🗓️ On This Day - July 27th
As we near the end of the month, the days already feel like they're going by too fast! July 27th happens to be one of those days that's crammed full of remarkable historical facts, and is also host to a few surprising celebrity birthdays. Let's leap into all the facts you need to know about this special date.
On this day
Christianity reached Japan.
On July 27th, 1549, Japan welcomed its first Christian missionary – Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest – well, we say “welcomed.” He arrived on July 27th, but wasn’t actually allowed to enter the country proper until August 15th!
Robespierre was caught
In 1794, Maximilien Robespierre was arrested in Paris, leading to the end of the Reign of Terror. This occurred during the famous French Revolution, when the state had sanctioned violence across the city.
We made groundbreaking discoveries with insulin.
In 1921, University of Toronto researchers, led by Charles Best and Frederick Banting, managed to isolate insulin for the very first time! This was a major breakthrough in the treatment of diabetes – and it's meant that millions of people have led healthy lives ever since.
London 2012 was open!
In 2012, the Summer Olympics officially began in London, England, with the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium! People from all over the world tuned in to watch the incredible ceremony! The opening moments were helmed by director Danny Boyle.
Special Days Falling on July 27th
July 27th isn’t just a day for looking back at the past. Here are some special occasions that people are marking across the nation and beyond.
Iglesia Ni Cristo Day
In the Philippines, people widely mark July 27th as a working holiday to honor the founding of Iglesia Ni Cristo, otherwise known as the Church of Christ. It’s a day of thanksgiving and for solemn service, in recognition of the church having been formed while the nation was still under US rule as a colony. Formed by Felix Manalo, the holiday also celebrates the founder’s work – he helped to build at least 125 chapels cross-country!
Cross-Atlantic Communication Day
This holiday is, unsurprisingly, marked in both North America and in Europe! Cross-Atlantic Communication Day celebrates the original inventions of telegraph cables to allow people on either side of the Atlantic to communicate with each other. Cabling finally completed after a few shaky starts on July 27th all the way back in 1866. We’ve come a very long way it what’s still a relatively short space of time!
Dr. Barbosa Day
Puerto Rico’s history with the USA is well-documented – but did you know that the nation has pushed for statehood within the country for decades? In particular, the work of noted senator Dr. José Celso Barbosa Alcala, otherwise known as Dr. Barbosa, is famous for having helped bring the concept of statehood to hundreds of thousands cross-country. Serving as a diplomat, a senator, and famed for being the first Puerto Rican to graduate medical school in the US, today’s a day this hero is widely celebrated - it’s his birthday!
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This page was last modified on July 26, 2023. Suggest an edit
This month in history
We got our hands on a whole new form of identification. In 1858, the first use of people’s fingerprints as a means of individual identification was used by Sir William James Herschel. And, we’ve relied on this method of ID ever since!
Famous Birthdays on July 27th
If you were born on July 27th…
…you’re a Leo! You are fiercely protective of the ones you love, but no one better get on your wrong side! Absolutely no one wants to fight with a lion – but get on their good side, and you’re likely to show them all kinds of generosity.
Find out more about what makes Leos so special via our Leo facts page!
