On this Day in History - February 27 New Orleanians Celebrates Mardi Gras

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

Feb 27, 1827: New Orleanians take to the streets for Mardi Gras  

On this day in 1827, a group of masked and costumed students dance through the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, marking the beginning of the city's famous Mardi Gras celebrations.  

The celebration of Carnival--or the weeks between Twelfth Night on January 6 and Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian period of Lent--spread from Rome across Europe and later to the Americas. Nowhere in the United States is Carnival celebrated as grandly as in New Orleans, famous for its over-the-top parades and parties for Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), the last day of the Carnival season.  

Though early French settlers brought the tradition of Mardi Gras to Louisiana at the end of the 17th century, Spanish governors of the province later banned the celebrations. After Louisiana became part of the United States in 1803, New Orleanians managed to convince the city council to lift the ban on wearing masks and partying in the streets. The city's new Mardi Gras tradition began in 1827 when the group of students, inspired by their experiences studying in Paris, donned masks and jester costumes and staged their own Fat Tuesday festivities.  

The parties grew more and more popular, and in 1833 a rich plantation owner named Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville raised money to fund an official Mardi Gras celebration. After rowdy revelers began to get violent during the 1850s, a secret society called the Mistick Krewe of Comus staged the first large-scale, well-organized Mardi Gras parade in 1857.  

Over time, hundreds of krewes formed, building elaborate and colorful floats for parades held over the two weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday. Riders on the floats are usually local citizens who toss "throws" at passersby, including metal coins, stuffed toys or those now-infamous strands of beads. Though many tourists mistakenly believe Bourbon Street and the historic French Quarter are the heart of Mardi Gras festivities, none of the major parades have been allowed to enter the area since 1979 because of its narrow streets.  In February 2006, New Orleans held its Mardi Gras celebrations despite the fact that Hurricane Katrina had devastated much of the city with massive flooding the previous August. Attendance was at only 60-70 percent of the 300,000-400,000 visitors who usually attend Mardi Gras, but the celebration marked an important step in the recovery of the city, which counts on hospitality and tourism as its single largest industry.









Feb 27, 1776: Patriots score early victory at Moores Creek, North

In the early-morning hours of February 27, 1776, Commander Richard Caswell leads 1,000 Patriot troops in the successful Battle of Moores Creek over 1,600 British Loyalists. It would go down in history as the first American victory in the first organized campaign of the Revolutionary War.  

Responding to the call by North Carolina Royal Governor Josiah Martin, British Colonel Donald McLeod began marching 1,600 Loyalists from Cross Creek, North Carolina, towards the coast, where they were supposed to rendezvous with other Loyalists and Redcoats at Brunswick, North Carolina. When Commander Caswell and the Patriots arrived at Moores Creek Bridge ahead of the British Loyalists, Caswell positioned his troops in the woods on either side of the bridge, awaiting the British with cannons and muskets at the ready. The British learned of the Patriot troops at Moores Creek in advance, but, expecting only a small force, decided to advance across the bridge to attack. The British Loyalists shouted, "King George and Broadswords!" as they advanced across the bridge; they were swiftly cut down by a barrage of Patriot musket and cannon fire.  

The British Loyalists quickly surrendered, giving the Patriots their first victory of the Revolutionary War. The victory aborted British plans to land a force at Brunswick, North Carolina, and ended British authority in the state. Within two months, on April 12, 1776, North Carolina became the first state to vote in favor of independence from Britain.  The National Park Service commemorates the victory at Moores Creek with a National Battlefield Park at the site, which was established in 1926.










Feb 27, 1922: Supreme Court defends women's voting rights

In Washington, D.C., the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for female suffrage, is unanimously declared constitutional by the eight members of the U.S. Supreme Court. The 19th Amendment, which stated that "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex," was the product of over seven decades of meetings, petitions, and protests by women suffragists and their supporters.  

In 1916, the Democratic and Republican parties endorsed female enfranchisement, and on June 4, 1919, the 19th Amendment was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, achieving the required three-fourths majority of state ratification, and on August 26 the 19th Amendment officially took effect.










