June 27, 2012 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Updated June 26, 2012, 2:28 pm

On June 27, 1950, President Truman ordered the Air Force and Navy into the Korean War following a call from the United Nations Security Council for member nations to help South Korea repel an invasion from the North.

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On June 27, 1880, Helen Keller, the blind and deaf American woman who became an accomplished writer and humanitarian, was born. Following her death on June 1, 1968, her obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1844 Mormon leader Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Ill.

1893 The New York stock market crashed.

1944 American forces completed their capture of the French port of Cherbourg from the Germans three weeks after D-Day.

1957 More than 500 people were killed when Hurricane Audrey slammed through coastal Louisiana and Texas.

1969 Patrons at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, clashed with police in an incident considered to be the birth of the gay rights movement.

1972 The video game company Atari was founded by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in Santa Clara, Calif.

1977 Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, was named a cardinal by Pope Paul VI.

1980 President Jimmy Carter signed legislation reviving draft registration.

1985 Route 66, which originally stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif., passed into history as officials decertified the road.

2005 BTK serial killer Dennis Rader pleaded guilty to 10 murders that spread fear across Wichita, Kan., beginning in the 1970s. (He later received multiple life sentences.)

2007 Gordon Brown became British prime minister, succeeding Tony Blair.

2011 Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted by a federal jury in Chicago of corruption. (He was later sentenced to 14 years in prison.)

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Fashion designer Vera Wang turns 63 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H. turns 44 years old today.

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

1930 Ross Perot, Business executive, former presidential candidate, turns 82

1942 Bruce Johnston, Rock musician, singer (The Beach Boys), turns 70

1951 Julia Duffy, Actress (“Newhart”), turns 61

1954 Ron Kirk, U.S. trade representative, turns 58

1955 Isabelle Adjani, Actress, turns 57

1966 J.J. Abrams, Writer, producer (“Lost,” “Alias”), turns 46

1970 Jim Edmonds, Baseball player, turns 42

1975 Tobey Maguire, Actor (“Spider-Man” movies), turns 37

1984 Khloe Kardashian, Reality TV star, turns 28

1987 Ed Westwick, Actor (“Gossip Girl”), turns 25

Historic Birthdays

Helen Keller 6/27/1880 – 6/1/1968 American blind and deaf author and educator.Go to obituary »

75 Alexis Bouvard 6/27/1767 – 6/7/1843
French astronomer and director of the Paris Observatory

45 Charles Stewart Parnell 6/27/1846 – 10/6/1891
Irish nationalist member of British Parliament (1875-91)

76 May Irwin 6/27/1862 – 10/22/1938
American comedian and music-hall performer

70 Emma Goldman 6/27/1869 – 5/14/1940
Russian-born American labor leader and anarchist

81 Eduard Spranger 6/27/1882 – 9/17/1963
German educator and philosopher

81 Juan T. Trippe 6/27/1899 – 4/3/1981
American pioneer in commercial aviation

80 Willie Mosconi 6/27/1913 – 9/16/1993
American pocket billiards champion

67 I.A.L. Diamond 6/27/1920 – 4/21/1988
Romanian-born American screenwriter

40 Frank O’Hara 6/27/1926 – 7/25/1966
American poet and critic

1844	Mormon leader Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Ill.
1893	The New York stock market crashed.
1944	American forces completed their capture of the French port of Cherbourg from the Germans three weeks after D-Day.
1957	More than 500 people were killed when Hurricane Audrey slammed through coastal Louisiana and Texas.
1969	Patrons at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, clashed with police in an incident considered to be the birth of the gay rights movement.
1972	The video game company Atari was founded by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in Santa Clara, Calif.
1977	Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, was named a cardinal by Pope Paul VI.
1980	President Jimmy Carter signed legislation reviving draft registration.
1985	Route 66, which originally stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif., passed into history as officials decertified the road.
2005	BTK serial killer Dennis Rader pleaded guilty to 10 murders that spread fear across Wichita, Kan., beginning in the 1970s. (He later received multiple life sentences.)
2007	Gordon Brown became British prime minister, succeeding Tony Blair.
2011	Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted by a federal jury in Chicago of corruption. (He was later sentenced to 14 years in prison.)

1930	Ross Perot, Business executive, former presidential candidate, turns 82
1942	Bruce Johnston, Rock musician, singer (The Beach Boys), turns 70
1951	Julia Duffy, Actress (“Newhart”), turns 61
1954	Ron Kirk, U.S. trade representative, turns 58
1955	Isabelle Adjani, Actress, turns 57
1966	J.J. Abrams, Writer, producer (“Lost,” “Alias”), turns 46
1970	Jim Edmonds, Baseball player, turns 42
1975	Tobey Maguire, Actor (“Spider-Man” movies), turns 37
1984	Khloe Kardashian, Reality TV star, turns 28
1987	Ed Westwick, Actor (“Gossip Girl”), turns 25

75	Alexis Bouvard 6/27/1767 – 6/7/1843 French astronomer and director of the Paris Observatory
45	Charles Stewart Parnell 6/27/1846 – 10/6/1891 Irish nationalist member of British Parliament (1875-91)
76	May Irwin 6/27/1862 – 10/22/1938 American comedian and music-hall performer
70	Emma Goldman 6/27/1869 – 5/14/1940 Russian-born American labor leader and anarchist
81	Eduard Spranger 6/27/1882 – 9/17/1963 German educator and philosopher
81	Juan T. Trippe 6/27/1899 – 4/3/1981 American pioneer in commercial aviation
80	Willie Mosconi 6/27/1913 – 9/16/1993 American pocket billiards champion
67	I.A.L. Diamond 6/27/1920 – 4/21/1988 Romanian-born American screenwriter
40	Frank O’Hara 6/27/1926 – 7/25/1966 American poet and critic