December 27: The Second Day Of Christmas

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December 27: is the 361st day of the year (362nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 4 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

* 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed.

* 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regards to native Indians in the New World.

* 1657 - The Flushing Remonstrance is signed.

* 1703 - Portugal and England sign the Methuen Treaty which gives preference to Portuguese imported wines into England.

* 1814 - Destruction of schooner Carolina, the last of Commodore Daniel Patterson's make-shift 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, where he will formulate the theory of evolution.

* 1836 - The worst ever avalanche in England occurs at Lewes, Sussex, killing 8 people.

* 1845 - Ether anesthetic is used for childbirth for the first time by Dr. Crawford Williamson Long in Jefferson, Georgia.

* 1918 - The Great Poland Uprising against the Germans begins.

* 1923 - Namba Daisuke, a Japanese student, tries to assassinate the Prince Regent Hirohito

* 1929 - Leon Trotsky is deported from the Soviet Union in February 1929. His first station in exile was at BÃ¼yÃ¼kada off the coast of Istanbul, where he stayed four years.

* 1932 - The Radio City Music Hall in New York City opens.

* 1939 - Erzincan, Turkey is hit by an earthquake.

* 1945 - The World Bank is created with the signing of an agreement by 28 nations.

* 1949 - Indonesian National Revolution: The Netherlands officially recognizes Indonesian independence.

* 1968 - Apollo Program: Apollo 8 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, ending humanity's first manned mission to the Moon.

* 1978 - Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship.

* 1979 - The Soviet Union seizes control of Afghanistan and Babrak Karmal replaces overthrown and executed President Hafizullah Amin.

* 1985 - Palestinian guerrillas kill eighteen people inside Rome and Vienna airports.

* 1996 - Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram air base which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul.

* 1997 - Protestant paramilitary leader Billy Wright is assassinated in Northern Ireland.

* 2001 - The People's Republic of China is granted permanent normal trade relations with the United States.

* 2002 - Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny, Chechnya.

Births

* 1390 - Anne de Mortimer, claimant to the English throne (d. 1411)

* 1571 - Johannes Kepler, German astronomer (d. 1630)

* 1654 - Jacob Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (d. 1705)

* 1683 - Conyers Middleton, English minister (d. 1750)

* 1715 - Philippe de Noailles, duc de Mouchy, French soldier (d. 1794)

* 1717 - Pope Pius VI (d. 1799)

* 1721 - FranÃ§ois Hemsterhuis, Dutch philosopher (d. 1790)

* 1773 - George Cayley, English scientist, inventor, and politician (d. 1857)

* 1776 - Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (d. 1811)

* 1796 - Mirza Ghalib, Indian poet (d. 1869)

* 1803 - FranÃ§ois-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, French Canadian Patriote (d. 1839)

* 1822 - Louis Pasteur, French scientist (d. 1895)

* 1823 - Sir Mackenzie Bowell, fifth Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1896)

* 1832 - Pavel Tretyakov, Russian businessman and patron of art (d. 1897)

* 1864 - RenÃ© Georges Hermann-Paul, French artist

* 1879 - Sydney Greenstreet, English actor (d. 1954)

* 1883 - Cyrus S. Eaton, Canadian-American financier, industrialist and philanthropist (d. 1979)

* 1888 - Thea von Harbou, German author and actress (d. 1954)

* 1892 - Alfred Edwin McKay, Canadian World War One flying ace (d. 1917)

* 1896 - Carl Zuckmayer, German author and dramatist (d. 1977)

* 1896 - Louis Bromfield, American writer (d. 1956)

* 1896 - Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (d. 1952)

* 1900 - Hans Stuck, German race car driver (d. 1978)

* 1901 - Marlene Dietrich, German actress and singer (d. 1992)

* 1906 - Oscar Levant, American pianist, composer, and actor (d. 1972)

* 1907 - Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and writer (d. 1999)

* 1907 - Conrad L. Raiford, Goodwill Ambassador (d. 2002)

* 1907 - Willem van Otterloo, Dutch conductor and composer (d. 1978)

* 1910 - Charles Olson, American poet (d. 1970)

* 1915 - Mary Kornman, American actress (d. 1973)