Feb 27, 1969: Communist offensive continues

Communist forces shell 30 military installations and nine towns in South Vietnam, in what becomes known as the "Post-Tet Offensive." U.S. sources in Saigon put American losses in this latest offensive at between 250 and 300, compared with enemy casualties totaling 5,300. South Vietnamese officials report 200 civilians killed and 12,700 made homeless.












Feb 27, 1934: Auto safety crusader Ralph Nader born

On this day in 1934, the auto safety advocate and activist Ralph Nader, whose 1965 book "Unsafe at Any Speed" criticized the auto industry for poor safety standards and ultimately led to various reforms, is born in Winsted, Connecticut.  

Nader graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School and served in the U.S. Army for six months before becoming a lawyer. In 1965, while working as legislative aid in Washington, D.C., he published "Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile," which examined unsafe practices in the auto industry and charged car makers with emphasizing style and power in their designs at the expense of safety. One chapter of the book examined problems with the Chevrolet Corvair, a car produced by General Motors (GM). After Nader claimed in his book that the Corvair had an unacceptable rollover risk, the auto giant sent investigators to spy on Nader and look into his personal life in an effort to discredit him. Nader sued GM for harassment and invasion of privacy and won a settlement. The publicity surrounding GM's actions helped turn "Unsafe at Any Speed" into a bestseller and make Ralph Nader a household name. He testified before Congress about car safety, and his efforts aided the passage of the 1966 National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, a piece of legislation aimed at reducing the rising number of injuries and deaths from road accidents by establishing federal safety standards for every American-made vehicle, including requiring safety belts for all passengers.  

GM discontinued the Corvair in 1969 following slumping sales that were due, in part, to the negative publicity from "Unsafe at Any Speed." Nader's name became mud to some Corvair fans and according to a 2004 article in The New York Times: "Mr. Nader is still a touchy subject with many [Corvair] owners, whose vanity license plates may read 'N8R H8R' or 'RALPHWHO.' Other Corvair owners... put Nader campaign bumper stickers on their cars upside down, on the theory that they would be easier to read if indeed the car rolled over."  

Nader went on to become America's pre-eminent consumer advocate and work on behalf of a range of causes, including food and drug safety. He also embarked on several unsuccessful runs for the U.S. presidency as a third-party candidate. Nader was criticized by some people for siphoning away votes from Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore in the close 2000 election, which Gore ultimately lost to Republican George W. Bush.







Feb 27, 1960: U.S. Olympic hockey team beats Soviet Union

On this day in 1960, the underdog U.S. Olympic hockey team defeats the Soviet Union in the semifinals at the Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California. The next day, the U.S. beats Czechoslovakia to win its first-ever Olympic gold medal in hockey.  

The 1960 U.S. team was led by Jack Riley, the head hockey coach at West Point and himself a member of the 1948 U.S. Olympic hockey squad. His players were college students and amateurs and included two pairs of brothers, Bill and Bob Cleary and Bill and Roger Christian. Interestingly, Bill Christian’s son David was a member of the “Miracle on Ice” Olympic squad in 1980 that defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union in the semifinals and two days later beat Sweden to capture the gold medal. The last player cut from the 1960 U.S. squad was Herb Brooks, who went on to coach the “Miracle on Ice” team two decades later.  

The Americans had taken home silver medals in hockey at the Winter Games in 1952 and 1956, but going into the 1960 Olympics they were considered a long shot. The team managed to win its first four games against Czechoslovakia, Australia, Sweden and Germany, however, and then scored an upset victory over Canada and went on to meet the Soviets in the semi-final round on February 27. A packed crowd was on hand at Blythe Arena in Squaw Valley to witness the U.S. defeat the Soviets, 3-2, in a tightly fought game. It was the first time an American hockey squad had ever defeated the long-dominant Soviets in Olympic competition. The next day, the U.S. met the Czechs in the finals. After two periods, the U.S. was behind, 4-3; however, they scored six goals in the third period and went on to win the game, 9-4. It was America’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in hockey. Canada won the silver medal while the Soviets received the bronze.  

