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AIM occupation of Wounded Knee begins

Born on This Day

John Steinbeck

1902 - 1968

Nobel Prize-winning author of socially-conscious novels "The Grapes of Wrath," "East of Eden," and "Of Mice and Men."

Marian Anderson

1897 - 1993

Opera singer who broke racial barriers in classical music, including an iconic 1939 appearance at the Lincoln Memorial.

Elizabeth Taylor

1932 - 2011

Actress and AIDS activist known for her roles in films like "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," as well as her tumultuous personal life.

John SteinbeckCorbis via Getty Images

Marian AndersonGetty Images

Elizabeth TaylorGetty Images

1872

FEB27

Charlotte E. Ray graduates from Howard Law School, becoming the first Black woman to practice law in the United States.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on February 27th

New Orleanians take to the streets for Mardi Gras

The first Mardi Gras celebrations are held in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Dominican Republic declares independence as a sovereign state

On February 27, 1844, revolutionary fervor boils over on the eastern side of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Finally coming into the open after years of covert planning, a group known as La Trinitaria seizes the fortress of Puerta del Conde in the city of Santo Domingo, beginning the Dominican War of Independence. Much of […]

Mathew Brady photographs presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln

On February 27, 1860, President Abraham Lincoln poses for the first of several portraits by noted Civil War-era photographer Mathew Brady. Days later, the photograph is published on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar with the caption, “Hon. Abram [sic] Lincoln, of Illinois, Republican Candidate for President.” A relatively new art form, the photograph (or daguerreotype) […]

Supreme Court defends women’s voting rights

In deciding the case Leser v. Garnett, the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of the 19th Amendment—which, when ratified two years earlier, provided American women with the right to vote. The justices were unanimous in their decision to dismiss the challenge. In the case, a prominent Baltimore lawyer named Oscar Leser sued to strike […]

6-year-old Shirley Temple receives special miniature Oscar

At the seventh Academy Awards ceremony, on February 27, 1935, 6-year-old ascendant Hollywood star Shirley Temple receives the first-ever kid-sized, “juvenile” Oscar. The trophy measured roughly half the height of a full-sized Oscar. Temple’s Hollywood career had shot into the stratosphere in 1934, when the tot appeared in no fewer than six films, including Stand […]

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U.S. aircraft carrier Langley is sunk

The U.S. Navy’s first aircraft carrier, the Langley, is sunk by Japanese warplanes (with a little help from U.S. destroyers), and all of its 32 aircraft are lost. The Langley was launched in 1912 as the naval collier (coal transport ship) Jupiter. After World War I, the Jupiter was converted into the Navy’s first aircraft carrier […]

U.S. Olympic hockey team beats Soviet Union

Two decades before the famed “Miracle on Ice,” another underdog U.S. Olympic hockey team defeats the Soviet Union team in the semifinals at the Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California on February 27, 1960. The next day, the U.S. beats Czechoslovakia to win its first-ever Olympic gold medal in hockey. The 1960 U.S. team was led […]

Italian government seeks aid for fixing Leaning Tower of Pisa

On February 27, 1964, the Italian government announces that it is accepting suggestions on how to save the renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa from collapse. The top of the 180-foot tower was hanging 17 feet south of the base, and studies showed that the tilt was increasing by a fraction every year. Experts warned that […]

Buddy Holly’s glasses, lost since his death in 1959, are found in Mason City, Iowa

On February 27, 1980, the long-lost glasses of rocker Buddy Holly, who died in the deadly plane crash in 1959, were found—filed away in an envelope in a court clerk’s office. When the Beechcraft Bonanza carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper crashed outside Clear Lake, Iowa, in the early morning hours of […]

“I Will Survive” wins the first—and last—Grammy ever awarded for Best Disco Recording

On February 27, 1980, the first—and final—Grammy for Best Disco Recording is awarded to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” After watching disco music utterly dominate the musical landscape of the late 1970s, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences had finally decided to give it their stamp of approval, with the category Best Disco […]

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Effa Manley becomes first woman elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

On February 27, 2006, baseball pioneer Effa Manley becomes the first woman elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Manley, who died in 1981, was co-owner of the Newark (New Jersey) Eagles, a Negro League powerhouse, and a huge advocate for Black ballplayers and civil rights causes. “She’s deserving; she did a lot for the […]

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