Actor Christopher Reeve was paralyzed after being thrown from his horse
The Superman star suffered a spinal cord injury during an equestrian competition in Virginia. Despite being paralyzed from the neck down, he became a...
May 27 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
1995
1994
Russian writer and dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia after 20 years in exile
The Nobel Prize winner who exposed Soviet labor camps in 'The Gulag Archipelago' had been forcibly deported in 1974. His return was a symbolic moment...
1963
American singer Bob Dylan walked off 'The Ed Sullivan Show' after being told he couldn't perform his song 'Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues'
CBS censors thought the satirical song about the far-right John Birch Society was too controversial. Dylan refused to perform a different song and sim...
1957
Queen Elizabeth II knighted Sir Alexander Fleming with the Order of the British Empire
Fleming, who discovered penicillin in 1928, received one of many honors during this period. His accidental discovery of the antibiotic had already sav...
1941
The German battleship Bismarck was sunk by the British Royal Navy
MajorAfter a dramatic chase across the Atlantic, the pride of the German Navy was destroyed just eight days into its first mission. Of the 2,200 crew membe...
1937
The Golden Gate Bridge opened to pedestrians in San Francisco
MajorAround 200,000 people walked across the newly completed Golden Gate Bridge on its opening day, known as 'Pedestrian Day.' The next day it opened to ve...
1933
Walt Disney's cartoon 'The Three Little Pigs' premiered
The animated short became a massive hit during the Great Depression, with its song 'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?' becoming an anthem of resilienc...
1930
The Chrysler Building in New York City officially opened as the world's tallest building
The Art Deco skyscraper held the title for only 11 months before being surpassed by the Empire State Building. At 1,046 feet, it featured a distinctiv...
1923
The first 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race began in France
The inaugural race featured 33 cars competing to see who could cover the most distance in 24 hours. Only 30 cars finished. The event became one of the...
1703
Saint Petersburg was founded by Russian Tsar Peter the Great
MajorPeter the Great established the city on conquered Swedish territory as Russia's 'window to Europe.' Built on a swamp at tremendous human cost, it beca...
1647
The first recorded execution of a witch in the American colonies took place in Connecticut
Alse Young was hanged in Hartford, becoming the first person executed for witchcraft in the American colonies. Almost nothing is known about her case,...
Fun Facts from May 27
2012Entertainment
1941History