TODAY IN HISTORY

Today is Sunday, August 27, the 239th day of 2017. There are 126 days left in the year.

1748 James Thomson, Scottish poet and playwright died.

‘ 1793 French Revolutionary Wars: The city of Toulon revolts against the French Republic and admits the British and Spanish fleets to seize its port, leading to the Siege of Toulon by French

1810 Revolutionary forces. Napoleonic Wars: The French Navy defeats the British Royal Navy, preventing them from taking the harbour of Grand Port on Île de France. French Emperor

1813 Napoleon I defeats a larger force of Austrians, Russians, and Prussians at the Battle of Dresden.

1832 Black Hawk, leader of the Sauk tribe of Native Americans, surrenders to U.S. authorities, ending the Black Hawk War.

1859 Petroleum is discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania leading to the world’s first commercially successful oil well.

1881 The Georgia hurricane makes landfall near Savannah, Georgia, resulting in an estimated 700 deaths.

1893 The Sea Islands hurricane strikes the United States near Savannah, Georgia, killing between 1,0002,000 people.

1914 Battle of Étreux: A British rearguard action by the Royal Munster Fusiliers during the Great Retreat.

1916 The Kingdom of Romania declares war on Austria-Hungary, entering World War I as one of the Allied nations.

1918 Mexican Revolution: Battle of Ambos Nogales: U.S. Army forces skirmish against Mexican Carrancistas in the only battle of World War I fought on American soil.

1950 Cesare Pavese, Italian author, poet, and critic died.

1956 The nuclear power station at Calder Hall in the United Kingdom was connected to the national power grid becoming the world’s first commercial nuclear power station to generate electricity on an industrial scale.

1980 A massive bomb planted by extortionist John Birges explodes at Harvey’s Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada after a failed disarming attempt by the FBI.

1991 Moldova declares independence from the USSR.

2003 Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing 34,646,418 miles (55,758,005 km) distant.

2009 Internal conflict in Burma: The Burmese military junta and ethnic armies begin three days of violent clashes in the Kokang Special Region.

2011 Hurricane Irene strikes the United States east coast, killing 47 and causing an estimated $15.6 billion in damage.