Notable Birthdays for February 27
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) - Poet and author of the acclaimed poems Paul Revere's Ride and The Song of Hiawatha.
William Buel Franklin (1823-1903) - Major General for the Union Army.
Richard W Johnson (1827-1897) - Brevet Major General for the Union Army.
Hiram Bond Everest (1831-1913) - Co-founder of The Vacuum Oil Company.
George Herbert Mead (1863-1930) - Sociologist and one of the founders of symbolic interactionism.
Alice Hamilton (1869-1970) - Physician who created the first workers compensation laws.
Charles Strite (1878-1956) - Inventor of the automatic pop-up toaster.
Mabel Keaton Staupers (1890-1989) - Nurse who laid the foundation of health and safety protections in the workplace.
Charles Best (1899-1978) - Scientist and co-discoverer of insulin.
Mildred Bailey (1907-1951) - Jazz singer considered the "Queen of Swing."
Theodore Van Kirk (1921-2014) - Navigator and pilot who dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
Paul von Ragué Schleyer (1930-2014) - One of the most cited chemist in scientific and medical works.
Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011) - One of the greatest actresses of all time.
N. Scott Momaday (1934-2024) - Native American author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel House Made of Dawn.
Howard Hesseman (1940-2022) - Actor fondly remembered for his role as Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati.
Neal Schon (1954-Still Living) - Guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Journey.
Sara Blakely (1971-Still Living) - Founded Spanx.
Memorable Events for February 27
1801 - Washington, D.C. is placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress after the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 is passed.
1813 - The first federal vaccination legislation enacted.
1827 - Mardi Gras is celebrated in New Orleans for the first time.
1919 - The American Association for Hard of Hearing is formed in NYC.
2019 - The House of Representatives passes a new law saying requiring federal background checks before purchasing a firearm.