* 1915 - William Masters, American gynecologist (d. 2001)

* 1915 - Gyula ZsengellÃ©r, Hungarian footballer

* 1917 - Onni Palaste, Finnish writer

* 1918 - John Celardo, American comic strip artist

* 1920 - Bruce Hobbs, American jockey (d. 2005)

* 1925 - Michel Piccoli, French actor

* 1926 - Jerome Courtland, American actor, director and producer

* 1927 - Antony Gardner, British politician

* 1927 - Agnes Nixon, American television producer, director, and writer

* 1930 - Wilfrid Sheed, English-born American writer

* 1931 - Scotty Moore, American guitarist

* 1934 - Larissa Latynina, Russian gymnast

* 1939 - John Amos, American actor

* 1941 - Michael Pinder, British musician (Moody Blues)

* 1941 - Nolan Richardson, American basketball coach

* 1942 - Byron Browne, baseball player

* 1942 - Charmian Carr, American actress

* 1943 - Cokie Roberts, American journalist

* 1943 - Joan Manuel Serrat, Spanish musician

* 1943 - Peter Sinfield, British lyricist and producer

* 1944 - Barry Elliot British actor

* 1944 - Mick Jones, British musician (Foreigner)

* 1946 - Janet Street-Porter, British journalist, producer and presenter

* 1947 - Tracy Nelson, American blues singer

* 1947 - Mickey Redmond, National Hockey League player

* 1947 - Janet Perry, American soprano

* 1948 - GÃ©rard Depardieu, French actor

* 1950 - Roberto Bettega, Italian footballer

* 1950 - Terry Bozzio, American drummer (Missing Persons)

* 1951 - Ernesto Zedillo, President of Mexico

* 1952 - Karla Bonoff, American singer and songwriter

* 1952 - Jay Hill, Canadian politician

* 1952 - David Knopfler, British musician (Dire Straits)

* 1955 - Barbara Olson, American political commentator (d. 2001)

* 1955 - Brad Murphey, Australian racing driver

* 1959 - Gerina Dunwich, American author

* 1959 - Andre Tippett, American football player

* 1960 - Maryam d'Abo, British actress

* 1960 - Victoria Paige Meyerink, American actress and producer

* 1960 - Donald Nally, American choral conductor

* 1962 - Barbara Crampton, American actress

* 1962 - Mark Few, American basketball coach

* 1962 - Bill Self, American basketball coach

* 1962 - Sherri Steinhauer, American golfer

* 1965 - Salman Khan, Indian actor

* 1965 - Chris Mainwaring, Australian rules footballer (d. 2007)

* 1966 - Wendy Coakley-Thompson, American writer

* 1966 - Eva LaRue, American actress

* 1966 - Bill Goldberg, American football player and professional wrestler

* 1966 - Fabian NÃºÃ±ez, American politician

* 1969 - Jean-Christophe Boullion, French race car driver

* 1969 - Sarah Vowell, American author and journalist

* 1970 - Brendon Cook, Australian racing driver

* 1970 - Lorenzo Neal, American football player

* 1971 - Chyna, American professional wrestler

* 1971 - Duncan Ferguson, Scottish footballer

* 1971 - Bryan Smolinski, American ice hockey player

* 1972 - Thomas Wilson Brown, American actor

* 1972 - Colin Charvis, Rugby union player

* 1972 - Matt Slocum, American musician (Sixpence None the Richer)

* 1973 - Kristoffer Zegers, Dutch Composer

* 1973 - Wilson Cruz, Puerto Rican actor

* 1973 - Dee Ferris, British painter

* 1974 - Masi Oka, Japanese-American actor

* 1974 - Jay Pandolfo, American ice hockey player

* 1975 - Heather O'Rourke, American actress (d. 1988)

* 1976 - Fernando Pisani, Canadian/Italian ice hockey player

* 1977 - Jacqueline Pillon, Canadian actress

* 1979 - David Dunn, English footballer

* 1979 - Carson Palmer, American football player

* 1980 - Claudio Castagnoli, Swiss wrestler

* 1980 - Cas Haley, American singer and guitarist

* 1981 - Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress

* 1982 - James Mead, American guitarist (Kutless)

