April 27 has seen the birth of revolutionary ideas, the fall of dictators, and milestones in science and politics.
Tariq ibn Ziyad led a Berber-Arab army across the Strait of Gibraltar, beginning the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The invasion would establish Islamic rule in Spain for nearly 800 years.
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed in a battle with indigenous warriors on Mactan island. His crew continued the voyage, completing the first circumnavigation of the globe.
The British Parliament passed the Tea Act, allowing the East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies. Colonial outrage over the act led to the Boston Tea Party.
Ulysses S. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio. He would lead the Union Army to victory in the Civil War and serve as the 18th President.
The steamboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, killing an estimated 1,168 people, mostly former Union prisoners of war. It was the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history.
Sierra Leone gained independence from the United Kingdom, becoming a sovereign state with Milton Margai as its first prime minister.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met at the border village of Panmunjom. It was the first meeting of Korean leaders in over a decade.