This Day In History : March 27

1933 United Kingdom

Polyethylene Discovered by Reginald Gibson and Eric William Fawcett

On March 27, 1933, Reginald Gibson and Eric William Fawcett discovered polyethylene, a polymer that revolutionized the plastics industry. This accidental discovery occurred during high-pressure experiments at Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). Polyethylene became a widely used material due to its versatility and durability.

Also on This Day in History March 27

Discover what happened on March 27 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, March 27
  • 1910 John R. Pierce

    American communications engineer who is regarded as the father of the communications satellite.

  • 1857 Karl Pearson

    English mathematician who was one of the founders of modern statistics.

  • 1855 James Alfred Ewing

    Scottish physicist who discovered and named hysteresis (1881), the resistance of magnetic materials to change in magnetic force.

  • 1847 Otto Wallach

    German chemist awarded the 1910 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for identifying terpene compounds.

  • 1845 Wilhelm Röntgen

    Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was a German physicist who discovered the highly penetrating form of radiation that became known as X-rays on 8 Nov 1895.

Deaths on This Day, March 27
  • 1998 Joseph Sobek

    American inventor of racquetball who developed the sport (1950) to play at the Greenwich, Connecticut, YMCA.

  • 2024 Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin

    Soviet cosmonaut who on 12 Apr 1961 became the first man to travel into space when he was 27 years old.

  • 1945 Vincent Bendix

    Vincent Hugo Bendix was an American inventor who developed systems for automobiles and aircraft and companies to manufacture them.

  • 1893 Alphonse(-Eugène) Beau de Rochas

    French railway engineer who originated the theoretical principle of the four-stroke internal-combustion engine and provide a theoretical pressure diagram (1862).

  • 1850 Wilhelm Beer

    German banker and amateur astronomer who owned a fine Fraunhofer refractor which he used in his own a private observatory.

1841

Steam fire-engine

In 1841, the first U.S. steam fire engine was tested at the City Hall in New York City. Designed and built by Paul R. Hodge, it was 14 feet long, weighed about 8 tons, and required two horses to pull it on level ground.
1972

Venera 8 Launches to Explore Venus

On March 27, 1972, the Soviet Union launched Venera 8 to investigate the atmosphere and surface of Venus. It successfully transmitted data back to Earth for about 50 minutes after landing. The mission provided valuable insights into the composition and conditions on Venus.
1977

Deadliest Air Crash in History Occurs in Tenerife, Spain

On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747s collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, Spain. The crash resulted in 583 fatalities, making it the deadliest aviation accident in history. Dense fog and miscommunication contributed to the tragedy.
1998

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves Viagra

On March 27, 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Viagra for treating erectile dysfunction. Developed by Pfizer, this medication became the first oral treatment available for this condition. Viagra's approval marked a significant advancement in men's health care.
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