Stead , American illustrator1983 – Anthony Boric , New Zealand rugby union player1983 – Cole Hamels , American baseball player
1983 – Jesse Williams , American high jumper
1984 – Andrejs Perepļotkins , Ukrainian-Latvian footballer1984 – Gilles Simon , French tennis player
1985 – Logan Bailly , Belgian footballer1985 – Jérôme d'Ambrosio , Belgian race car driver
1985 – Paul Stastny , Canadian-American ice hockey player
1986 – Torah Bright , Australian snowboarder1986 – Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce , Jamaican sprinter
1987 – Tim Browne , Australian rugby league player1987 – Lily Cole , English model
1988 – Zavon Hines , Jamaican-English footballer1988 – Ok Taec-yeon , South Korean singer and actor (2PM )
1988 – Rick Porcello , American baseball player
1988 – Hayley Williams , American singer-songwriter
1989 – Ingrid Várgas Calvo , Peruvian tennis player1990 – Max Lindholm , Finnish figure skater1990 – Milos Raonic , Canadian tennis player
1991 – Michael Morgan , Australian rugby league player1991 – Danny Wilson , Scottish footballer
1992 – Joel Indermitte , Estonian footballer1992 – Maicel Uibo , Estonian decathlete
1993 – Olivia Cooke , English actress1995 – Timothée Chalamet , American actor1995 – Mark Lapidus , Estonian chess player
1997 – Ana Konjuh , Croatian tennis player2005 – Kristina Pimenova , Russian child model
683 – Gao Zong , Chinese emperor (b. 628)870 – Aeneas of Paris , Frankish bishop975 – Balderic , bishop of Utrecht (b. 897)1003 – Emma of Blois , French duchess and regent1076 – Sviatoslav II , Grand Prince of Kiev (b. 1027)1087 – Bertha of Savoy , Holy Roman Empress (b. 1051)1381 – Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March , English politician (b. 1352)1518 – Mahmood Shah Bahmani II , sultan of the Bahmani Sultanate (b. c. 1470)1543 – George , margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (b. 1484)1548 – Francesco Spiera , Italian lawyer and jurist (b. 1502)1603 – Thomas Cartwright , English minister and theologian (b. 1535)1656 – Andrew White , English Jesuit missionary (b. 1579)1704 – Hans Albrecht von Barfus , Prussian field marshal and politician (b. 1635)1707 – Jean Mabillon , French monk and scholar (b. 1632)1737 – William Bowyer , English printer (b. 1663)1743 – Hyacinthe Rigaud , French painter (b. 1659)1771 – Henri Pitot , French engineer, invented the Pitot tube (b. 1695)1776 – Johann Rall , Hessian colonel (b. c. 1726 )1782 – Henry Home, Lord Kames , Scottish judge and philosopher (b. 1697)1800 – Hugh Blair , Scottish minister and author (b. 1718)1812 – Joanna Southcott , English religious leader (b. 1750)1834 – Charles Lamb , English essayist and poet (b. 1775)1836 – Stephen F. Austin , American soldier and politician (b. 1793)1858 – Alexandre Pierre François Boëly , French pianist and composer (b. 1785)1896 – John Brown , English businessman and politician (b. 1816)1900 – William Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong , English engineer and businessman, founded Armstrong Whitworth (b. 1810)1914 – Charles Martin Hall , American chemist and engineer (b. 1863)1919 – Achilles Alferaki , Russian-Greek composer and politician, Governor of Taganrog (b. 1846)1923 – Gustave Eiffel , French architect and engineer, co-designed the Eiffel Tower (b. 1832)1924 – Agda Meyerson , Swedish nurse and healthcare activist (b. 1866)1936 – Mehmet Akif Ersoy , Turkish poet, academic, and politician (b. 1873)1938 – Calvin Bridges , American geneticist and academic (b. 1889)1938 – Osip Mandelstam , Polish-Russian poet and critic (b. 1891)
1938 – Zona Gale , American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1874)
1939 – Rinaldo Cuneo , American painter (b. 1877)1943 – Ants Kurvits , Estonian general and politician, 10th Estonian Minister of War (b. 1887)1950 – Max Beckmann , German-American painter and sculptor (b. 1884)1952 – Patrick Joseph Hartigan , Australian priest, author, and educator (b. 1878)1953 – Şükrü Saracoğlu , Turkish soldier and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1887)1953 – Julian Tuwim , Polish poet and author (b. 1894)
1955 – Alfred Carpenter , English admiral, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1881)1956 – Lambert McKenna , Irish priest and lexicographer (b. 1870)1958 – Harry Warner , Polish-American film producer, co-founded Warner Bros. (b. 1881)1965 – Edgar Ende , German painter (b. 1901)1972 – Lester B. Pearson , Canadian historian and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Canada , Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)1974 – Vladimir Fock , Russian physicist and mathematician (b. 1898)1974 – Amy Vanderbilt , American author (b. 1908)
