today.nukz.net: Almanac December 27

Louis Pasteur (December 27, 1822 – September 28, 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist who was one of the most important founders of medical microbiology. He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. His discoveries reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and he created the first vaccines for rabies and anthrax. His experiments supported the germ theory of disease. He was best known to the general public for inventing a method to treat milk and wine in order to prevent it from causing sickness, a process that came to be called pasteurization. He is regarded as one of the three main founders of microbiology, together with Ferdinand Cohn and Robert Koch.

Pasteur also made many discoveries in the field of chemistry, most notably the molecular basis for the asymmetry of certain crystals.[2] His body lies beneath the Institute Pasteur in Paris in a spectacular vault covered in depictions of his accomplishments in Byzantine mosaics.

Events

537 – The Hagia Sophia is completed.
1512 – The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regard to native Indians in the New World.
1655 – Second Northern War/the Deluge: Monks at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Czestochowa are successful in fending off a month-long siege.
1657 – The Flushing Remonstrance is signed.
1703 – Portugal and England sign the Methuen Treaty which gives preference to Portuguese imported wines into England.
1814 – War of 1812: The American schooner USS Carolina is destroyed. It was the last of Commodore Daniel Patterson's makeshift fleet that fought a series of delaying actions that contributed to Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle of New Orleans.
1831 – Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard the HMS Beagle, during which he will begin to formulate the theory of evolution.
1836 – The worst ever avalanche in England occurs at Lewes, Sussex, killing 8 people.
1845 – Ether anesthetic is used for childbirth for the first time by Dr. Crawford Long in Jefferson, Georgia.
1911 – "Jana Gana Mana", the national anthem of India, is first sung in the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.
1918 – The Great Poland Uprising against the Germans begins.
1922 – Japanese aircraft carrier Hosho becomes the first purpose built aircraft carrier to be commissioned in the world.
1923 – Daisuke Namba, a Japanese student, tries to assassinate the Prince Regent Hirohito.
1927 – Show Boat, considered to be the first true American musical, opens at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway.
1932 – Radio City Music Hall, "Showplace of the Nation", opens in New York, New York.
1939 – Erzincan, Turkey is hit by an earthquake, killing 30,000.
1939 – Winter War: Finland holds off a Soviet Union attack in the Battle of Kelja.
1942 – The Union of Pioneers of Yugoslavia is founded.
1945 – The World Bank and International Monetary Fund are created with the signing of an agreement by 29 nations.
1949 – Indonesian National Revolution: The Netherlands officially recognizes Indonesian independence. End of the Dutch East Indies.
1966 – The Cave of Swallows, the largest known cave shaft in the world, is discovered in Aquismón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
1968 – Apollo program: Apollo 8 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, ending the first orbital manned mission to the Moon.
1978 – Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship.
1978 – The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station in the South Pole recorded temperatures of 7.5 °F (-13.6 °C), making it the highest temperature to ever be recorded in the South Pole.
1979 – The Soviet Union invades the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
1985 – Palestinian guerrillas kill eighteen people inside Rome, Italy and Vienna, Austria airports.
1996 – Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram Airfield which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul, Afghanistan.
1997 – Protestant paramilitary leader Billy Wright is assassinated in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
2001 – China is granted permanent normal trade relations with the United States.
2002 – Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny, Chechnya, Russia.
2004 – Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reaches Earth. It is the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on the planet.
2007 – Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated in a shooting incident.
2007 – Riots erupt in Mombasa, Kenya, after Mwai Kibaki is declared the winner of the presidential election, triggering a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis.
2008 – Israel launches 3-week operation on Gaza - Operation Cast Lead.
2009 – Iranian election protests: On the Day of Ashura in Tehran, Iran, government security forces fire upon demonstrators.