Twenty years later, on February 22, 1980, history repeated itself when the U.S. hockey team beat the Soviet Union in the semifinals of the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. It was a major upset for the Soviets, who were considered the world’s best team at the time, even better than any professional team in North America. The victory was particularly charged because the U.S. and Soviet Union were still Cold War enemies. On February 24, the Americans defeated Finland, 4-2, for the gold. The Soviets won the silver and Sweden took the bronze.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

837 - 15th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet

1526 - Saxony & Hesse form League of Gotha (league of Protestant princes)

1531 - Evangelical German monarchy/towns form Schmalkaldische Union

1557 - 1st Russian Embassy arrives in London

1563 - William Byrd is appointed organist at Lincoln Cathedral

1594 - Henri IV crowned king of France

1626 - Yuan Chonghuan is appointed Governor of Liaodong, after he led the Chinese into a great victory against the Manchurians under Nurhaci.

1665 - Battle at Elmina, Gold Coast: Vice-adm De Ruyter beats English

1667 - Abraham Crijnssen conquerors Fort Willoughby (Zeelandia), Suriname

1670 - Jews expelled from Austria by order of Leopold I

1678 - Earl of Shaftesbury freed out of London Tower

1696 - English/Welsh nobles lay down Oath of Association

1700 - Pacific Island of New Britain discovered

1713 - French troops bomb Willemstad Curacao

1801 - Washington DC placed under Congressional jurisdiction

1803 - Great fire in Bombay, India

1813 - 1st federal vaccination legislation enacted

1813 - Congress authorizes use of steamboats to transport mail

1814 - Ludwig von Beethovens 8th Symphony in F, premieres

1816 - Dutch regain Suriname

1827 - 1st Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans

1844 - Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti (National Day)

1854 - Composer Robert Schumann saved from suicide attempt in Rhine

US President Abraham LincolnUS President Abraham Lincoln 1860 - Abraham Lincoln makes a speech at Cooper Union in the city of New York that is largely responsible for his election to the Presidency.

1861 - Russians shoot at Poles protesting Russian rule of Poland in Castle Square, Warsaw

1861 - US Congress authorizes 1st stamped newspaper wrappers for mailing

1864 - 6th & last day of battle at Dalton, Georgia (about 600 casualties)

1864 - Near Andersonville GA, rebels open a new POW camp "Camp Sumpter"

1865 - Civil War skirmish near Sturgeon, Missouri

1869 - John Menard is 1st black to make a speech in Congress

1871 - Meeting of Alabama claims commission

1872 - Charlotte Ray, 1st Black woman lawyer, graduated Howard University

1873 - Dutch socialist Samuel van Wooden demands law against child labor

1874 - Baseball 1st played in England, at Lord's Cricket Grounds

1877 - US Electoral College declares R Hayes winner presidential election

1879 - Constantine Fahlberg discovers saccharin (artificial sweetener)

1881 - Battle at Amajuba, S Afr: Boers vs Brit army under Gen Colley

1883 - Oscar Hammerstein patents 1st cigar-rolling machine

1890 - D Needham & P Kerrigan box 100 rounds (6 h 39 m), SF; match is draw

1900 - Battle at Pietershoogte

1900 - Boer General Cronjé surrenders to English in Pardenberg, South-Africa

1900 - British Labour Party forms

1901 - NL Rules Committee decrees that all fouls are to count as strikes except after two strikes

1906 - France & Britain agree to joint control of New Hebrides

1908 - Sacrifice fly adopted (repealed in 1931, reinstated 1954)

1908 - Star #46 was added to US flag for Oklahoma

1912 - Lord Kitchener opens Khartoum-El Obeid (Nyala) railway

1919 - 1st public performance of Holst's "Planets"

1919 - American Association for Hard of Hearing forms (NYC)

1921 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Theresa Weld Blanchard

1921 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Sherwin Badger

1921 - The International Working Union of Socialist Parties is founded in Vienna.

31st US President Herbert Hoover31st US President Herbert Hoover 1922 - Commerce Sec Herbert Hoover convenes 1st National Radio Conference

1922 - G B Shaw's "Back to Methusaleh I/II," premieres in NYC

1922 - Supreme Court unanimously upheld 19th amend woman's right to vote

1924 - Belgium's Theunis government falls

1925 - Hitler's resurrects NSDAP political party in Munich

1925 - Test Cricket debut of Clarrie Grimmett, who took 5-45 & 6-37 v England

1927 - For 2nd Sunday in a row golfers in SC arrested for violating Sabbath

1929 - Turkey signs Litvinov-pact

1930 - Bouvet Island declared a Norwegian dependency

1932 - Explosion in coal mine Boissevain, Virginia, USA (38 dead)