1978 – Chris Bell , American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1951)1978 – Houari Boumediene , Algerian colonel and politician, 2nd President of Algeria (b. 1932)
1978 – Bob Luman , American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1937)
1979 – Hafizullah Amin , Afghan educator and politician, 2nd President of Afghanistan (b. 1929)1981 – Hoagy Carmichael , American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (b. 1899)1982 – Jack Swigert , American pilot, astronaut, and politician (b. 1931)1985 – Jean Rondeau , French race car driver (b. 1946)1986 – George Dangerfield , English-American historian and journalist (b. 1904)1986 – Dumas Malone , American historian and author (b. 1892)
1988 – Hal Ashby , American director and producer (b. 1929)1992 – Kay Boyle , American novelist, poet, and educator (b. 1902)1993 – Feliks Kibbermann , Estonian chess player and philologist (b. 1902)1993 – Evald Mikson , Estonian footballer (b. 1911)
1993 – André Pilette , Belgian race car driver (b. 1918)
1994 – Fanny Cradock , English author and critic (b. 1909)1994 – J. B. L. Reyes , Filipino lawyer and jurist (b. 1902)
1995 – Shura Cherkassky , Ukrainian-American pianist (b. 1909)1995 – Genrikh Kasparyan , Armenian chess player and composer (b. 1910)
1997 – Brendan Gill , American journalist and essayist (b. 1914)1997 – Billy Wright , Northern Irish loyalist leader (b. 1960)
1999 – Michael McDowell , American author and screenwriter (b. 1950)2002 – George Roy Hill , American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)2003 – Alan Bates , English actor (b. 1934)2003 – Iván Calderón , Puerto Rican-American baseball player (b. 1962)
2004 – Hank Garland , American guitarist (b. 1930)2007 – Benazir Bhutto , Pakistani financier and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan (b. 1953)2007 – Jerzy Kawalerowicz , Polish director and screenwriter (b. 1922)
2007 – Jaan Kross , Estonian author and poet (b. 1920)
2008 – Delaney Bramlett , American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1939)2008 – Robert Graham , Mexican-American sculptor (b. 1938)
2009 – Isaac Schwartz , Ukrainian-Russian composer and educator (b. 1923)2011 – Catê , Brazilian footballer and manager (b. 1973)2011 – Michael Dummett , English soldier, philosopher, and academic (b. 1925)
2011 – Helen Frankenthaler , American painter and educator (b. 1928)
2011 – Johnny Wilson , Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (b. 1929)
2012 – Harry Carey, Jr. , American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)2012 – Lloyd Charmers , Jamaican singer, keyboard player, and producer (b. 1938)
2012 – Tingye Li , Chinese-American physicist and engineer (b. 1931)
2012 – Archie Roy , Scottish astronomer and academic (b. 1924)
2012 – Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. , American general and engineer (b. 1934)
2012 – Salt Walther , American race car driver (b. 1947)
2013 – Richard Ambler , English-Scottish biologist and academic (b. 1933)2013 – Mohamad Chatah , Lebanese economist and politician, Lebanese Minister of Finance (b. 1951)
2013 – Gianna D'Angelo , American soprano and educator (b. 1929)
2013 – John Matheson , Canadian colonel, lawyer, and politician (b. 1917)
2013 – Farooq Sheikh , Indian actor, philanthropist and a popular television presenter (b. 1948)
2014 – Ben Ammi Ben-Israel , American-Israeli religious leader, founded the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem (b. 1939)2014 – Ulises Estrella , Ecuadorian poet and academic (b. 1939)
2014 – Ronald Li , Hong Kong accountant and businessman (b. 1929)
2014 – Karel Poma , Belgian bacteriologist and politician (b. 1920)
2015 – Stein Eriksen , Norwegian-American skier (b. 1927)2015 – Dave Henderson , American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1958)
2015 – Ellsworth Kelly , American painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
2015 – Meadowlark Lemon , American basketball player and minister (b. 1932)
2015 – Alfredo Pacheco , Salvadoran footballer (b. 1982)
2015 – Stevie Wright , English-Australian singer-songwriter (b. 1947)
2016 – Carrie Fisher , American actress, screenwriter, author, producer, and speaker (b. 1956)2016 – Ratnasiri Wickremanayake , Sri Lankan politician (b. 1933)
Holidays and observances [ edit ] External links [ edit ]