Births

1390 – Anne de Mortimer, claimant to the English throne (d. 1411)
1571 – Johannes Kepler, German astronomer (d. 1630)
1572 – Johannes Vodnianus Campanus, Czech humanist, composer, pedagogue, poet, and dramatist (d. 1622)
1654 – Jacob Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (d. 1705)
1683 – Conyers Middleton, English minister (d. 1750)
1714 – George Whitefield, English-American preacher (d. 1770)
1715 – Philippe de Noailles, French soldier (d. 1794)
1717 – Pope Pius VI (d. 1799)
1721 – François Hemsterhuis, Dutch philosopher (d. 1790)
1761 – Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, Russian military commander (d. 1818)
1773 – George Cayley, English scientist, inventor, and politician (d. 1857)
1776 – Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (d. 1811)
1796 – Mirza Ghalib, Indian poet (d. 1869)
1803 – François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, French Canadian Patriote (d. 1839)
1822 – Louis Pasteur, French scientist (d. 1895)
1823 – Mackenzie Bowell, fifth Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1917)
1832 – Pavel Tretyakov, Russian businessman and patron of art (d. 1897)
1864 – René Georges Hermann-Paul, French artist (d. 1940)
1879 – Sydney Greenstreet, English actor (d. 1954)
1883 – Cyrus S. Eaton, Canadian-American financier, industrialist and philanthropist (d. 1979)
1888 – Thea von Harbou, German author and actress (d. 1954)
1892 – Alfred Edwin McKay, Canadian World War One flying ace (d. 1917)
1896 – Louis Bromfield, American writer (d. 1956)
1896 – Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (d. 1952)
1896 – Carl Zuckmayer, German author and dramatist (d. 1977)
1900 – Hans Stuck, German race car driver (d. 1978)
1901 – Marlene Dietrich, German actress and singer (d. 1992)
1901 – Irene Handl, English actress (d. 1987)
1906 – Oscar Levant, American pianist, composer and actor (d. 1972)
1907 – Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and writer (d. 1999)
1907 – Willem van Otterloo, Dutch conductor and composer (d. 1978)
1907 – Conrad L. Raiford, Goodwill Ambassador (d. 2002)
1907 – Mary Howard aka Josephine Edgar, British writer (d. 1991)
1909 – James Riddell, British champion skier and author (d. 2000)
1910 – Charles Olson, American poet (d. 1970)
1911 – Anna Russell, English-born Canadian singer and comedian (d. 2006)
1915 – Mary Kornman, American actress (d. 1973)
1915 – William Masters, American gynecologist (d. 2001)
1915 – Gyula Zsengellér, Hungarian footballer (d. 1999)
1916 – Werner Baumbach, German bomber pilot (d. 1953)
1917 – Onni Palaste, Finnish writer (d. 2009)
1918 – John Celardo, American comic strip artist (d. 2012)
1919 – Charles Sweeney, American general (d. 2004)
1920 – Bruce Hobbs, American jockey (d. 2005)
1923 – Bruno Bobak, Polish-Canadian painter (d. 2012)
1924 – James A. McClure, American politician (d. 2011)
1925 – Maurice Bambier, French politician (d. 1994)
1925 – Michel Piccoli, French actor
1926 – Jerome Courtland, American actor, director and producer
1927 – Antony Gardner, British politician (d. 2011)
1927 – Agnes Nixon, American television producer, director, and writer
1927 – Nityanand Swami, Indian politician (d. 2012)
1927 – Audrey Wagner, American baseball player [AAGPBL] (d. 1984)
1930 – Marshall Sahlins, American Anthropologist
1930 – Wilfrid Sheed, English-born American writer (d. 2011)
1931 – Scotty Moore, American guitarist
1934 – Larisa Latynina, Russian gymnast
1938 – Stanislav Stanojevic, Serbian-born French film director and actor
1939 – John Amos, American actor
1941 – Mike Pinder, British musician (The Moody Blues)
1941 – Nolan Richardson, American basketball coach
1942 – Byron Browne, baseball player
1942 – Charmian Carr, American actress
1942 – Thomas Menino, American politician
1942 – Ron Rothstein, American basketball coach
1943 – Cokie Roberts, American journalist
1943 – Joan Manuel Serrat, Spanish musician
1943 – Peter Sinfield, British lyricist and producer
1943 – Roy White, American baseball player
1944 – Mick Jones, British musician (Foreigner)
1946 – Lenny Kaye, American guitarist
1946 – Janet Street-Porter, British journalist and producer
1946 – Joyce Spiliotis, American politician (d. 2012)
1947 – Bill Eadie, professional wrestler known as "Ax" of Demolition
1947 – Tracy Nelson, American blues singer