1933 - German parliament building, Reichstag, destroyed by fire

1933 - Jean Genet's "Intermezzo," premieres in Paris

1933 - Nazis set fire to German parliament, blame it on Communists

1936 - Willy den Ouden swims world record 100 m free style (1:04.6)

1937 - Bradman scores 169 in 5th Test Cricket v England in 223 minutes

1938 - Britain and France recognize Franco government in Spain

1939 - Belgian government of Pierlot falls

1939 - English Spook house Borley Rectory destroyed in a fire

1939 - France recognizes Franco's regime in Spain

1939 - Supreme Court outlaws sit-down strikes

1940 - Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14

1942 - 1st transport of French Jews to nazi-Germany

1942 - Battle of Java Sea began 13 US warships sunk-2 Japanese

1942 - J S Hey discovers radio emissions from Sun

1943 - The Smith Mine #3 in Bearcreek, Montana, explodes, killing 74 men.

1943 - The Rosenstrasse protest starts in Berlin

1945 - Battle of US 94 Infantry

1945 - Lebanon declares Independence.

1946 - 4th "Road" film, "Road to Utopia" premieres (NYC)

1947 - Paul-Emile Victor French polar expeditions organized

Dictator of Nazi Germany Adolf HitlerDictator of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler 1949 - Chaim Weizmann becomes 1st Israeli president

1950 - General Chiang Kai-shek elected president of Nationalist China

1951 - 22nd amendment ratified, limiting president to 2 terms

1955 - Betty Jameson wins LPGA Sarasota Golf Open

1956 - Elvis Presley's releases "Heartbreak Hotel"

1956 - Female suffrage in Egypt

1957 - Mao's speech "On Correct Handling of Contradictions Among People"

1957 - Premiere of only prime-time network TV show beginning with an "X": "Xavier Cugat Show" on NBC (until X-Files)

1958 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

1959 - Chicago Cards trade running back Ollie Matson to LA Rams for 9 players

1959 - Boston Celtic Bob Cousy sets NBA record with 28 assists Boston Celtics score 173 points against Minneapolis Lakers

1960 - Oil pipe line from Rotterdam to Ruhrgebied opens

1960 - US Olympic Ice Hockey Team beats USSR 3-2 en route to gold medal

1961 - The first congress of the Spanish Trade Union Organisation is inaugurated.

1962 - South-Vietnam pres Ngo Dinh Diem's palace bombed, 1st US killed

Singer & Cultural Icon Elvis PresleySinger & Cultural Icon Elvis Presley 1963 - Mickey Mantle of NY Yankees sign a baseball contract worth $100,000

1964 - "What Makes Sammy Run?" opens at 84th St Theater NYC for 540 perfs

1964 - The government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over.

1965 - "High Spirits" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 375 performances

1965 - Dutch Marijnen government resigns

1965 - France performs Underground nuclear test at Ecker Algeria

1966 - Ice Dance Championship at Davos won by Diane Towler/Bernard Ford GRB

1966 - Ice Pairs Championship at Davos won by Belousova & Protopopov of URS

1966 - Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Davos won by Peggy Fleming of US

1966 - Men's Figure Skating Championship in Davos won by Emmerich Danzer AUT

1967 - Antigua & St Christopher-Nevis become associated states of UK

1967 - Dominica gains independence from England

1967 - Rio de la Plata Treaty

1969 - Gen Hafez al-Assad becomes head of Syria via milt coup

1969 - President Nixon visits West-Berlin

1970 - NY Times (falsely) reports US army has ended domestic surveillance

1971 - Doctors in the first Dutch abortion clinic (the Mildredhuis in Arnhem) start to perform aborti provocati.

