1096day.year
Count Emicho enters Mainz, where his followers massacre Jewish citizens. At least 600 Jews are killed.
In May 1096, crusader bands led by Count Emicho descended on Mainz and carried out a brutal pogrom against its Jewish population, killing at least 600 men, women, and children.
In May 1096, emboldened crusader mobs under Count Emicho of Flonheim besieged the Jewish quarter of Mainz, accusing its residents of impeding Christian pilgrims.
The attackers demanded conversion, seized property, and unleashed indiscriminate violence over several days.
Local authorities were powerless to stop the bloodshed as the mob slaughtered at least 600 Jewish men, women, and children.
This massacre marked one of the earliest large-scale anti-Jewish pogroms linked to the fervor of the First Crusade.
It set a grim precedent for further violence against Jewish communities along the Rhine.
Historians view the Mainz atrocity as a tragic reflection of medieval intolerance and religious zealotry.
1096
Count Emicho
Mainz
massacre Jewish citizens
1644day.year
Manchu regent Dorgon defeats rebel leader Li Zicheng of the Shun dynasty at the Battle of Shanhai Pass, allowing the Manchus to enter and conquer the capital city of Beijing.
In 1644, Manchu regent Dorgon routed rebel leader Li Zicheng at Shanhai Pass, paving the way for Qing forces to seize Beijing and establish their dynasty.
On May 27, 1644, Manchu forces under regent Dorgon decisively defeated the Shun dynasty’s rebel army led by Li Zicheng at the strategic Shanhai Pass.
This victory opened the gates to Beijing just as the Ming capital was reeling from internal rebellion.
The Manchus formed an alliance with defected Ming generals, using their support to legitimize the Qing advance.
Following the battle, Dorgon’s troops marched into a largely undefended Beijing, proclaiming the start of Qing rule.
The fall of Beijing marked the end of the Ming dynasty and the consolidation of Manchu authority across China.
This turning point ushered in nearly three centuries of Qing dynasty governance, profoundly shaping China’s imperial history.
1644
Manchu
Dorgon
Li Zicheng
Shun dynasty
Battle of Shanhai Pass
1798day.year
The Battle of Oulart Hill takes place in Wexford, Ireland; Irish rebel leaders defeat and kill a detachment of militia.
During the Irish Rebellion of 1798, United Irishmen rebels achieved a dramatic victory against government militia at Oulart Hill near Wexford.
On May 27, 1798, rebel forces in County Wexford ambushed and routed a government militia detachment at Oulart Hill.
Led by local United Irishmen, the insurgents used guerrilla tactics and intimate knowledge of the terrain.
The militia suffered heavy casualties, including the death of their commanding officers, while rebel losses were minimal.
This victory emboldened the rebellion in Wexford, encouraging more volunteers to join the uprising.
Though ultimately suppressed later that summer, the battle became a symbol of Irish resistance.
Oulart Hill remains remembered in nationalist memory as a bold assertion of local defiance against British rule.
Battle of Oulart Hill
Wexford
1799day.year
War of the Second Coalition: Austrian forces defeat the French at Winterthur, Switzerland.
Austrian troops secured a key victory over French forces at Winterthur in 1799, shaping the Swiss theater of the War of the Second Coalition.
On May 27, 1799, during the War of the Second Coalition, Austrian forces under Archduke Charles clashed with French troops at Winterthur near Zurich.
The Austrians won a decisive engagement, forcing the French to withdraw and consolidating Allied control over northeastern Switzerland.
Winterthur’s strategic position at the junction of several Alpine passes made it vital for supply lines and troop movements.
This success bolstered Coalition morale and disrupted French plans to dominate the Swiss plateau.
Despite later reversals elsewhere, the battle at Winterthur demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated Austrian-Russian operations.
It stands as a notable episode in the shifting fortunes of Europe’s revolutionary and coalition armies.
1799
War of the Second Coalition
Austrian
French
Winterthur
1813day.year
War of 1812: In Canada, American forces capture Fort George.
American troops capture Fort George in Canada during the War of 1812, gaining a strategic foothold on the Niagara frontier.
On May 27, 1813, during the War of 1812, US forces under General Henry Dearborn launched a successful operation against Fort George on the Canadian side of the Niagara River. Fort George was a key British stronghold guarding the approach to the Niagara Peninsula. The American assault overwhelmed the garrison, forcing the British to retreat inland. Securing Fort George allowed the Americans to control the river crossing and supply lines in the region. This victory boosted American morale and set the stage for further advances into Upper Canada. However, supply issues and counterattacks would later complicate the American position. The capture of Fort George marked one of the first major US successes on Canadian soil in the conflict.
1813
War of 1812
Fort George
1860day.year
Giuseppe Garibaldi begins the Siege of Palermo, part of the wars of Italian unification.
Giuseppe Garibaldi initiates the Siege of Palermo to challenge Bourbon rule in Sicily as part of the Italian unification movement.
