August 27 - This Day in History

August 27: General Interest
1883: Krakatau explodes

The most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history occurs on Krakatau (also called Krakatoa), a small, uninhabited volcanic island located west of Sumatra in Indonesia, on this day in 1883. Heard 3,000 miles away, the explosions threw five cubic miles of earth 50 miles into the air, created 120-foot tsunamis and killed 36,000 people... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Howe brothers defeat Washington in Battle of Brooklyn Heights
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/howe-brothers-defeat-washington-in-battle-of-brooklyn-heights


Automotive
1937 : George Eyston breaks own automobile land speed record
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-eyston-breaks-own-automobile-land-speed-record


Civil War
1861 : The attack on Cape Hatteras begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-attack-on-cape-hatteras-begins


Cold War
1952 : Red Scare dominates American politics
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/red-scare-dominates-american-politics


Crime
2007 : NFL star Michael Vick pleads guilty in dogfighting case
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nfl-star-michael-vick-pleads-guilty-in-dogfighting-case


Disaster
1883 : Krakatoa erupts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/krakatoa-erupts


General Interest
1776 : The Battle of Brooklyn
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-battle-of-brooklyn

1979 : Mountbatten killed by IRA
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mountbatten-killed-by-ira


Hollywood
1953 : Roman Holiday opens, featuring Hepburn's first starring role
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roman-holiday-opens-featuring-hepburns-first-starring-role


Literary
1871 : Theodore Dreiser is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/theodore-dreiser-is-born


Music
1967 : Beatles manager Brian Epstein dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/beatles-manager-brian-epstein-dies


Old West
1875 : Tycoon William Ralston drowns
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tycoon-william-ralston-drowns


Presidential
1908 : LBJ is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lbj-is-born


Sports
1982 : Henderson steals his way to a record
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/henderson-steals-his-way-to-a-record


Vietnam War
1970 : Agnew meets with President Thieu in Saigon
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/agnew-meets-with-president-thieu-in-saigon

1972 : U.S. aircraft conduct heavy raids on Hanoi and Haiphong
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-aircraft-conduct-heavy-raids-on-hanoi-and-haiphong


World War I
1916 : Romania enters World War I
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/romania-enters-world-war-i


World War II
1941 : Japanese prime minister requests a summit meeting with FDR
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japanese-prime-minister-requests-a-summit-meeting-with-fdr