1972 - Pres Nixon & Chinese Premier Chou En-lai issued Shanghai Communique

1973 - American Indian Movement occupy Wounded Knee in South Dakota

1973 - Dick Allen signs a record $675,000 3-yr contract with White Sox

1973 - Members of American Indian Movement begin occupation of Wounded Knee

1973 - Pope Paul VI publishes constitution motu proprio Quo aptius

1973 - White Sox slugger Dick Allen signs 3-year $750,000 contract

1974 - "People" magazine begins sales

1974 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1975 - CDU-politician Peter Lorentz kidnapped in West Berlin

1975 - House of Reps pass $21.3 billion anti-recession tax-cut bill

37th US President Richard Nixon37th US President Richard Nixon 1976 - Final meeting between Mao tse Tung & Richard Nixon

1977 - Judy Rankin wins LPGA Bent Tree Golf Classic

1977 - Keith Richards gets suspended sentence for heroin possession, Canada

1978 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island

1980 - 22nd Grammy Awards: What a Fool Believe, Streisand-Diamond duet

1980 - Israel & Egypt exchange ambassadors

1980 - Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF wins elections in Zimbabwe

1980 - Terrorists occupies Dominican embassy in Bogota

1981 - Greatest passenger load on a commercial airliner-610 on Boeing 747

1981 - Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder record "Ebony & Ivory"

1982 - Dan Issel (NBA-Nuggets), hits on 63rd consecutive free throw

1982 - Earl Anthony becomes 1st pro bowler to win more than $1 million

1982 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island

1982 - Wayne Williams found guilty of murdering 2 of 28 blacks in Atlanta

1983 - Eamonn Coghlan set indoor mile record of 3:49.78

Musician & member of the Beatles Paul McCartneyMusician & member of the Beatles Paul McCartney 1983 - Jan Stephenson wins Tucson Conquistadores LPGA Golf Tournament

1984 - Carl Lewis jumps world record indoor (8,675 m)

1984 - WRC-AM in Washington DC changes call letters to WWRC

1984 - Worker's union leader Billy Nair freed in South Africa

1985 - Farmers converge in Washington to demand economic relief

1985 - Mauritania's new constitutional charter published

1985 - US dollar is worth Ÿ3.9355 (Netherlands)

1986 - The United States Senate allows its debates to be televised on a trial basis.

1987 - "Washington Week In Review," 20th anniversary on PBS

1987 - Donald Regan resigned as White House chief of staff

1987 - Mike Conley triple jumps world indoor record (17.76m)

1987 - NCAA cancels SMU's entire 1987 football schedule for gross violations of NCAA rules regarding athletic corruption

1988 - Ayako Okamoto wins LPGA Orient Leasing Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open

1988 - Bonnie Blair (US) wins Olympic 500m speed skating in record 39.1

1988 - Gulfstream G-IV goes around the world 36:08:34

Olympic Sprinter and Long jumper Carl LewisOlympic Sprinter and Long jumper Carl Lewis 1988 - Katarina Witt (GDR) wins 2nd consecutive Olympic figure skating

1989 - German war criminals Aus der Funten/Fischer, freed in Holland

1989 - Venezuela is rocked by the riots of Caracazo.

1990 - Exxon Corp & Exxon Shipping are indicted on 5 criminal counts (Valdez)

1990 - No one elected to Hall of Fame for 2nd time in 3 years

1991 - Ben Elton's "Silly Cow," premieres in London

1991 - Gulf War ends after Iraqi troops retreat and Kuwait is re-taken by the US

1991 - Noureddine Morcelli set 1500m mark at 3:34:16

1991 - Singer James Brown is released from prison

1992 - Larry Smith, named 9th Commissioner of the CFL

1992 - Tiger Woods, 16, becomes youngest PGA golfer in 35 years

1993 - PBA National Championship Won by Ron Palombi Jr

1994 - 17th Winter Olympic games closes in Lillehammer, Norway

1994 - Maronite church near Beirut bombed, 10 killed

1995 - Car bomb explodes in Zakho, North-Iraq (54-80 killed)

Golfer Tiger WoodsGolfer Tiger Woods 1996 - Mark Waugh scores 126 in World Cup against India

1997 - "Last Night of Ballyhoo" opens at Helen Hayes Theater NYC

1997 - Singer Sade (Helen Folasade), arrest in Jamaica for disobeying a cop

1998 - Apple discontinues developing Newton computer

1998 - FBI arrests 10 most wanted suspected serial killer Tony Ray Amati

1998 - NE Patriot David Meggett arrested in Toronto on sex assault charges

1998 - Britain's House of Lords agree's to end 1,000 years of male preference by giving a monarch's first-born daughter the same claim to the throne as any first born son

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 - Godhra train burning, a Muslim mob kills 59 Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya

2002 - Ryanair Flight 296 catches fire in London Stansted Airport. Subsequent investigations criticize Ryanair's handling of the evacuation.

