Updated March 26, 2012, 2:28 pm
On March 27, 1958, Nikita Khrushchev became Soviet premier in addition to First Secretary of the Communist Party.
On March 27, 1886, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the German-born architect who helped introduce the International Style to the United States, was born. Following his death on Aug. 17, 1969, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1513 Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sighted Florida. 1625 Charles I ascended the English throne upon the death of James I. 1794 President George Washington and Congress authorized creation of the U.S. Navy. 1836 The first Mormon temple was dedicated, in Kirtland, Ohio. 1939 Oregon won the first NCAA men’s basketball tournament with a 46-33 victory over Ohio State in Evanston, Ill. 1977 A KLM Boeing 747, attempting to take off, crashed into a Pan Am 747 on the Canary Island of Tenerife, killing 583 people in the deadliest aviation accident in history. 1996 An Israeli court convicted Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s confessed assassin of murder, then sentenced former law student Yigal Amir to life in prison. 1998 The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Viagra, made by Pfizer, to fight male impotence. 2002 A suicide bomber killed 30 people during a Passover Seder in Netanya, Israel. 2002 Comedian Milton Berle died at age 93. 2006 Al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui testified at his federal trial that he was supposed to hijack a fifth airplane on Sept. 11, 2001, and fly it into the White House. 2007 NFL owners voted to make instant replay a permanent officiating tool. 2009 President Barack Obama launched a fresh effort to defeat al-Qaida terrorists in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, ordering in 4,000 more troops. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Singer Fergie (Black Eyed Peas) turns 37 years old today.
AP Photo/Peter Kramer
Director Quentin Tarantino turns 49 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
1927 Anthony Lewis, Newspaper columnist, turns 85 1935 Julian Glover, Actor, turns 77 1940 Austin Pendleton, Actor, turns 72 1942 Michael York, Actor, turns 70 1950 Tony Banks, Rock musician (Genesis), turns 62 1970 Mariah Carey, Singer, actress, turns 42 1971 Nathan Fillion, Actor (“Firefly”), turns 41 1988 Brenda Song, Actress, turns 24
Historic Birthdays
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe 3/27/1886 – 8/17/1969 German-born American architect.Go to obituary »
78 Andrew Bell 3/27/1753 – 1/27/1832
Scottish clergyman who developed popular education66 Alfred-Victor Vigny 3/27/1797 – 9/17/1863
French poet, dramatist and novelist84 Gloria Swanson 3/27/1899 – 4/4/1983
American film, stage and television actress83 Otto Wallach 3/27/1847 – 2/26/1931
German Nobel Prize-winning chemist (1910)70 Sir Henry Royce 3/27/1863 – 4/22/1933
English industrialist; a founder of Rolls-Royce Ltd.78 Patty Smith Hill 3/27/1868 – 5/25/1946
American educator93 Edward Steichen 3/27/1879 – 3/25/1973
American photographer; a leader of the Photo-Secession Group74 Sato Eisaku 3/27/1901 – 6/3/1975
Japanese prime minister (1964-72); awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1974)62 Pee Wee Russell 3/27/1906 – 2/15/1969
American jazz clarinetist64 Ben Webster 3/27/1909 – 9/20/1973
American jazz musician33 Denton Welch 3/27/1915 – 12/30/1948
English painter and novelist66 Sarah Vaughan 3/27/1924 – 4/3/1990
American jazz vocalist and pianist