Today In History

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 27, the 27th day of 2021. There are 338 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1880: Thomas Edison received a patent for his electric incandescent lamp.

ON THIS DATE

› 1944: During World War II, the Soviet Union announced the complete end of the deadly German siege of Leningrad, which had lasted for more than two years.

› 1945: During World War II, Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland.

› 1967: Astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee died in a flash fire during a test aboard their Apollo spacecraft.

› 1973: The Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris.

› 1981: President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, greeted the 52 former American hostages released by Iran at the White House.

› 1984: Singer Michael Jackson suffered serious burns to his scalp when pyrotechnics set his hair on fire during the filming of a Pepsi-Cola TV commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los

Angeles.

› 2006: Western Union delivered its last telegram.

› 2010: Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad tablet computer during a presentation in San Francisco. J.D.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actor James Cromwell is 81. Rock musician Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) is 77. R&B singer Nedra Talley (The Ronettes) is 75. Ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov is 73. Latin singer-songwriter Djavan is 72. Chief U.S. Justice John Roberts is 66. Country singer Cheryl White is 66. Country singer-musician Richard Young (The Kentucky Headhunters) is 66. Actor Mimi Rogers is 65. Rock musician Janick Gers (Iron Maiden) is 64. Actor Susanna Thompson is 63. Political and sports commentator Keith Olbermann is 62. Rock singer Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) is 60. Actor Alan Cumming is 56. Country singer Tracy Lawrence is 53. Rock singer Mike Patton is 53. Rapper Tricky is 53. Rock musician Michael Kulas (James) is 52. Actor-comedian Patton Oswalt is 52. Country singer Kevin Denney is 43. Tennis player Marat Safin is 41. Rock musician Matt Sanchez (American Authors) is 35. Actor Braeden Lemasters is 25.