Archives
April 27
Events
1865 - The worst steamship disaster in the history of the United States occurred on this date. The "Sultana", carrying approximately 2,300 passengers, the majority being freed Union POWs, exploded while en route to Cairo, IL. Neither the cause of the explosion nor the final count of the dead (estimated at between 1,450 and 2,000) was ever determined. Today, the "Sultana" disaster remains the worst of its kind.1880 - Francis Clarke and M.G. Foster patented the electrical hearing aid.
1899 - The Western Golf Association was founded -- in Chicago, IL.
1938 - Geraldine Apponyi was the first American woman to become a Queen. She married King Zog of Albania.
1938 - Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra recorded "I Hadn’t Anyone ’til You" for Victor Records. Jack Leonard was featured as vocalist.
1947 - Organized baseball celebrated Babe Ruth Day. Major-league parks throughout the U.S. and Japan participated. A crowd of 60,000 fans honored their hero in ceremonies at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Ruth, who was dying of throat cancer, managed to put in an appearance to thank his former club.
1947 - The first broadcast of "Studio One" on CBS radio was broadcast. The show was full of great stars, but no sponsors. CBS dropped "Studio One" after a year on radio. The show, however, began a nine-year run on CBS-TV ... with sponsors.
1956 - Rocky Marciano relinquished his crown as heavyweight boxing champ when he retired from boxing this day.
1959 - Lloyd Price’s song, "Personality", was released. Price had 10 songs that made it on the nation’s pop music charts in the 1950s through early 1960s.
1960 - The submarine, "Tullibee", was launched from Groton, CT. It was the first sub to be equipped with closed-circuit television.
1968 - Muhammad Ali’s successor was finally decided after an eight-month runoff. Jimmy Ellis defeated Jerry Quarry of Atascadero, CA for the World Boxing Association’s heavyweight title.
1973 - Steve Busby of Kansas City lead the Royals to a 3-0, no-hit shutout of the Detroit Tigers.
1976 - Maxine Nightingale received a gold record for the single, "Right Back Where We Started From". Nightingale was in the productions of "Hair", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Godspell" and "Savages" in the early ’70s. "Right Back Where We Started From" was a number two hit for two weeks in 1976.
1981 - Former Beatle Ringo Starr married Barbara Bach at the Marylebone Registry Office in London. Paul McCartney and wife Linda, George Harrison and Harry Nilsson were in attendance.
1983 - Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros broke Walter Johnson’s strikeout record. He struck out the 3,509th batter of his career. The Astros won 4-2 over Montreal. Johnson’s record had been in the books for 55 years before being eclipsed by ‘The Ryan Express’.
Birthdays - April 27
1737 - Edward Gibbon (historian, author: History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; died Jan 16, 1794)1759 - Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (author: Vindication of the Rights of Women; died Sep 10, 1797)
1791 - Samuel F.B. (Finley Breese) Morse (inventor: electromagnetic telegraph: 1st telegraph message: “What hath God wrought?”; died Apr 2, 1872)
1822 - Ulysses S. Grant (18th U.S. President [1869-1877]; married to Julia Dent [three sons, one daughter]; Lt. General in command of all Union armies during U.S. Civil War; nickname: Hero of Appomattox; died July 23, 1885)
1896 - Rogers ‘Rajah’ Hornsby (baseball: SL Cardinals [League MVP Award: 1925/World Series: 1926, 1929], NY Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, SL Browns; died Jan 5, 1963)
1900 - Walter Lantz (Academy Award-winning animator: creator of Woody Woodpecker; died Mar 22, 1994)
1916 - Enos (Bradsher) ‘Country’ Slaughter (Baseball Hall of Famer: SL Cardinals [all-star: 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953/World Series: 1942, 1946], NY Yankees [World Series: 1956, 1957, 1958], KC Athletics, Milwaukee Braves; died Aug 12, 2002)
1922 - Jack Klugman (Emmy Award-winning actor: The Defenders: Blacklist [1963-1964], The Odd Couple [1970-1971, 1972-1973]; Quincy, M.E., Twelve Angry Men, Days of Wine and Roses, Goodbye Columbus)
1927 - Coretta Scott King (civil rights leader: wife of Dr. Martin Luther King; died Jan 31, 2006)
1932 - Anouk Aimee (Françoise Sorya Dreyfus) (actress: La Dolce Vita, Lola, A Man and a Woman, Dr. Bethune, Ready to Wear)
1932 - Casey Kasem (Kemal Amin Kasem) (radio DJ/announcer/host: American Top 40; actor: Hawaii Five-O, The Hardy Boys Mysteries, Charlie’s Angels; character voice: Tiny Toon Adventures, Scooby Doo series)
1932 - Chuck Knox (football: head coach: LA Rams [1973-76, 1992-94], Buffalo Bills [1978-1982], Seattle Seahawks [1983-1991])
1932 - Maxine (Ella) Brown (singer: group: The Browns: The Three Bells; Scarlet Ribbons, The Old Lamplighter; solo: Sugar Cane Country)
1933 - Calvin Newborn (jazz/blues guitarist; brother of piano wizard Phineas Newborn Jr.)
