April 27: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On April 27, 1994, South Africans of every race cast ballots together for the first time, ending decades of Apartheid in a single historic election.
About April 27
April 27 is a day of beginnings and endings, sometimes in the very same breath. In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad led Moorish forces ashore at Gibraltar, launching a conquest that would reshape the Iberian Peninsula for centuries. Exactly 810 years later, Ferdinand Magellan met his end on a Philippine beach at the Battle of Mactan, killed by warriors loyal to Chief Lapulapu—a reminder that exploration carried a steep and often fatal price.
The date also carries a powerful legacy of liberation. South Africa's first democratic general election in 1994, in which black citizens could finally vote, officially ended Apartheid. A continent away in 1967, Expo 67 threw open its gates in Montreal, giving Canada a dazzling coming-out party broadcast to a global audience. And in 2018, the leaders of North and South Korea signed the Panmunjom Declaration, formally expressing their intention to bring the Korean conflict to a close.
For a day so steeped in heavy history, April 27 also invites lighter pleasures. It honors Samuel Morse's birth and the tapping language he helped create, pays tribute to Babe Ruth, and even celebrates the humble gummi bear. Taurus season grounds it all in stubborn determination—fitting for a date that has witnessed humanity at its most unyielding.
Holidays & Observances on April 27
- Christian feast days: Assicus
- Christian feast days: Floribert of Liège
- Christian feast days: John of Constantinople
- Christian feast days: Liberalis of Treviso
- Christian feast days: Blessed María Antonia Bandrés Elósegui
- Christian feast days: Blessed Osanna of Cattaro
- Christian feast days: Pedro Armengol
- Christian feast days: Pollio
Fun & National Days on April 27
- Morse Code Day — Tap out a secret message to a friend—dots and dashes optional, creativity required.
- Babe Ruth Day — Swing for the fences today in honor of the Sultan of Swat and his legendary bat.
- International Design Day — Pause to notice the thoughtful design in everything from your coffee cup to your phone screen.
- National Prime Rib Day — Treat yourself to a thick, juicy slice of perfectly crusted prime rib tonight.
- National Tell a Story Day — Spin a yarn for someone you love—true, tall, or somewhere in between.
- National Gummi Bear Day — Toss back a handful of the squishy, fruity candies that have delighted kids since 1922.
- International Crow and Raven Appreciation Day
- Marine Mammal Rescue Day
- Matanzas Mule Day
- National Devil Dog Day
On This Day in History
- 247 — Emperor Philip the Arab throws the ludi saeculares, a grand festival celebrating one thousand years since Rome's legendary founding.
- 711 — Moorish commander Tariq ibn Ziyad lands his forces at Gibraltar, launching the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
- 1521 — Ferdinand Magellan is slain on Philippine shores at the Battle of Mactan by warriors under the local chief Lapulapu.
- 1522 — A Spanish-Imperial army routs French and Venetian forces at Bicocca, where firearms first prove decisively dominant over Swiss pikemen.
- 1565 — Spanish colonizers establish Cebu, founding what becomes the first enduring European settlement in the Philippines.
- 1667 — Blind and destitute, poet John Milton sells the manuscript of Paradise Lost to a printer for just ten pounds.
- 1805 — United States Marines and Berber allies assault the Tripolitan city of Derna, immortalizing the 'shores of Tripoli' in Marine lore.
- 1945 — Italian partisans capture Benito Mussolini near Dongo as he tries to slip away disguised in a German soldier's uniform.
- 1967 — Montreal's Expo 67 opens with a worldwide broadcast, kicking off Canada's spectacular world's fair.
- 1992 — Betty Boothroyd shatters a seven-century glass ceiling by becoming the first woman elected Speaker of Britain's House of Commons.
- 1994 — South Africa holds its first democratic election open to all races, marking the official end of Apartheid and the Interim Constitution taking effect.
- 2018 — North and South Korea sign the Panmunjom Declaration, jointly stating their resolve to formally end the Korean conflict.
Famous Birthdays on April 27
- 1759 — Mary Wollstonecraft, English philosopher and novelist whose radical writings laid foundational stones for modern feminism.
- 1791 — Samuel Morse, American painter turned inventor who co-created Morse code, the dots-and-dashes system that revolutionized long-distance communication.
- 1822 — Ulysses S. Grant, Union general who ground down the Confederacy and served as the 18th President of the United States.
- 1891 — Sergei Prokofiev, Russian composer and pianist whose vivid, spiky scores include Peter and the Wolf and Romeo and Juliet.
- 1896 — Wallace Carothers, American chemist who invented nylon, giving the world its first synthetic fiber and transforming textiles forever.
- 1927 — Coretta Scott King, Civil rights activist and author who carried forward the movement for racial equality after her husband's assassination.
- 1932 — Casey Kasem, Radio personality and voice actor who co-created American Top 40 and voiced Shaggy on Scooby-Doo.
- 1945 — August Wilson, Pulitzer-winning playwright whose Century Cycle chroniced African-American life across ten decades.
- 1951 — Ace Frehley, Lead guitarist of KISS whose smoking, rocket-firing axework helped define 1970s arena rock theatrics.
- 1988 — Lizzo, Flute-playing singer and rapper whose body-positive anthems made her a defining pop voice of the late 2010s.