On This Day: 27 November

27 November in world history

• 2009Nevsky Express bombing: A bomb explodes on the Nevsky Express train between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, derailing it and causing 28 deaths and 96 injuries.
• 2008XL Airways Germany Flight 888T: An Airbus A320 performing a flight test crashes near the French commune of Canet-en-Roussillon, killing all seven people on board.
• 2004Blackwater 61 crash: A CASA C-212 Aviocar crashes into the Koh-i-Baba mountain range in Afghanistan, killing six.
• 2001Astronomers announced the detection of sodium in the atmosphere of the extrasolar planet HD 209458 b, the first exoplanet atmosphere to be measured.
• 1999The Labour Party defeated the governing National Party in the New Zealand general election, with Labour's Helen Clark becoming the country's first female prime minister to have won office at an election.
• 1989A bomb placed by the Medellín Cartel in an attempt to kill Colombian presidential candidate César Gaviria destroyed Avianca Flight 203, killing all 107 people on board, excluding Gaviria, who was not on the flight.
• 1985Space Shuttle program: Atlantis launches on STS-61-B, with Rodolfo Neri Vela becoming the first Mexican astronaut.
• 1978In San Francisco, city mayor George Moscone and openly gay city supervisor Harvey Milk are assassinated by former supervisor Dan White.
• 1975The Provisional IRA assassinates Ross McWhirter, after a press conference in which McWhirter had announced a reward for the capture of those responsible for multiple bombings and shootings across England.
• 1965Vietnam War: The Pentagon tells U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson that if planned operations are to succeed, the number of American troops in Vietnam has to be increased from 120,000 to 400,000.
• 1963President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered the "Let Us Continue" speech, in which he advocated for civil-rights legislation and national cohesion, to a joint session of the U.S. Congress five days after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
• 1944Between 3,500 and 4,000 tonnes of ordnance exploded at the RAF Fauld underground munitions storage depot in the largest non-nuclear explosion in the United Kingdom.
• 1943World War II: Australian forces began the Battle of Wareo by conducting clearing operations between Bonga and North Hill.
• 1940World War II: At the Battle of Cape Spartivento, the Royal Navy engages the Regia Marina in the Mediterranean Sea.
• 1912Spain declares a protectorate over the north shore of Morocco.
• 1879War of the Pacific: Battle of Tarapacá: The confrontation between the Chilean Army and the Peruvian Army takes place in Tarapacá, the Peruvian victory is consummated with the death of the 2 generals and the capture the Chilean general in said place of battle,
• 1703The great storm of 1703, one of the most severe storms to strike southern Great Britain, destroyed the first Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth.
• 1161A Song dynasty fleet defeated Jin ships in a naval engagement on the Yangtze river during the Jin–Song Wars.

Born on 27 November

• 1986Suresh Kumar Raina, Indian cricketerIndia
• 1958Mike Scioscia, American baseball player and manager
• 1907Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Indian poet and author (died 2003)India
• 1888Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, Indian activist and politician, 1st Speaker of the Lok Sabha (died 1956)India
• 1878Charles Dvorak, American pole vaulter and coach (died 1969)
• 1874Charles A. Beard, American historian, author, and educator, co-founded The New School (died 1948)

Died on 27 November

• 2008V. P. Singh, Indian lawyer and politician, 7th Prime Minister of India (born 1931)India
• 1958Artur Rodziński, Polish-American conductor (born 1892)
• 1940Nicolae Iorga, Romanian historian and politician, 34th Prime Minister of Romania (born 1871)
• 1890Mahatma Phule, Indian Activist (born 1827)India

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 27 November in history?

2009: Nevsky Express bombing: A bomb explodes on the Nevsky Express train between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, derailing it and causing 28 deaths and 96 injuries. 2008: XL Airways Germany Flight 888T: An Airbus A320 performing a flight test crashes near the French commune of Canet-en-Roussillon, killing all seven people on board. 2004: Blackwater 61 crash: A CASA C-212 Aviocar crashes into the Koh-i-Baba mountain range in Afghanistan, killing six. 2001: Astronomers announced the detection of sodium in the atmosphere of the extrasolar planet HD 209458 b, the first exoplanet atmosphere to be measured.

Which famous people were born on 27 November?

Suresh Kumar Raina, Indian cricketer (1986); Mike Scioscia, American baseball player and manager (1958); Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Indian poet and author (died 2003) (1907); Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, Indian activist and politician, 1st Speaker of the Lok Sabha (died 1956) (1888).

Which day is observed on 27 November?

Lancashire Day (United Kingdom); Maaveerar Day (Tamil Eelam, Sri Lanka); Naval Infantry Day (Russia); Teacher's Day (Spain).