1881: The British were defeated by the Boers at the Battle of Majuba.
1900: The British Labour Party was founded. Ramsay Macdonald was its secretary and later became PM.
1922: A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States in Leser v. Garnett.
1933: Germany’s parliament building is set on fire. The Nazis used the Reichstag fire to justify harsh repression against political opponents. The event is considered pivotal in the establishment of Nazi Germany.
1940: Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14.
1943: Non-violent protests in Berlin prevent the deportation of 2000 Jews. The “Rosenstrasse protest” was carried out by the “Aryan” wives and relatives of detained Jewish men.
1951: The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting Presidents to two terms, is ratified.
1964: The Italian government asked for advice on how to stop the Leaning Tower of Pisa from leaning too far and collapsing.
1981: Ebony and Ivory was recorded by Stevie Wonder & Paul McCartney.
1986: The United States Senate allows its debates to be televised on a trial basis.
1999: Olusegun Obasanjo becomes Nigeria’s first elected president since mid-1983.
2002: A Muslim mob set fire to a train carrying Hindu pilgrims. The attack killed 59 people, including many women and children.
2010: A massive earthquake strikes Chile. The tremor measured 8.8 on the Richter scale and left more than 500 people dead and thousands injured.
2018: Singer and actress Barbra Streisand announced she had her pet dog cloned twice.
2020: Kenyan Born Somali fashion model, Halem Aden tops the list of The Most Influential Africans in Diaspora, compiled by Money transfer service WorldRemit. Hijab-wearing model Halima Aden has been redefining traditional standards of beauty, diversifying the modeling industry, and improving visibility for the underrepresented demographic of Muslim women.
2020: Scientists observed the biggest explosion in the universe, 390 million light-years away.
The explosion occurred in the Ophiuchus galaxy cluster.
Births on this day February 27
Ralph Nader, 90 years
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes, and a perennial presidential candidate. He is 90 today.
Nicky Anosike, 38 years
Nkolika “Nicky” Nonyelum Anosike is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Florence Kiplagat, 37years
Florence Jebet Kiplagat is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She is a two-time world champion, having won the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. She is 37 today.
1932 Elizabeth Taylor (27 February 1932 – 23 March 2011)
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor DBE was a British and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. She died at the age of 79.