TODAY’S HISTORY LESSON – AUG 27
1660 The books of John Milton were burned in London due to his attacks on King Charles II.
1776 The Americans are defeated by the British at the Battle of Long Island, New York.
1793 Maximilien Robespierre is elected to the Committee of Public Safety in Paris, France.
1813 The Allies defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Dresden.
1858 The first cabled news dispatch was sent and was published by “The New York Sun” newspaper. The story was about the peace demands of England and France being met by China.
1859 Edwin Drake drilled the first successful U.S. oil well near Titusville, Pa.
1881 New York state’s Pure Food Law goes into effect to prevent “the adulteration of food or drugs.”
1894 The United States congress passes an income tax law as part of a general tariff act, but it is found unconstitutional.
1896 Zanzibar loses to England in a 38 minute war (9:02 AM-9:40 AM)
1912 Edgar Rice Burroughs’ publishes Tarzan
1928 Fifteen nations sign the Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact, outlawing war and calling for the settlement of disputes through arbitration. Forty-seven other countries eventually sign the pact.
1955 The “Guinness Book of World Records” compiled by student twins Norris and Ross McWhirter is published for the first time and becomes an instant success.
1962 The U.S. launched the Mariner II space probe.
1984 President Ronald Reagan announces NASA Teacher in Space project, intended to inspire students and honor teachers and spur interest in the fields of science, mathematics and space exploration.
1991 Moldavia declares independence from USSR.
1996 California Governor Pete Wilson signed an order that would halt state benefits to illegal immigrants.
2001 Work began on the future site of a World War II memorial on the U.S. capital’s historic national Mall. The site is between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
2003 Mars approaches closest to the Earth since 57,617 BC
** history.net, onthisday.com, infoplease.com, timeanddate.com, thepeoplehistory.com, on-this-day.com **