* 1982 - Terji SkibenÃ¦s, Faroese guitarist, (TÃ½r)

* 1983 - Cole Hamels, American baseball player

* 1984 - Gilles Simon, French tennis player

* 1985 - Paul Stastny, Canadian-American ice hockey player

* 1988 - Hayley Williams, American Singer (Paramore)

Deaths

* 418 - Zosimus, Greek pope

* 1076 - Prince Svyatoslav II of Kiev (b. 1027)

* 1381 - Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, English politician

* 1548 - Francesco Spiera, Italian Protestant jurist (b. 1502)

* 1603 - Thomas Cartwright, English Puritan clergyman

* 1707 - Jean Mabillon, French palaeograopher and diplomat (b. 1632)

* 1737 - William Bowyer, English printer (b. 1663)

* 1743 - Hyacinthe Rigaud, French painter (b. 1659)

* 1771 - Henri Pitot, French engineer (b. 1695)

* 1782 - Henry Home, Lord Kames, Scottish philosopher (b. 1697)

* 1800 - Hugh Blair, Scottish preacher and man of letters (b. 1718)

* 1812 - Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Lithuanian rabbi and founder of Chabad Hasidism (b. 1745)

* 1812 - Joanna Southcott, an English self-described religious prophetess.

* 1834 - Charles Lamb, English essayist (b. 1775)

* 1836 - Stephen F. Austin, American pioneer (b. 1793)

* 1858 - Alexandre Pierre FranÃ§ois BoÃ«ly, French composer (b. 1785)

* 1896 - John Brown, British manufacturer (b. 1816)

* 1900 - William George Armstrong, English inventor, industrialist, and engineer (b. 1810)

* 1914 - Charles Martin Hall, American chemist and inventor (b. 1863)

* 1923 - Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect (b. 1832)

* 1925 - Sergei Yesenin, Russian poet (b. 1895)

* 1938 - Calvin Bridges, American geneticist (b. 1889)

* 1938 - Osip Mandelstam, Russian poet (b. 1891)

* 1950 - Max Beckmann, German painter (b. 1884)

* 1952 - Patrick Joseph Hartigan, Australian Roman Catholic priest (b. 1878)

* 1953 - Julian Tuwim, Polish poet (b. 1894)

* 1955 - Alfred Francis Blakeney Carpenter, English soldier (b. 1881)

* 1956 - Lambert McKenna, Irish editor and lexicographer. (b. 1870)

* 1965 - Edgar Ende, German painter (b. 1901)

* 1966 - Guillermo StÃ¡bile, Argentine footballer (b. 1906)

* 1972 - Lester B. Pearson, fourteenth Prime Minister of Canada, recipient of the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1897)

* 1974 - Vladimir Aleksandrovich Fock, Russian physicist (b. 1898)

* 1978 - Bob Luman, American country and rockabilly singer (b. 1937)

* 1978 - Houari BoumÃ©dienne, President of Algeria (b. 1932)

* 1981 - Hoagy Carmichael, American composer and singer (b. 1899)

* 1982 - John Swigert, American astronaut (b. 1931)

* 1987 - Geoffrey D Lloyd, Chairman of the guild of British Newspaper editors (b. 1933)

* 1988 - Hal Ashby, American film director (b. 1929)

* 1992 - Kay Boyle, American writer (b. 1902)

* 1993 - AndrÃ© Pilette, Belgian racing driver (b. 1918)

* 1995 - Shura Cherkassky, Ukrainian classical pianist (b. 1909)

* 1997 - Brendan Gill, American columnist and humorist (b. 1914)

* 1997 - Billy Wright, Irish Protestant paramilitary leader (b. 1960)

* 2002 - George Roy Hill, American film director (b. 1922)

* 2003 - Alan Bates, English actor (b. 1934)

* 2003 - Ivan Calderon, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player (murdered) (b. 1962)

* 2004 - Hank Garland, American musician (b. 1930)

* 2005 - William Doody, Canadian politician (b. 1931)

Holidays and Observances

* R.C. Saints - John the Apostle and Evangelist; Nicarete, an early Byzantine female physician.

* St. Stephen's Day among Orthodox Churches; a public holiday in Romania.

* The second day of Christmas in Western Christianity.