On May 27, 1860, the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi initiated the Siege of Palermo, aiming to overthrow Bourbon control in Sicily. Commanding his famous Expedition of the Thousand, Garibaldi coordinated attacks against the fortified positions around the city. The siege involved street fighting and naval support from the Piedmontese fleet. Local Sicilian rebels joined forces with Garibaldi's troops to weaken Bourbon defenses. After intense skirmishes, the city fell in late June, paving the way for the annexation of Sicily to the Kingdom of Sardinia. The capture of Palermo was a critical step in the Italian unification movement. Garibaldi's success at Palermo demonstrated the power of popular uprising combined with military strategy.
1860
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Siege of Palermo
Italian unification
1863day.year
American Civil War: The first Union infantry assault of the Siege of Port Hudson occurs.
Union forces launch their first infantry assault on Confederate defenses at Port Hudson, marking a key moment in the Vicksburg Campaign.
On May 27, 1863, Union troops under Major General Nathaniel P. Banks conducted their first infantry assault against Confederate fortifications at Port Hudson, Louisiana. Port Hudson was a vital stronghold controlling the Mississippi River and linking Confederate territories. The frontal attack met with fierce resistance, resulting in heavy casualties for the advancing Federal soldiers. Despite bravery shown by the Union brigades, the Confederates held their earthwork defenses. This failed assault forced Banks to settle into a protracted siege, which would last until July. The eventual fall of Port Hudson, coming just days after Vicksburg's surrender, secured full Union control of the Mississippi. This victory split the Confederacy and was hailed as a turning point in the Civil War.
1863
American Civil War
Siege of Port Hudson
1905day.year
Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Tsushima begins.
The Battle of Tsushima commences as Japanese and Russian fleets clash in the Tsushima Strait during the Russo-Japanese War.
On May 27, 1905, the naval Battle of Tsushima began in the waters between Korea and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War. Admiral Togo Heihachiro led the Imperial Japanese Navy against Russia's newly arrived Baltic Fleet, aiming to secure maritime dominance. The engagement showcased superior Japanese tactics, gunnery, and use of wireless communication for coordinated maneuvers. Over two days of combat, the Russian fleet was virtually annihilated, with most ships sunk or captured. This decisive victory marked the first time an Asian power defeated a European navy in modern warfare. The outcome boosted Japan's international standing and prompted negotiations that ended the war with the Treaty of Portsmouth. The Battle of Tsushima influenced future naval strategies and heralded a shift in global naval power.
1905
Russo-Japanese War
Battle of Tsushima
1940day.year
World War II: In the Le Paradis massacre, 99 soldiers from a Royal Norfolk Regiment unit are shot after surrendering to German troops; two survive.
In 1940, German troops massacred 99 members of the Royal Norfolk Regiment at Le Paradis after they surrendered.
On May 27, 1940, during the Battle of France, German forces executed 99 British soldiers at Le Paradis.
Members of the Royal Norfolk Regiment were captured after fierce fighting and then shot.
Two soldiers miraculously survived the massacre amid the chaos.
The atrocity shocked the Allied public and became a symbol of wartime brutality.
It highlighted the harsh realities faced by soldiers in early World War II.
1940
World War II
Le Paradis massacre
Royal Norfolk Regiment
German
1941day.year
World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaims an "unlimited national emergency".
On May 27, 1941, President Roosevelt declared an "unlimited national emergency" as the United States prepared for war.
Facing global conflict, Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed an unlimited national emergency on May 27, 1941.
This declaration granted the president broad powers to allocate resources and personnel.
It allowed for expanded military production and coordination with Allied nations.
The emergency status remained in effect until the end of World War II.
It marked a pivotal step in America's transition from neutrality to active engagement.
1941
Franklin D. Roosevelt
1941day.year
World War II: The German battleship Bismarck is sunk in the North Atlantic, killing almost 2,100 men.
The German battleship Bismarck was sunk in the North Atlantic on May 27, 1941, with nearly 2,100 lives lost.
During the early hours of May 27, 1941, British forces engaged the battleship Bismarck.
After a fierce hunt, torpedo strikes and gunfire sealed its fate in the North Atlantic.
The sinking ended Bismarck's brief but formidable challenge to Allied shipping.
Almost all of her crew perished, with only 115 survivors rescued.
The event marked a significant naval victory for the Royal Navy in World War II.
German battleship Bismarck
1942day.year
World War II: In Operation Anthropoid, Reinhard Heydrich is fatally wounded in Prague; he dies of his injuries eight days later.
On May 27, 1942, Czech agents wounded SS leader Reinhard Heydrich in Prague during Operation Anthropoid.
Operation Anthropoid was carried out by Czechoslovak resistance fighters on May 27, 1942.
Paratroopers Jan Kubiš and Jozef Gabčík ambushed Heydrich's car in Prague.
Though mortally wounded, Heydrich survived the initial attack but died eight days later.
The operation demonstrated the reach and determination of occupied Europe's resistance.
It prompted brutal reprisals but remains a symbolic act of defiance against Nazism.
1942
Operation Anthropoid
Reinhard Heydrich
Prague