On This Day: May 27

Updated May 26, 2012, 2:28 pm

On May 27, 1964, independent India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, died.
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On May 27, 1907, Rachel Carson, the American biologist whose books helped inspire the environmental movement, was born. Following her death on April 14, 1964, her obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1647 Alse Young became the first person executed as a witch in America when she was hanged in Hartford, Conn.

1896 A tornado struck St. Louis and East St. Louis, Ill., killing 255 people.

1911 Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey was born in Wallace, S.D.

1912 Golfer Sam Snead was born in Ashwood, Va.

1935 The Supreme Court struck down the National Industrial Recovery Act.

1941 The British navy sank the German battleship Bismarck off France with a loss of more than 2,100 lives.

1963 The album “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,” which featured the song “Blowin’ in the Wind,” was released.

1964 Jawaharlal Nehru, independent India’s first prime minister, died.

1994 Nobel Prize-winning author Alexander Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia after spending two decades in exile.

1995 Actor Christopher Reeve was paralyzed when he was thrown from his horse during a jumping event in Charlottesville, Va.

1996 Russian President Boris Yeltsin negotiated a cease-fire to the war in Chechnya in his first meeting with the rebels’ leader.

1997 The Supreme Court ruled Paula Jones could pursue her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton while he was in office.

1998 Michael Fortier, the government’s star witness in the Oklahoma City bombing case, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after apologizing for not warning anyone about the deadly plot.

1999 A U.N. tribunal indicted Slobodan Milosevic for crimes against humanity, holding the Yugoslav president personally responsible for the horrors in Kosovo.

2011 Gil Scott-Heron, widely considered one of the godfathers of rap music, died at age 62.

2011 Actor Jeff Conaway of “Taxi” and “Grease” fame died at age 60.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actor Chris Colfer (“Glee”) turns 22 years old today.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Actor Paul Bettany turns 41 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

1923 Henry Kissinger, Former secretary of state, turns 89

1923 Sumner Redstone, Chairman of Viacom Inc., turns 89

1935 Lee Meriwether, Actress (“Barnaby Jones”), turns 77

1936 Louis Gossett Jr, Actor, turns 76

1943 Bruce Weitz, Actor (“Hill Street Blues”), turns 69

1944 Christopher Dodd, Former U.S. senator, D-Conn., turns 68

1945 Bruce Cockburn, Rock singer, turns 67

1955 Richard Schiff, Actor (“The West Wing”), turns 57

1957 Siouxsie Sioux, Rock singer, turns 55

1958 Neil Finn, Rock musicisn (Crowded House), turns 54

1961 Peri Gilpin, Actress (“Fraiser”), turns 51

1964 Adam Carolla, Comedian, turns 48

1965 Todd Bridges, Actor (“Diff’rent Strokes”), turns 47

1968 Jeff Bagwell, Baseball player, turns 44

1968 Frank Thomas, Baseball player, turns 44

1973 Jack McBrayer, Actor (“30 Rock”), turns 39

1975 Andre 3000, Rapper (Outkast), turns 37

1975 Jadakiss, Rapper, turns 37

1981 Darnell Dockett, Football player, turns 31

Historic Birthdays

Rachel Carson 5/27/1907 – 4/14/1964 American biologist and writer.Go to obituary »

