February 27

Events1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland.1594 - Henry IV is crowned King of France.1617 - Sweden and Russia sign the Treaty of Stolbovo, ending the Ingrian War and shutting Russia out of the Baltic Sea.1626 - Yuan Chonghuan is appointed Governor of Liaodong, after he led the Chinese into a great victory against the Manchurians under Nurhaci.1700 - The island of New Britain is discovered.1703 - The first Mardi Gras is celebrated in Mobile, Alabama.1793 - The Giles resolutions are introduced to the United States House of Representatives asking the House to condemn Alexander Hamilton's handling of loans.1801 - Washington, DC is placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress.1812 - Poet Lord Byron gives his first address as a member of the House of Lords, in defense of Luddite violence against Industrialism in his home county of Nottinghamshire.1827 - The first Mardi Gras is celebrated in New Orleans, Louisiana.1844 - The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti.1860 - Abraham Lincoln makes a speech at Cooper Union in the city of New York that was largely responsible for his election to the Presidency.1861 - A crowd in Warsaw protesting Russian rule over Poland is fired upon by Russian troops, killing five protesters.1864 - American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia.1879 - Announcement of the discovery of artificial sweetener saccharin.1900 - Second Boer War: In South Africa, British military leaders receive an unconditional notice of surrender from Boer General Piet Cronje at the Battle of Paardeberg.1900 - The British Labour Party is founded.1900 - The FC Bayern München (Munich) is founded.1921 - The International Working Union of Socialist Parties is founded in Vienna.1922 - A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States in Leser v. Garnett.1933 - Reichstag fire: Germany's parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, is set on fire.1939 - American Civil Rights Movement: Sit-down strikes are outlawed by the Supreme Court of the United States.1940 - Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discovered carbon-141942 - World War II: During the Battle of the Java Sea, an allied (ABDA) strike force is defeated by a Japanese task force in the Java Sea in the Dutch East Indies1943 - The Smith Mine #3 in Bearcreek, Montana, explodes, killing 74 men.1943 - The Rosenstrasse protest starts in Berlin1951 - The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting Presidents to two terms, is ratified.1961 - The first congress of the Spanish Trade Union Organisation is inaugurated.1963 - The Dominican Republic receives its first democratically elected president, Juan Bosch, since the end of the dictatorship led by Rafael Trujillo.1964 - The government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over.1967 - Dominica gains independence from the United Kingdom.1971 - Doctors in the first Dutch abortion clinic (the Mildredhuis in Arnhem) start to perform abortus provocatus.1973 - The American Indian Movement occupies Wounded Knee, South Dakota.1974 - People magazine is published for the first time.1976 - The formerly Spanish territory of Western Sahara, under the auspices of the Polisario Front declares independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.1986 - The United States Senate allows its debates to be televised on a trial basis.1989 - Venezuela is rocked by the Caracazo.1991 - Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that "Kuwait is liberated."1996 - Satoshi Tajiri creates the hit media franchise Pokémon.1999 - While trying to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon, Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new endurance record after being in a hot air balloon for 233 hours and 55 minutes.1999 - Olusegun Obasanjo becomes Nigeria's first elected president since mid-1983.1999 - Korea International School is founded by Soon-Il Chung. It is currently directed by Ann Clapper.2002 - Ryanair Flight 296 catches fire in London Stansted Airport. Subsequent investigations criticize Ryanair's handling of the evacuation.2002 - A Muslim mob attacks a train a few minutes after it leaves the Godhra railway station, killing 59 Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya; retaliatory riots lead to the death of at least 1000 people, mostly Muslims.2003 - Rowan Williams is enthroned as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury in the Anglican church.2004 - A bombing of a Superferry by Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines worst terrorist attack kills 116.2004 - Former BPMC general secretary Ordrick Samuel launches a new party in Barbuda, Barbudans for a Better Barbuda.2005 - Pre-pay price capping on the Transport for London oyster card is introduced.2006 - The Harlem Globetrotters extended their overall record to 22,000 wins.2007 - The general strike against Lansana Conté in Guinea ends.2007 - The Chinese Correction the Shanghai Stock Exchange tumbled 9% the largest drop in 10 years.
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