2002 - 44th Grammy Awards: Walk On, Alicia Keys wins

2003 - Former Bosnian Serb leader Biljana Plavsic is sentenced by the U.N. tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, to 11 years in prison

2003 - Rowan Williams is enthroned as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury in the Anglican church.

2004 - Former BPMC general secretary Ordrick Samuel launches a new party in Barbuda, Barbudans for a Better Barbuda.

Singer-songwriter Alicia KeysSinger-songwriter Alicia Keys 2004 - A bombing of a Superferry by Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines worst terrorist attack kills 116.

2007 - The general strike against Lansana Conté in Guinea ends.

2007 - The Chinese Correction: the Shanghai Stock Exchange falls 9%, the largest drop in 10 years.

2010 - Central Chile is hit with an 8.8 magnitude earthquake.

2012 - Wikileaks begins disclosing 5 million emails from private intelligence company Stratfor

2013 - 20 people are killed in a market fire in Calcutta, India

2013 - 17 Afghan militia are killed by Taliban insurgents in an attack in the Andar District

2013 - Pope Benedict XVI presents his farewell address to Vatican City

1700 - The Pacific Island of New Britain was discovered.   1801 - The city of Washington, DC, was placed under congressional jurisdiction.   1827 - New Orleans held its first Mardi Gras celebration.   1861 - In Warsaw, Russian troops fired on a crowd protesting Russian rule over Poland. Five protesting marchers were killed in the incident.   1867 - Dr. William G. Bonwill invented the dental mallet.   1883 - Oscar Hammerstein patented the first cigar-rolling machine.   1896 - The "Charlotte Observer" published a picture of an X-ray photograph made by Dr. H.L. Smith. The photograph showed a perfect picture of all the bones of a hand and a bullet that Smith had placed between the third and fourth fingers in the palm.   1900 - In South Africa, the British received an unconditional surrender from Boer Gen. Piet Cronje at Paardeberg.   1922 - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 19th Amendment that guaranteed women the right to vote.   1933 - The Reichstag, Germany's parliament building in Berlin, was set afire. The Nazis accused Communist for the fire.   1939 - The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed sit-down strikes.   1949 - Chaim Weizmann became the first Israeli president.   1951 - The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, limiting U.S. Presidents to two terms.   1972 - The Shanghai Communique was issued by U.S. President Nixon and Chinese Premier Chou En-lai.   1973 - The American Indian Movement occupied Wouned Knee in South Dakota.   1974 - "People" magazine was first issued by Time-Life (later known as Time-Warner).   1981 - Chrysler Corporation was granted an additional $400 million in federal loan guarantees. Chrysler had posted a loss of $1.7 billion in 1980.   1982 - Wayne B. Williams was convicted of murdering two of the 28 black children and young adults whose bodies were found in Atlanta, GA, over a two-year period.   1986 - The U.S. Senate approved the telecast of its debates on a trial basis.   1990 - The Exxon Corporation and Exxon Shipping were indicted on five criminal counts in reference to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.   1991 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush announced live on television that "Kuwait is liberated."   1997 - In Ireland, divorce became legal.   1997 - Don Cornelius received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   1998 - Britain's House of Lords agreed to give a monarch's first-born daughter the same claim to the throne as any first-born son. This was the end to 1,000 years of male preference.   1999 - Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new hot air balloon endurance record when they had been aloft for 233 hours and 55 minutes. The two were in the process of trying to circumnavigate the Earth.   1999 - Nigeria returned to civilian rule when Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo became the country's first elected president since August of 1983.   2002 - In Boston, twenty people working at Logan International Airport were charged with lying to get their jobs or security badges.   

1844 Dominican Republic gained independence from Haiti. 1933 German Reichstag building in Berlin was destroyed by fire. 1951 The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, limiting the President to two terms. 1973 Members of the American Indian Movement occupied the village of Wounded Knee, S.D. 1991 Kuwait was liberated in the Gulf War. 2003 Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, died. 2012 Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down as president of Yemen after months of protests.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/feb27.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory