Updated August 26, 2012, 2:28 pm
On Aug. 27, 1962, the United States launched the Mariner 2 space probe, which flew past Venus the following December.
On Aug. 27, 1908, Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, was born. Following his death on Jan. 22, 1973, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to article » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1770 German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was born in Stuttgart. 1859 Edwin L. Drake drilled the first successful U.S. oil well near Titusville, Pa. 1883 The island volcano Krakatoa erupted and the resulting tidal waves claimed some 36,000 lives on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. 1928 The Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed in Paris, outlawing war and providing for the peaceful settlement of disputes. 1945 American troops began landing in Japan following the surrender of the Japanese government in World War II. 1962 The United States launched the Mariner 2 space probe, which flew past Venus the following December. 1967 The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, was found dead from an overdose of sleeping pills. 1975 Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia’s 3,000-year-old monarchy, died in Addis Ababa almost a year after being overthrown. 1979 British war hero Lord Louis Mountbatten was killed off the coast of Ireland in a boat explosion; the Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility. 2007 Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty in Richmond, Va., to a federal dogfighting charge. 2008 Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois was nominated for president by the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., turns 69 years old today.
AP Photo/Nati Harnik
Actress Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs”) turns 36 years old today.
AP Photo/Charles Sykes
1942 Daryl Dragon, Musician (The Captain and Tennille), turns 70 1943 Tuesday Weld, Actress, turns 69 1952 Paul Reubens, Actor (“Pee-Wee’s Playhouse”), turns 60 1953 Alex Lifeson, Rock musician (Rush), turns 59 1961 Yolanda Adams, Gospel singer, turns 51 1969 Chandra Wilson, Actress (“Grey’s Anatomy”), turns 43 1970 Tony Kanal, Rock musician (No Doubt), turns 42 1970 Jim Thome, Baseball player, turns 42 1988 Alexa Vega, Actress (“Spy Kids” films), turns 24
Historic Birthdays
Lyndon B. Johnson 8/27/1908 – 1/22/1973 36th president of the United States.Go to article »
73 Sophia Smith 8/27/1796 – 6/12/1870
American philanthropist; founded Smith College81 Hannibal Hamlin 8/27/1809 – 7/4/1891
American vice-president (1861-5)85 Charles Dawes 8/27/1865 – 4/23/1951
American vice-president (1925-9) and diplomat; awarded Nobel Peace Prize (1925)74 Theodore Dreiser 8/27/1871 – 12/28/1945
American novelist65 Carl Bosch 8/27/1874 – 4/26/1940
German Nobel Prize-winning industrial chemist (1931)86 Man Ray 8/27/1890 – 11/18/1976
American photographer, painter and filmmaker66 C. S. Forester 8/27/1899 – 4/2/1966
English novelist and journalist64 Frank Leahy 8/27/1908 – 6/21/1973
American Notre Dame football coach (1941-53)
Correction:
The version of the article linked above about President Johnson’s death refers incorrectly to Southwest Texas State University. President Johnson went to college there, not Mrs. Johnson. (She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.)
