July 27th
1789
Congress established the Department of Foreign Affairs, the forerunner of the State Department.
1861
Union general George B. McClellan was put in command of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War.
1921
Baseball fan Reuben Berman sued the New York Giants, claiming he suffered mental and bodily distress after refusing to return a foul ball May 16th at the Polo Grounds. Berman was eventually rewarded $100.
1940
Bugs Bunny made his debut in the cartoon A Wild Hare.
1940
Billboard magazine published its first singles record chart (for the week of July 20).
1953
An armistice was signed ending the Korean War.
1972
The F-15 Eagle flies for the first time.
1974
The House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach Richard Nixon for obstructing justice in the Watergate case.
1974
Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" was released.
1983
Madonna self-titled debut album was released.
1984
Pete Rose passed Ty Cobb’s record for most singles in a career when he got his 3,503rd base hit.
1995
The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC.
1996
A pipe bomb exploded in an Atlanta park during the Olympic Games.
2003
Comedian Bob Hope died in his home, at the age of 100.
Birthdays
87 Norman Lear TV producer
78 Jerry Van Dyke Actor
52 Bill Engvall Comedian ("Blue Collar TV")
45 Rex Brown Rock musician (Pantera)
41 Julian McMahon Actor ("Nip/Tuck")
40 Paul Levesque Professional wrestler (Triple H)
37 Maya Rudolph Actress, comedian ("Saturday Night Live")
35 Pete Yorn Rock singer, songwriter
34 Alex Rodriguez Baseball player (New York Yankees)
19 Nick Hogan American reality TV star
~ kdog Cigar Asylum Inmate
86 Leo Durocher 7/27/1905 - 10/7/1991 Baseball Hall of Famer