May 27: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On May 27, 1937, 200,000 pedestrians streamed across the newly opened Golden Gate Bridge, walking for the very first time between San Francisco and Marin County.
About May 27
May 27 has a remarkable habit of producing ambitious firsts. In 1703, Tsar Peter the Great laid the foundations of Saint Petersburg, willing a new Russian capital into existence on marshy Baltic shores. Nearly two and a half centuries later, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to pedestrian traffic, letting foot traffic cross what was then the world's longest suspension span. And in 1919, the NC-4 flying boat touched down in Lisbon, completing the first transatlantic flight and proving the ocean could be conquered by air.
Political power has often changed hands on this date as well. King John of England received his crown in 1199, Malcolm IV ascended to the Scottish throne in 1153, and Alexander III was anointed Tsar of Russia in 1883. In 1967, Australians decisively voted in a constitutional referendum to grant the federal government power to legislate for Indigenous Australians and include them in the census—a watershed moment for civil rights.
The day carries shadows too, from the 1096 massacre of Jewish residents in Mainz to the devastating St. Louis tornado of 1896 that claimed at least 255 lives. Yet May 27 also gave us Vincent Price's chilling performances, Rachel Carson's pioneering environmentalism, and Dashiell Hammett's detective fiction—a day of crowns, bridges, and enduring creativity.
Holidays & Observances on May 27
- Armed Forces Day (Nicaragua)
- Children's Day (Nigeria)
- Mother's Day (Bolivia)
- Navy Day (Japan)
- Slavery Abolition Day (Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin)
- Start of National Reconciliation Week (Australia)
Fun & National Days on May 27
- Cellophane Tape Day — Celebrate that humble transparent adhesive that holds our wrapping paper—and sometimes our lives—together.
- National Grape Popsicle Day — Unwrap a frozen purple treat and enjoy the quintessential taste of a sticky summer afternoon.
- National Gray Day — Embrace the sophisticated neutrality of gray, whether in fashion, décor, or even a cloudy sky.
- National Iced Coffee Day — Pour yourself a tall, cold glass of chilled caffeine and toast the start of warm-weather season.
- National Senior Health & Fitness Day — Lace up those sneakers and move—because staying active at every age is worth celebrating.
- Nothing to Fear Day — Channel your courage and tackle something that has been quietly intimidating you all year.
- Old-Time Player Piano Day — Cue up a rollicking ragtime roll and let a self-playing instrument transport you to a bygone parlor.
- Sunscreen Protection Day — Slather on the SPF and give your skin the daily defense it richly deserves before stepping outdoors.
On This Day in History
- 1199 — John, immortalized as the villainous king in Robin Hood legends, was formally crowned monarch of England.
- 1703 — Tsar Peter the Great established Saint Petersburg, constructing a grand new Russian capital on the marshy banks of the Neva River.
- 1798 — Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger faced off against political rival George Tierney in a duel on Putney Heath that ended without bloodshed.
- 1860 — Giuseppe Garibaldi launched his siege of Palermo, a pivotal campaign in the long struggle to unify the Italian peninsula.
- 1917 — Pope Benedict XV promulgated the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the Catholic Church's first comprehensive legal codification in its history.
- 1919 — The NC-4 aircraft landed in Lisbon, Portugal, achieving humanity's first successful flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
- 1927 — Ford Motor Company halted production of the legendary Model T and began retooling factories to build its successor, the Model A.
- 1930 — New York City's Chrysler Building opened to the public, standing as the tallest human-made structure on the planet at 1,046 feet.
- 1937 — The Golden Gate Bridge welcomed its first pedestrians, forging a long-awaited physical link between San Francisco and Marin County.
- 1967 — Australians voted overwhelmingly in a constitutional referendum empowering the government to make laws for Indigenous Australians and count them in the census.
- 1999 — Space Shuttle Discovery launched on STS-96, achieving the first-ever docking between a shuttle and the International Space Station.
- 2016 — Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park and meet with surviving hibakusha.
Famous Birthdays on May 27
- 1794 — Cornelius Vanderbilt, The railroad and shipping tycoon who built one of the largest American fortunes of the 19th century.
- 1837 — Wild Bill Hickok, Legendary frontiersman, lawman, and gunfighter of the American Old West whose exploits became folklore.
- 1894 — Dashiell Hammett, Former Pinkerton detective turned novelist who defined the hard-boiled mystery genre with works like The Maltese Falcon.
- 1907 — Rachel Carson, Marine biologist whose landmark book Silent Spring launched the modern global environmental movement.
- 1911 — Vincent Price, Suavely menacing actor whose unmistakable voice defined the golden age of American horror cinema.
- 1922 — Christopher Lee, Towering English actor whose career spanned Hammer Horror classics, James Bond villainy, and Lord of the Rings.
- 1923 — Henry Kissinger, German-born diplomat and political scientist who served as Secretary of State and shaped Cold War foreign policy.
- 1943 — Cilla Black, Beloved British singer and television personality who rose from Liverpool's Cavern Club to national stardom.
- 1967 — Paul Gascoigne, Gifted and mercurial English midfielder whose dazzling talent and turbulent life captivated football fans worldwide.
- 1990 — Chris Colfer, American actor, singer, and author who rose to prominence on Glee and became a bestselling young-adult novelist.