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On this day

January 27 Tuesday, January 27, 2026

A curious almanac of what happened on January 27 across the years — history, birthdays, the songs that ruled the charts, the films that packed cinemas, and the science that nudged the world forward.

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Were you born on January 27?

Find out what the world looked like the day you arrived.

12
Events
7
Birthdays
5
Holidays
Read today's stories The #1 songs
January 27, 1186: Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, marries Constance of Sicily.
1186
Royalty 840 years ago

Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, marries Constance of Sicily.

Henry VI, son and heir of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, marries Constance of Sicily, uniting the houses of Hohenstaufen and Hauteville.

Read the full story →

History

What happened on January 27

12 verified entries Full timeline
  1. 98

    Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor.

    Trajan becomes Roman emperor after succeeding his adoptive father Nerva.

    World history
  2. 417

    Pope Innocent I declares Pelagius and his follower Caelestius excommunicated unless they return to orthodoxy.

    Pope Innocent I excommunicates Pelagius and Caelestius, demanding their return to orthodox Christian teachings.

    Religion
  3. 532

    Nika riots in Constantinople fail.

    The Nika riots in Constantinople end with thousands killed and the city's major church destroyed.

    European history
  4. 945

    The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to become monks by Constantine VII, who becomes sole emperor of the Byzantine Empire.

    Constantine VII ousts co-emperors Stephen and Constantine, forcing them to become monks and assuming sole rule of the Byzantine Empire.

    European history
  5. 1186

    Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, marries Constance of Sicily.

    Henry VI, son and heir of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, marries Constance of Sicily, uniting the houses of Hohenstaufen and Hauteville.

    Royalty
  6. 1302

    Dante Alighieri is condemned in absentia and exiled from Florence.

    Dante Alighieri is condemned in absentia and exiled from Florence for his political affiliations.

    Culture
  7. 1343

    Pope Clement VI issues the papal bull Unigenitus, laying out the scriptural justification for indulgences, identifying only the Pope and episcopate as capable of accessing the treasury of merit, and establishing a jubilee year every half century.

    Pope Clement VI issues Unigenitus, affirming papal authority over indulgences and setting a jubilee cycle.

    Religion
  8. 1606

    Gunpowder Plot: The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins, ending with their execution on January 31.

    The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins, leading to their execution.

    UK history
  9. 1695

    Mustafa II becomes the Ottoman sultan and Caliph of Islam in Istanbul on the death of Ahmed II. Mustafa rules until his abdication in 1703.

    Mustafa II becomes the Ottoman sultan and Caliph of Islam upon Ahmed II's death.

    European history
  10. 1726

    J. S. Bach leads the first performance of Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72, concluding his third Christmas season in Leipzig on the Third Sunday after Epiphany.

    Johann Sebastian Bach conducts the premiere of his cantata Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72, for the Third Sunday after Epiphany in Leipzig.

    Culture
  11. 1776

    American Revolutionary War: Henry Knox's "noble train of artillery" arrives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    Henry Knox completes his winter expedition, delivering 60 tons of artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to aid George Washington's siege of British-occupied Boston.

    US history
  12. 1820

    A Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev discovers the Antarctic continent, approaching the Antarctic coast.

    Russian explorers Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev discover the Antarctic continent, becoming the first to approach its coastline.

    World history
See all 12 events on January 27 →

Born today

Famous birthdays on January 27

7 this date All birthdays
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa

Hiroyoshi Nishizawa

Japanese lieutenant and pilot

Lieutenant Junior Grade Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, a Japanese naval aviator and ace who earned the nickname "the Devil" for his brilliant aerobatics and superb aircraft control, was born today in 1920.

Born
1920
Died
1944
Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin

Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin

Russian journalist and author

1826 – 1889
Dorothy Scarborough

Dorothy Scarborough

American author

1878 – 1935
Matt Stover

Matt Stover

American football player

b. 1968 · 58
Tracy Lawrence

Tracy Lawrence

American country singer

b. 1968 · 58
Patton Oswalt

Patton Oswalt

American comedian and actor

b. 1969 · 57
Tony Woodcock

Tony Woodcock

New Zealand rugby player

b. 1981 · 45

Music

The number one songs on January 27

Across the years Full chart history
Stand and Deliver album cover

🇬🇧 #1 on January 27, 1981

"Stand and Deliver"

by Adam and the Ants

The dandy highwayman spent five weeks at the top — a brash, glam-pop coronation.

#1 for 5 weeks
Listen on Spotify ↗ Apple Music ↗

Also #1 on this day

  • 1965
    "Ticket To Ride"
    — The Beatles
  • 1972
    "Metal Guru"
    — T. Rex
  • 2003
    "Make Luv"
    — Room 5 ft. Oliver Cheatham

Film & TV

At the movies

Box office #1 and premieres All releases
The Empire Strikes Back poster

Box-office #1

The Empire Strikes Back

1980 · dir. Irvin Kershner

Wide US release on May 23, 1980. Goes on to become the highest-grossing film of the year.

Sci-fiStar Wars $538M worldwide
🏆 Sport

January 27, 1982

Aston Villa shock Bayern Munich for the European Cup

In Rotterdam, late substitute Peter Withe scores the winner as Villa lift the trophy on their first attempt.

Read the story
🔬 Science

January 27, 1983

The pilot shaft of the Seikan Tunnel, the world's longest sub-aqueous tunnel (53.85 km) between the Japanese islands of Honshū and Hokkaidō, breaks through.

The pilot shaft of the Seikan Tunnel breaks through, connecting Honshū and Hokkaidō beneath the Tsugaru Strait.

Read the story

Today is also

Holidays & observances

5 celebrated today

Day of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad (Russia)

International

The Days of Military Honour are special memorable dates in the Russian Armed Forces dedicated to the most outstanding victories won by Russia

Liberation of the remaining inmates of Auschwitz-related observances: Holocaust Memorial Day (UK)

International

Holocaust Memorial Day is a national commemoration day in the United Kingdom, dedicated to the remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust, the genocide of European Jews by Nazi Germany during World W

Liberation of the remaining inmates of Auschwitz-related observances: International Holocaust Remembrance Day

International

International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, is an international memorial day on 27 January that commemorates the victims of the Holocau

Liberation of the remaining inmates of Auschwitz-related observances: Memorial Day (Italy)

International

Public holidays in Italy are established by the Italian parliament and, with the exception of city or community patronal days, apply nationwide

Liberation of the remaining inmates of Auschwitz-related observances: Other Holocaust Memorial Days observances

International

A Holocaust memorial day or Holocaust remembrance day is an annual observance to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, the genocide of six million Jews and of millions of other Holocaust victims

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If you don't read, you don't think. Plain and simple.

— Joan Collins · born January 27, 1933