July 27th in History

1054 Siward, Earl of Northumbria invades Scotland to support Malcolm Canmore against Macbeth of Scotland, who usurped the Scottish throne from Malcolm's father, King Duncan. Macbeth is defeated at Dunsinane.  These events later inspired William Shakespeare to write 'the Scottish play', between 1603-7.

1549 Jesuit priest Francis Xavier's ship reaches Japan.  Co-founder of the order, he dedicated himself to an extensive mission in Africa, and Asia venturing into areas not previously visited by Christian missionaries, primarily in the regions under the contol or influence of the Portuguese.

1663 The English Parliament passes the second Navigation Act requiring that all goods bound for the American colonies have to be sent in English ships from English ports, contributing to the American Revolution.

1789   The first U.S. federal government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, is established (later renamed Department of State).

1794   French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre is arrested after encouraging the execution of more than 17,000 "enemies of the Revolution" under the reign of terror.  Under the pretext of seeking the enemies of the French Revolution, people were executed without trial for no justifiable reason, only accusations.  In what is either irony or karrm, Robespierre himself was guillotined without being tried.  In an interesting variation on the usual execution, Robespierre was guillotined face up, not face down.

1866   The Atlantic Cable is successfully completed, allowing transatlantic telegraph communication for the first time.

1880   Second Anglo-Afghan War: Battle of Maiwand – In a pyrrhic victory, Afghan forces led by Ayub Khan defeat the British Army in battle near Maiwand, Afghanistan.

1919   The Chicago Race Riots erupt after a racial incident occurred on a South Side beach, leading to 38 fatalities and 537 injuries over a five-day period.  The incident was that a black swimmer drifted into an area reserved for whites, was pelted with stones, and drowned.  The race riot lasted for five days, and included fires that did massive property damage.

1921   Researchers at the University of Toronto led by biochemist Frederick Banting announce the discovery of the hormone insulin.

1938   Birth of E. Gary Gygax, Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game co-creator with Dave Arneson.

cell from the cartoon, showing Bugs bunny

1940   The animated short 'A Wild Hare is released, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny, and his nemisis Elmer Fudd.

1953    Korean War ends: The United States, People's Republic of China, and North Korea, sign an armistice agreement. Syngman Rhee, president of South Korea, refuses to sign but pledges to observe the armistice.

1955   The Allied occupation of Austria stemming from World War II ends, some 11 years after the conclusion of active and organized belligerance.  This presents an interesting time context to our occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, both of which present active and effective (if diminished) belligerance.

1974   Watergate Scandal: The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee votes 27 to 11 to recommend the first article of impeachment (for obstruction of justice) against President Richard Nixon.

1990   The Supreme Soviet of the Belarusian Soviet Republic declares independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union. Until 1996 the day is celebrated as the Independence Day of Belarus; after a referendum held that year the celebration of independence is transferred to June 3.

         – The Jamaat al Muslimeen stage a coup d'état attempt in Trinidad and Tobago, occupying Parliament and the studios of Trinidad and Tobago Television, holding Prime Minister A. N. R. Robinson and most of his Cabinet, as well as the staff at the television station hostage for 6 days.

1995   The Korean War Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C..

1996   Centennial Olympic Park bombing: In Atlanta, Georgia, a pipe bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 Summer Olympics. Alice Hawthorne is killed, and a cameraman suffers a heart attack fleeing the scene. 111 are injured.   Eric Robert Rudolph was convicted, and is serving five consecutive life sentences in a federal supermax prison.  A domestic terrorist with ties to the white supremacist christian identity movement, an anti-semite and anti-homosexual, he was a serial bomber, having also bombed other targets, ranging from a lesbian night club to abortion clinics.  Rudolph made this statement in justification for his actions:

     In the summer of 1996, the world converged upon Atlanta for the Olympic Games. Under the protection and auspices of the regime in Washington millions of people came to celebrate the ideals of global socialism. Multinational corporations spent billions of dollars, and Washington organized an army of security to protect these best of all games. Even though the conception and purpose of the so-called Olympic movement is to promote the values of global socialism, as perfectly expressed in the song Imagine by John Lennon, which was the theme of the 1996 Games even though the purpose of the Olympics is to promote these despicable ideals, the purpose of the attack on July 27 was to confound, anger and embarrass the Washington government in the eyes of the world for its abominable sanctioning of abortion on demand.

     The plan was to force the cancellation of the Games, or at least create a state of insecurity to empty the streets around the venues and thereby eat into the vast amounts of money invested.

Bob Hope, on a USO tour

2003    Death of comedian Bob Hope, English-born entertainer, and host of some 200 USO shows around the world, at age 100. (b. May, 1903)

Ahmed Ressam

2005   Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian who'd plotted to bomb the Los Angeles airport on the eve of the millennium, was sentenced to 22 years in prison.

2007   Phoenix News Helicopter Collision: News helicopters from Phoenix, Arizona television stations KNXV and KTVK collide over Steele Indian School Park in central Phoenix while covering a police chase; there are no survivors. This is the first known incidence of two news helicopters colliding in mid-air, and the worst civil aviation incident in Phoenix history.