February 27

This Day in History

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Lead Story
New Orleanians take to the streets for Mardi Gras, 1827
American Revolution
Patriots score early victory at Moores Creek, North, 1776
Automotive
Auto safety crusader Ralph Nader born, 1934
Civil War
Federal prisoners begin arriving at Andersonville, 1864
Cold War
"Shanghai Communique" issued, 1972
Crime
Video recreates the crime, 1991
Disaster
Mine explosion kills 74 in Montana, 1943
General Interest
Britain recognizes U.S. authority over Western Hemisphere, 1897
Supreme Court defends women's voting rights, 1922
Leaning Tower needs help, 1964
AIM occupation of Wounded Knee begins, 1973
Hollywood
Shirley Temple receives $50,000 per film, 1936
Literary
The Valley of Fear is published, 1915
Music
"I Will Survive" wins the first—and last—Grammy ever awarded for Best Disco Recording, 1980
Old West
AIM takes Wounded Knee, 1973
Presidential
Mathew Brady photographs presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln, 1860
Sports
U.S. Olympic hockey team beats Soviet Union, 1960
Vietnam War
Diem survives coup attempt, 1962
United States assails North Vietnamese "aggression", 1965
Communist offensive continues, 1969
World War I
Austrians occupy Durazzo in Albania, 1916
World War II
U.S. aircraft carrier Langley is sunk, 1942

Vietnam War

Feb 27, 1965:

United States assails North Vietnamese "aggression"

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The U.S. State Department releases a 14,000-word report entitled "Aggression from the North--The Record of North Vietnam's Campaign to Conquer South Vietnam." Citing "massive evidence," including testimony of North Vietnamese soldiers who had defected or been captured in South Vietnam, the document claimed that nearly 20,000 Viet Cong military and technical personnel had entered South Vietnam through the "infiltration pipeline" from the North. The report maintained that the infiltrators remained under military command from Hanoi. The Johnson administration was making the case that the war in Vietnam was not an internal insurgency, but rather an invasion of South Vietnam by North Vietnamese forces. This approach was a calculated ploy by President Lyndon Johnson, who realized that he would have a hard time convincing the American public that the United States should get involved in a civil war--acting to stop the spread of communism by invading North Vietnamese would provide a much better justification for increased U.S. involvement in the conflict.

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This Week in History, Feb 27 - Mar 5

Feb 27, 1962
Diem survives coup attempt
Feb 27, 1965
United States assails North Vietnamese "aggression"
Feb 27, 1969
Communist offensive continues
Feb 28, 1968
Wheeler says Westmoreland will need more troops
Mar 01, 1965
U.S. informs South Vietnam of intent to send Marines
Mar 01, 1968
Clifford replaces McNamara
Mar 01, 1971
Bomb explodes in Capitol building
Mar 02, 1965
First Rolling Thunder raid conducted
Mar 02, 1967
Kennedy proposes plan to end the war
Mar 03, 1965
U.S. jets bomb Ho Chi Minh Trail
Mar 03, 1971
U.S. 5th Special Forces Group withdraws
Mar 04, 1968
Task Force sends memo to the president
Mar 05, 1964
U.S.A.F. advisory team sent to Laos
Mar 05, 1971
"Blackhorse" departs South Vietnam

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