1947 – Janet Perry, American soprano
1947 – Willy Polleunis, Belgian athlete
1947 – Mickey Redmond, Canadian hockey player
1948 – Gérard Depardieu, French actor
1950 – Haris Alexiou, Greek singer
1950 – Roberto Bettega, Italian footballer
1950 – Terry Bozzio, American drummer (Missing Persons)
1950 – Morgan Chu, American lawyer and intellectual property expert
1950 – Doug Stone, Canadian voice actor
1951 – Ernesto Zedillo, President of Mexico
1952 – Karla Bonoff, American singer and songwriter
1952 – Tovah Feldshuh, American actress
1952 – Jay Hill, Canadian politician
1952 – David Knopfler, British musician (Dire Straits)
1952 – Raimund Krauth, German footballer (d. 2012)
1955 – E. E. Bell, American actor
1955 – Brad Murphey, Australian racing driver
1955 – Barbara Olson, American political commentator (d. 2001)
1957 – Jerry Gaskill, American musician (King's X)
1957 – Greg Mortenson, American author
1958 – Barbara Crampton, American actress
1958 – Steve Jones, American golfer
1958 – Norbert Schmitz, German footballer (d. 1998)
1959 – Gerina Dunwich, American author
1959 – Andre Tippett, American football player
1960 – Maryam d'Abo, British actress
1960 – Victoria Paige Meyerink, American actress and producer
1960 – Donald Nally, American choral conductor
1962 – Mark Few, American basketball coach
1962 – Bill Self, American basketball coach
1962 – Sherri Steinhauer, American golfer
1962 – Pierlucio Tinazzi, Italian security guard (d. 1999)
1963 – Gaspar Noé, Argentinian-born director
1964 – Ian Gomez, American actor
1964 – Theresa Randle, American actress
1965 – Salman Khan, Indian actor
1965 – Chris Mainwaring, Australian rules footballer (d. 2007)
1966 – Wendy Coakley-Thompson, American writer
1966 – Bill Goldberg, American football player and professional wrestler
1966 – Eva LaRue, American actress
1966 – Fabian Núñez, American politician
1969 – Jean-Christophe Boullion, French race car driver
1969 – Sarah Vowell, American author and journalist
1970 – Brendon Cook, Australian racing driver
1970 – Chyna, American professional wrestler
1970 – Lorenzo Neal, American football player
1971 – Duncan Ferguson, Scottish footballer
1971 – Jason Hawes, Paranormal investigator
1971 – Bryan Smolinski, American ice hockey player
1972 – Thomas Wilson Brown, American actor
1972 – Colin Charvis, Welsh rugby union player
1972 – Kevin Ollie, American basketball player
1972 – Matt Slocum, American musician (Sixpence None the Richer)
1973 – Wilson Cruz, Puerto Rican actor
1973 – Dee Ferris, British painter
1973 – Kristoffer Zegers, Dutch composer
1974 – Masi Oka, Japanese-American actor
1974 – Fumiko Orikasa, Japanese voice actress and singer
1974 – Jay Pandolfo, American ice hockey player
1974 – Edgar Ponce, Mexican actor and dancer (d. 2005)
1975 – Adnan Farhan Abd Al Latif, Yemeni criminal (d. 2012)
1975 – Heather O'Rourke, American actress (d. 1988)
1976 – Nikolaos Georgeas, Greek footballer
1976 – Fernando Pisani, Canadian/Italian ice hockey player
1976 – Aaron Stanford, American actor
1977 – Jacqueline Pillon, Canadian actress
1978 – Deuce McAllister, American football player
1979 – David Dunn, English footballer
1979 – Carson Palmer, American football player
1980 – Bernard Berrian, American football player
1980 – Claudio Castagnoli, Swiss wrestler
1980 – Cas Haley, American singer and guitarist
1980 – Dahntay Jones, American basketball player
1981 – David Aardsma, American baseball player
1981 – Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress
1981 – Moise Joseph, American-Haitian runner
1981 – Javine Hylton, English singer
1981 – Patrick Sharp, Canadian ice hockey player
1983 – Anthony Boric, New Zealand All Black rugby player
1983 – Cole Hamels, American baseball player
1984 – Pleasure P, American R&B Singer (Pretty Ricky)
1984 – Gilles Simon, French tennis player
1985 – Logan Bailly, Belgian footballer
1985 – Jérôme d'Ambrosio, Belgian racing driver
1985 – Paul Stastny, Canadian-American ice hockey player
1988 – Zavon Hines, English football player
1988 – Rick Porcello, American baseball player
1988 – Ok Taecyeon, South Korean actor & singer (2PM)
1988 – Hayley Williams, American singer (Paramore)
1989 – Ingrid Várgas Calvo, Peruvian tennis player
1990 – Milos Raonic, Canadian tennis player
1991 – Chloe Bridges, American actress
1991 – Danny Wilson, Scottish footballer

