On this day, July 27

1866 Cyrus W. Field finished laying out the first successful underwater telegraph cable between North America and Europe (a previous cable in 1858 burned out after only a few weeks’ use).

1919 Race-related rioting erupted in Chicago; the violence, which claimed the lives of 23 Blacks and 15 whites, lasted until Aug. 3.

1946 The first Civic Light Opera season ended as a success, with total attendance of 270,000 and gate receipts at $319,121.

1975 The monthlong strike of teamsters against The Pittsburgh Press came to an end.

1980 On day 267 of the Iranian hostage

crisis, the deposed Shah of Iran died at a military hospital outside Cairo, Egypt, at age 60.

2002 All nine miners trapped in Quecreek Mine were rescued.

Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology).

— Compiled by Rick Nowlin

Today’s birthdays: TV producer Norman Lear, 98. Sportscaster Irv Cross, 81. Actor John Pleshette, 78. Actress-director Betty Thomas, 73. Olympic gold medal figure skater Peggy Fleming, 72. Singer Maureen McGovern, 71. Actress Janet Eilber, 69. Actress Roxanne Hart, 66. Comedian-actress-writer Carol Leifer, 64.

Comedian Bill Engvall, 63. Actor Julian McMahon, 52. Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, 50. Comedian Maya Rudolph, 48. Former MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez, 45. Actor Seamus Dever, 44. Actress Martha Madison, 43. Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers, 43. Actress/comedian Heidi Gardner, 37. Actor Blair Redford, 37. Actress Taylor Schilling, 36. MLB All-Star pitcher Max Scherzer, 36. Singer Cheyenne Kimball, 30. Golfer Jordan Spieth, 27. Actress Alyvia Alyn Lind, 13.

Thought for today: “Diplomacy is the art of saying ‘Nice doggie’ until you can find a rock.”

— Will Rogers, American humorist (1879-1935)