Updated October 26, 2012, 2:28 pm
On Oct. 27, 1904, the first rapid transit subway, the IRT, opened in New York City.
On Oct. 27, 1932, Sylvia Plath, the American poet known for an intense, confessional quality of writing, was born. Read a review of her life and work that appeared in The Times in 1974.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1787 The first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the U.S. Constitution, was published in a New York newspaper. 1880 Theodore Roosevelt married Alice Lee. 1904 The first rapid transit subway opened, in New York City. 1914 Author-poet Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales. 1947 “You Bet Your Life,” starring Groucho Marx, premiered on ABC Radio. 1978 Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin won the Nobel Peace Prize. 1997 The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 554.26 points, forcing the stock market to shut down for the first time since the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. 2002 Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith broke the NFL career rushing yardage record of 16,726 held by Walter Payton. 2002 Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was elected president of Brazil in a runoff, becoming the country’s first elected leftist leader. 2004 The Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 in Game 4. 2005 White House counsel Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination to the Supreme Court after three weeks of criticism from fellow conservatives. 2005 Surgeons in France performed the world’s first partial face transplant on a woman who was mauled by a dog. 2008 Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, was convicted of seven corruption charges for lying about free home renovations and other gifts from a wealthy oil contractor. (A judge later dismissed the case, saying prosecutors had withheld evidence.) Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actress Ruby Dee turns 88 years old today.
AP Photo/Louis Lanzano
TV personality Kelly Osbourne (“The Osbournes”) turns 28 years old today.
AP Photo/Matt Sayles
1920 Nanette Fabray, Actress, turns 92 1922 Ralph Kiner, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 90 1939 John Cleese, Actor, comedian (“Monty Python”), turns 73 1942 Lee Greenwood, Country singer, turns 70 1946 Ivan Reitman, Director, producer, turns 66 1949 Garry Tallent, Rock musician (The E Street Band), turns 63 1950 Fran Lebowitz, Author, turns 62 1952 Roberto Benigni, Actor, director (“Life is Beautiful”), turns 60 1958 Simon LeBon, Singer (Duran Duran), turns 54 1967 Scott Weiland, Rock singer (Stone Temple Pilots), turns 45 1977 Sheeri Rappaport, Actress (“CSI”), turns 35 Historic Birthdays
Sylvia Plath 10/27/1932 – 2/11/1963 American poet.Go to obituary »
35 Catherine of Valois 10/27/1401 – 1/3/1437
French princess and wife of King Henry V50 James Cook 10/27/1728 – 2/14/1779
British naval captain57 Niccolo Paganini 10/27/1782 – 5/27/1840
Italian composer63 Isaac Merrit Singer 10/27/1811 – 7/23/1875
American inventor; developed Singer sewing machine79 Marcellin Berthelot 10/27/1827 – 3/18/1907
French chemist60 Theodore Roosevelt 10/27/1858 – 1/6/1919
26th president of the United States (1901-9)56 Alfred Whitney Griswold 10/27/1906 – 4/19/1963
American educator; president of Yale University (1950-63)39 Dylan Marlais Thomas 10/27/1914 – 11/9/1953
Welsh writer75 Oliver Tambo 10/27/1917 – 4/24/1993
South African president of the African National Congress (1969-91)73 Roy Lichtenstein 10/27/1923 – 9/29/1997
American artist67 H. R. Haldeman 10/27/1926 – 11/12/1993
American businessman and White House chief of staff (1969-73); convicted of Watergate crimes
