October 27 facts for kids

October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 65 days remain until the end of the year.

October 27th is a day filled with many interesting events throughout history! From the founding of famous cities to important scientific discoveries and the birthdays of well-known people, this date has seen a lot happen. Let's explore some of the most exciting moments and famous individuals connected to October 27th.

Events

Early History (Before 1600)

• 312 – It's believed that Constantine the Great, a Roman Emperor, had a special vision of a cross, which influenced his future decisions.
• 1275 – The city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands was traditionally founded on this day.
• 1524 – French soldiers began a siege on the city of Pavia.
• 1553 – Michael Servetus, a Spanish thinker, was executed outside Geneva.

Later History (1601–1900)

• 1644 – The Second Battle of Newbury took place during the English Civil War.
• 1674 – French soldiers in Grave gave up their town to a Dutch army after a tough siege.
• 1682 – The city of Philadelphia was founded in Pennsylvania, USA.
• 1775 – King George III of Britain spoke to Parliament, making his Proclamation of Rebellion against the American colonies even stronger.
• 1795 – The United States and Spain signed the Treaty of Madrid, which set the borders between Spanish lands and the U.S.
• 1806 – The French Army, led by Napoleon, marched into Berlin after defeating the Prussians in a big battle.
• 1810 – The United States took over the area known as West Florida, which used to be a Spanish colony.
• 1838 – Missouri's governor, Lilburn Boggs, issued an order for all Mormons to leave the state or face serious consequences.
• 1870 – During the Franco-Prussian War, a French general and 140,000 soldiers surrendered to Prussian forces after the Siege of Metz.

Modern Times (1901–Present)

• 1904 – The very first underground New York City Subway line opened, making travel much easier in the city.
• 1914 – During World War I, the new British battleship HMS Audacious sank after hitting a mine.
• 1922 – People in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) voted against joining the South African Union.
• 1930 – The first London Naval Treaty officially started, helping to limit the number of warships countries could build.
• 1936 – Mrs. Wallis Simpson got her divorce, which later allowed her to marry King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom. This led to him giving up his throne.
• 1944 – During World War II, German forces captured Banská Bystrica, ending the Slovak National Uprising.
• 1948 – An environmental event happened in Donora, Pennsylvania, where heavy smog caused health problems.
• 1954 – Benjamin O. Davis Jr. became the first African-American general in the United States Air Force.
• 1958 – Iskander Mirza, the first President of Pakistan, was removed from power by General Ayub Khan.
• 1961 – NASA successfully tested its first Saturn I rocket, a big step for space exploration.
• 1962 – During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Major Rudolf Anderson of the U.S. Air Force was shot down over Cuba.
• 1962 – Vasily Arkhipov, a Soviet naval officer, made a critical decision that helped prevent a nuclear war.
• 1964 – Ronald Reagan gave a famous speech called "A Time for Choosing", which helped launch his political career.
• 1971 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo changed its name to Zaire.
• 1979 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became an independent country from the United Kingdom.
• 1981 – A Soviet submarine ran aground on the coast of Sweden during the Cold War.
• 1986 – The British government made big changes to its financial markets in an event known as the "Big Bang".
• 1988 – Ronald Reagan stopped the building of a new U.S. Embassy in Moscow because Soviet listening devices were found inside.
• 1991 – Turkmenistan gained its independence from the Soviet Union.
• 1994 – Gliese 229B was identified as the first clear example of a "brown dwarf," a type of failed star.
• 1997 – The 1997 Asian financial crisis caused a sudden drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average stock market.
• 2014 – Britain ended its military operations in Afghanistan after more than 12 years.
• 2017 – Catalonia declared its independence from Spain, though it was not recognized.
• 2018 – Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the owner of Leicester City F.C., died in a helicopter crash after a soccer match.

Famous Birthdays

People Born Before 1600

• 892 – Emperor Ai of Tang, a Chinese emperor.
• 921 – Chai Rong, another Chinese emperor.
• 1335 – Taejo of Joseon, who founded a dynasty in Korea.
• 1401 – Catherine of Valois, a French princess who became Queen of England.
• 1561 – Mary Sidney, an English writer and translator.

People Born Between 1601 and 1900

• 1661 – Fyodor Apraksin, a Russian admiral.
• 1782 – Niccolò Paganini, a famous Italian violinist and composer.
• 1811 – Isaac Singer, who founded the Singer Corporation and made sewing machines popular.
• 1844 – Klas Pontus Arnoldson, a Swedish journalist and politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1858 – Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States and a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

People Born After 1900

• 1908 – Lee Krasner, an important American painter.
• 1914 – Dylan Thomas, a famous Welsh poet and playwright.
• 1920 – K. R. Narayanan, the 10th President of India.
• 1922 – Ruby Dee, an American actress and poet.
• 1923 – Roy Lichtenstein, a well-known American painter and sculptor.
• 1932 – Sylvia Plath, an American poet and novelist.
• 1939 – John Cleese, a famous English actor, comedian, and writer.
• 1945 – Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who became the 39th President of Brazil.
• 1946 – Ivan Reitman, a Slovak-Canadian director and producer.
• 1952 – Roberto Benigni, an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter.
• 1958 – Simon Le Bon, the lead singer of the band Duran Duran.
• 1963 – Marla Maples, an American model and actress.
• 1984 – Kelly Osbourne, an English television personality and singer.
• 1997 – Lonzo Ball, an American basketball player.

People Who Passed Away

Before 1600

• 939 – Æthelstan, an English king.
• 1327 – Elizabeth de Burgh, the queen of Robert the Bruce of Scotland.
• 1430 – Vytautas, a powerful ruler of Lithuania.
• 1449 – Ulugh Beg, a Persian astronomer, mathematician, and sultan.
• 1505 – Ivan III of Russia, also known as Ivan the Great.
• 1553 – Michael Servetus, a Spanish physician and theologian.
• 1561 – Lope de Aguirre, a Spanish explorer.

Between 1601 and 1900

• 1605 – Akbar, a powerful Mughal emperor of India.
• 1812 – Isaac Brock, a British army officer who played a key role in Canadian history.

After 1900

• 1949 – Marcel Cerdan, a famous Algerian-French boxer.
• 1962 – Rudolf Anderson, an American soldier and pilot.
• 1968 – Lise Meitner, an Austrian-English physicist who made important discoveries about nuclear fission.
• 1975 – Rex Stout, an American detective novelist.
• 1980 – John Hasbrouck Van Vleck, an American physicist and mathematician who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1990 – Xavier Cugat, a Spanish-American violinist and bandleader.
• 1992 – David Bohm, an American-English physicist and philosopher.
• 2010 – Néstor Kirchner, who was the 51st President of Argentina.
• 2013 – Lou Reed, a famous American singer-songwriter and musician.
• 2016 – Takahito, Prince Mikasa, a member of the Imperial Family of Japan.
• 2018 – Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the chairman of Leicester City F.C.
• 2023 – Li Keqiang, who served as the premier of China.

Special Days and Holidays

• Christian feast day:
  • Abbán
  • Abraham the Poor
  • Frumentius (Roman Catholic Church)
  • Gaudiosus of Naples
  • Kaleb of Axum
  • Namatius (Namace)
  • Oran of Iona
  • October 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Černová Tragedy Day (Slovakia)
• Flag Day (Greece)
• Independence Day (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), celebrating when Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979.
• Navy Day (United States) (an unofficial observance, the official date is October 13)
• World Day for Audiovisual Heritage