Deaths

418 – Pope Zosimus
1076 – Prince Sviatoslav II of Kiev (b. 1027)
1087 – Bertha of Savoy, German queen and Holy Roman Empire Empress (b. 1051)
1381 – Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, English politician
1543 – George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, follower of Martin Luther (b. 1484)
1548 – Francesco Spiera, Italian Protestant jurist (b. 1502)
1603 – Thomas Cartwright, English Puritan clergyman
1704 – Hans Albrecht von Barfus, Brandenburg and Prussian field marshal and prime minister (b. 1635)
1707 – Jean Mabillon, French palaeograopher and diplomat (b. 1632)
1737 – William Bowyer, English printer (b. 1663)
1743 – Hyacinthe Rigaud, French painter (b. 1659)
1771 – Henri Pitot, French engineer (b. 1695)
1782 – Henry Home, Lord Kames, Scottish philosopher (b. 1697)
1800 – Hugh Blair, Scottish preacher and man of letters (b. 1718)
1812 – Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Lithuanian rabbi and founder of Chabad Hasidism (b. 1745)
1812 – Joanna Southcott, an English self-described religious prophetess (b. 1750)
1834 – Charles Lamb, English essayist (b. 1775)
1836 – Stephen F. Austin, American pioneer (b. 1793)
1858 – Alexandre Pierre François Boëly, French composer (b. 1785)
1896 – John Brown, British manufacturer (b. 1816)
1900 – William Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong, English inventor, industrialist, and engineer (b. 1810)
1914 – Charles Martin Hall, American chemist and inventor (b. 1863)
1923 – Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect (b. 1832)
1925 – Sergei Yesenin, Russian poet (b. 1895)
1938 – Calvin Bridges, American geneticist (b. 1889)
1938 – Osip Mandelstam, Russian poet (b. 1891)
1950 – Max Beckmann, German painter (b. 1884)
1952 – Patrick Joseph Hartigan, Australian Roman Catholic priest (b. 1878)
1953 – Julian Tuwim, Polish poet (b. 1894)
1955 – Alfred Carpenter, English naval officer (b. 1881)
1956 – Lambert McKenna, Irish editor and lexicographer (b. 1870)
1958 – Harry Warner, American studio executive (b. 1881)
1965 – Edgar Ende, German painter (b. 1901)
1966 – Guillermo Stábile, Argentine footballer (b. 1905)
1972 – Lester B. Pearson, 14th Prime Minister of Canada, recipient of the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1897)
1974 – Vladimir Fock, Russian physicist (b. 1898)
1978 – Chris Bell American musician (b. 1951)
1978 – Houari Boumediene, President of Algeria (b. 1932)
1978 – Bob Luman, American country and rockabilly singer (b. 1937)
1979 – Hafizullah Amin, second President of Afghanistan (b. 1929)
1981 – Hoagy Carmichael, American composer and singer (b. 1899)
1982 – Jack Swigert, American astronaut (b. 1931)
1985 – Dian Fossey, American Zoologist (b. 1932)
1986 – Geoffrey D Lloyd, Chairman of the guild of British Newspaper editors (b. 1933)
1988 – Hal Ashby, American film director (b. 1929)
1992 – Kay Boyle, American writer (b. 1902)
1993 – André Pilette, Belgian racing driver (b. 1918)
1994 – Fanny Cradock, English food writer and broadcaster (b. 1909)
1994 – J. B. L. Reyes, Filipino jurist (b. 1902)
1995 – Shura Cherkassky, Ukrainian classical pianist (b. 1909)
1995 – Genrikh Kasparyan, Armenian chess player and composer (b. 1910)
1997 – Brendan Gill, American columnist and humorist (b. 1914)
1997 – Billy Wright, Irish Protestant paramilitary leader (b. 1960)
2002 – George Roy Hill, American film director (b. 1922)
2003 – Alan Bates, English actor (b. 1934)
2003 – Iván Calderón, Puerto Rican baseball player (b. 1962)
2003 – Vestal Goodman, American Gospel singer (b. 1929)
2004 – Hank Garland, American musician (b. 1930)
2005 – William Doody, Canadian politician (b. 1931)
2007 – Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan (b. 1953)
2007 – Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Polish film director (b. 1922)
2007 – Jaan Kross, Estonian writer (b. 1920)
2008 – Delaney Bramlett, American musician (b. 1939)
2008 – Robert Graham, Mexican Sculptor (b. 1938)
2009 – Isaac Schwartz, Ukrainian Composer (b. 1923)
2011 – Catê, Brazilian footballer (b. 1973)
2011 – Michael Dummett, British philosopher (b. 1925)
2011 – Helen Frankenthaler, American abstract expressionist painter (b. 1928)
2011 – Johnny Wilson, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)
2012 – Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., American general (b. 1934)
2012 – Harry Carey, Jr., American actor (b. 1921)