1937 - Sandy Dennis (Academy Award-winning actress: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolff [1966]; The Execution, Splendor in the Grass; died Mar 2, 1992)
1937 - Phil Jones (newsman: CBS News)
1939 - Judy Carne (Joyce Betterill) (comedienne, actress: Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In: “Sock It to Me!”; The Americanization of Emily, Only with Married Men, Love on a Rooftop, Kraft Music Hall Presents Sandler & Young, Fair Exchange, The Baileys of Balboa)
1941 - Lee Roy Jordan (football: Dallas Cowboys linebacker: Super Bowls V, VI, X)
1942 - Bob Foster (International Boxing Hall of Famer: light heavyweight champion [1968-74]: won 56 of 65 professional fights)
1944 - Doug Buffone (football: Chicago Bears)
1947 - Mack Alston (football: Washington Redskins tight end: Super Bowl VII; Houston Oilers, Baltimore Colts)
1947 - Pete Ham (musician: guitar, piano, singer: group: Badfinger: Maybe Tomorrow, Day After Day, No Matter What, Baby Blue; died Apr 23, 1975)
1947 - Keith Magnuson (hockey: All-American: Univ. of Denver; NHL: Chicago Blackhawks; coach: Chicago Blackhawks)
1947 - Dave Peel (punk rocker: group: The Lower East Side: LP: The Pope Smokes Dope)
1948 - Kate Pierson (musician: organ, singer; group: The B-52’s: Rock Lobster, Quiche Lorraine, 606-0842, Dance this Mess Around)
1949 - Clive Taylor (musician: bass: group: Amen Corner: Gin House Blues, Bend Me Shape Me, [If Paradise is] Half As Nice, Natural Sinner)
1951 - (Paul Daniel) ‘Ace’ Frehley (musician: group: Kiss [the Spaceman]: Rock and Roll All Nite, Beth, Forever and I Was Made for Lovin’ You; formed Frehley’s Comet)
1951 - Gary Huff (football: Florida State Univ., Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
1952 - George Gervin (Basketball Hall of Famer: ‘Iceman’: San Antonio Spurs: led NBA in scoring 1977-1980, 1981-1982)
1959 - Sheena Easton (Sheena Shirley Orr) (singer: Modern Girl, Morning Train, One Man Woman, When He Shines, For Your Eyes Only, We Got Tonight, Strut, Sugar Walls)
1959 - Marco Pirroni (musician: guitar, songwriter: groups: Siouxsie & the Banshees: The Lord’s Prayer; Adam & The Ants: Prince Charming, Stand and Deliver, LP: Friend or Foe)
Chart Toppers - April 27
1949
Cruising Down the River - The Blue Barron Orchestra (vocal: ensemble)
Forever and Ever - Perry Como
"A" You’re Adorable - Perry Como
Candy Kisses - George Morgan
1957
Little Darlin’ - The Diamonds
All Shook Up - Elvis Presley
Mama Look at Bubu - Harry Belafonte
Gone - Ferlin Husky
1965
Game of Love - Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders
Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter - Herman’s Hermits
I Know a Place - Petula Clark
This is It - Jim Reeves
1973
Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
Sing - Carpenters
The Cisco Kid - War
Superman - Donna Fargo
1981
Kiss on My List - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Morning Train (Nine to Five) - Sheena Easton
Being with You - Smokey Robinson
A Headache Tomorrow (Or a Heartache Tonight) - Mickey Gilley
1989
Like a Prayer - Madonna
Funky Cold Medina - Tone Loc
I’ll Be There for You - Bon Jovi
The Church on Cumberland Road - Shenandoah