82 Cornelius Vanderbilt 5/27/1794 – 1/4/1877
American shipping and railroad magnate

76 Amelia Bloomer 5/27/1818 – 12/30/1894
American reformer; campaigned for temperance and women’s rights

91 Julia Ward Howe 5/27/1819 – 10/17/1910
American author and reformer; wrote “Battle Hymn of the Republic”

56 Jay Gould 5/27/1836 – 12/2/1892
American railroad executive and financier

39 Wild Bill Hickok 5/27/1837 – 8/2/1876
American frontiersman, army scout, marksman and gambler

86 Georges Rouault 5/27/1871 – 2/13/1958
French painter, printmaker, ceramist and maker of stained glass

66 Dashiell Hammett 5/27/1894 – 1/10/1961
American novelist

39 William Hansen 5/27/1909 – 5/23/1949
American physicist; pioneered use of microwave technology

66 Hubert Humphrey 5/27/1911 – 1/13/1978
American politician; senator and 38th vice-president of the U. S.

70 John Cheever 5/27/1912 – 6/18/1982
American short-story writer and novelist

38 Caryl Chessman 5/27/1921 – 5/2/1960
American criminal; wrote four books while on death row

1647	Alse Young became the first person executed as a witch in America when she was hanged in Hartford, Conn.
1896	A tornado struck St. Louis and East St. Louis, Ill., killing 255 people.
1911	Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey was born in Wallace, S.D.
1912	Golfer Sam Snead was born in Ashwood, Va.
1935	The Supreme Court struck down the National Industrial Recovery Act.
1941	The British navy sank the German battleship Bismarck off France with a loss of more than 2,100 lives.
1963	The album “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,” which featured the song “Blowin’ in the Wind,” was released.
1964	Jawaharlal Nehru, independent India’s first prime minister, died.
1994	Nobel Prize-winning author Alexander Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia after spending two decades in exile.
1995	Actor Christopher Reeve was paralyzed when he was thrown from his horse during a jumping event in Charlottesville, Va.
1996	Russian President Boris Yeltsin negotiated a cease-fire to the war in Chechnya in his first meeting with the rebels’ leader.
1997	The Supreme Court ruled Paula Jones could pursue her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton while he was in office.
1998	Michael Fortier, the government’s star witness in the Oklahoma City bombing case, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after apologizing for not warning anyone about the deadly plot.
1999	A U.N. tribunal indicted Slobodan Milosevic for crimes against humanity, holding the Yugoslav president personally responsible for the horrors in Kosovo.
2011	Gil Scott-Heron, widely considered one of the godfathers of rap music, died at age 62.
2011	Actor Jeff Conaway of “Taxi” and “Grease” fame died at age 60.

1923	Henry Kissinger, Former secretary of state, turns 89
1923	Sumner Redstone, Chairman of Viacom Inc., turns 89
1935	Lee Meriwether, Actress (“Barnaby Jones”), turns 77
1936	Louis Gossett Jr, Actor, turns 76
1943	Bruce Weitz, Actor (“Hill Street Blues”), turns 69
1944	Christopher Dodd, Former U.S. senator, D-Conn., turns 68
1945	Bruce Cockburn, Rock singer, turns 67
1955	Richard Schiff, Actor (“The West Wing”), turns 57
1957	Siouxsie Sioux, Rock singer, turns 55
1958	Neil Finn, Rock musicisn (Crowded House), turns 54
1961	Peri Gilpin, Actress (“Fraiser”), turns 51
1964	Adam Carolla, Comedian, turns 48
1965	Todd Bridges, Actor (“Diff’rent Strokes”), turns 47
1968	Jeff Bagwell, Baseball player, turns 44
1968	Frank Thomas, Baseball player, turns 44
1973	Jack McBrayer, Actor (“30 Rock”), turns 39
1975	Andre 3000, Rapper (Outkast), turns 37
1975	Jadakiss, Rapper, turns 37
1981	Darnell Dockett, Football player, turns 31

82	Cornelius Vanderbilt 5/27/1794 – 1/4/1877 American shipping and railroad magnate
76	Amelia Bloomer 5/27/1818 – 12/30/1894 American reformer; campaigned for temperance and women’s rights
91	Julia Ward Howe 5/27/1819 – 10/17/1910 American author and reformer; wrote “Battle Hymn of the Republic”
56	Jay Gould 5/27/1836 – 12/2/1892 American railroad executive and financier
39	Wild Bill Hickok 5/27/1837 – 8/2/1876 American frontiersman, army scout, marksman and gambler
86	Georges Rouault 5/27/1871 – 2/13/1958 French painter, printmaker, ceramist and maker of stained glass
66	Dashiell Hammett 5/27/1894 – 1/10/1961 American novelist
39	William Hansen 5/27/1909 – 5/23/1949 American physicist; pioneered use of microwave technology
66	Hubert Humphrey 5/27/1911 – 1/13/1978 American politician; senator and 38th vice-president of the U. S.
70	John Cheever 5/27/1912 – 6/18/1982 American short-story writer and novelist
38	Caryl Chessman 5/27/1921 – 5/2/1960 American criminal; wrote four books while on death row