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What happened on February 27

On February 27, 380: Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity.

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Notable deaths

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Featured moment · 380

Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity.

The Edict of Thessalonica, issued on 27 February AD 380 by Theodosius I, made Nicene Christianity the state church of the Roman Empire. It condemned other Christian creeds such as Arianism as heresies of "foolish madmen", and authorized their punishment.

People

Born on February 27

Johnny Davis 2002– American basketball player (born 2002)
Todd Cantwell 1998– English footballer (born 1998)
Chris Godwin 1996– American football player (born 1996)
Ten 1996– Thai singer (born 1996)
Laura Gulbe 1995– Latvian tennis player
Sergej Milinković-Savić 1995– Serbian footballer (born 1995)
Tomáš Souček 1995– Czech footballer (born 1995)
Mike Matheson 1994– Canadian ice hockey player (born 1994)
Alphonse Areola 1993– French footballer (born 1993)
Show 9 more — notable births on February 27
Meyers Leonard 1992– American basketball player (born 1992)
Ioannis Potouridis 1992– Greek footballer
Jonjo Shelvey 1992– English footballer (born 1992)
Callum Wilson 1992– English footballer (born 1992)
Azeem Rafiq 1991– English cricketer (born 1991)
Chandler Jones 1990– American football player (born 1990)
Adam Morgan 1990– American baseball player (born 1990)
Lindsey Morgan 1990– American actress (born 1990)
David Button 1989– English footballer (born 1989)

People

Died on February 27

Boris Spassky Russian chess grandmaster (1937–2025)
Gérard Latortue Prime Minister of Haiti from 2004 to 2006
Ng Man-tat Hong Kong actor (1952–2021)
France-Albert René President of Seychelles from 1977 to 2004
Steve Folkes Australian rugby league player and coach (1959–2018)
Yi Cheol-seung South Korean politician (1922–2016)
James Z. Davis American judge (1943–2016)
Boris Nemtsov Russian scientist, statesman, and politician (1959–2015) Leonard Nimoy American actor (1931–2015)
Show 9 more — notable deaths on February 27
Julio César Strassera Argentine lawyer and jurist
Aaron Allston American science fiction writer and game designer (1960–2014)
Terry Rand American basketball player (1934–2014)
Van Cliburn American pianist (1934–2013)
Ramon Dekkers Dutch professional Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer
Dale Robertson American actor (1923–2013)
Adolfo Zaldívar Chilean politician
Ma Jiyuan Chinese warlord (1921–2012)
Tina Strobos Dutch resistance member (1920–2012)

Timeline

Every February 27 on record

  1. 380 Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity.

    Edict establishing Christianity as the Roman Empire's state religion, issued in AD 380

    The Edict of Thessalonica, issued on 27 February AD 380 by Theodosius I, made Nicene Christianity the state church of the Roman Empire. It condemned other Christian creeds such as Arianism as heresies of "foolish madmen", and authorized their punishment.

  2. 425 The University of Constantinople is founded by Emperor Theodosius II at the urging of his wife Aelia Eudocia.

    Defunct Eastern Roman university

    The Imperial University of Constantinople, sometimes known as the University of the Palace Hall of Magnaura (Greek: Πανδιδακτήριον τῆς Μαγναύρας), was an Eastern Roman educational institution that could trace its origin to 425 AD, when the emperor Theodosius II founded the Pandidakterion (or Pandidacterium) (Medieval Greek: Πανδιδακτήριον).

  3. 907 Abaoji, chieftain of the Yila tribe, is named khagan of the Khitans.

    Emperor of the Liao dynasty from 916 to 926

    Abaoji, posthumously known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Liao, was a Khitan leader and the founding emperor of the Liao dynasty of China, ruling from 916 to 926. He had a sinicised name, Yelü Yi or Liu Yi; some sources suggest that Abaoji's family name, Yelü, was adopted during his lifetime, although there is no consensus amongst historians on this point.

  4. 1560 The Treaty of Berwick is signed by England and the Lords of the Congregation of Scotland, establishing the terms under which English armed forces were to be permitted in Scotland in order to expel occupying French troops.

    Treaty between Scottish nobles and England

    The Treaty of Berwick was negotiated on 27 February 1560 at Berwick-upon-Tweed. It was an agreement made by the representative of Queen Elizabeth I of England, the Duke of Norfolk, and a group of Scottish nobles, the Lords of the Congregation. The treaty set the terms under which an English fleet and army would come to Scotland to expel the French troops who were defending the Regency of Mary of Guise.

  5. 1594 Henry IV is crowned King of France.

    King of France from 1589 to 1610

    Henry IV, also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch of France from the House of Bourbon, a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. He pragmatically balanced the interests of the Catholic and Protestant parties in France, as well as among the European states.

  6. 1617 Sweden and the Tsardom of Russia sign the Treaty of Stolbovo, ending the Ingrian War and shutting Russia out of the Baltic Sea.
  7. 1626 Yuan Chonghuan is appointed Governor of Liaodong, after leading the Chinese into a great victory against the Manchurians under Nurhaci.
  8. 1776 American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in North Carolina breaks up a Loyalist militia.
  9. 1782 American Revolutionary War: The House of Commons of Great Britain votes against further war in America.
  10. 1801 Pursuant to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, Washington, D.C. is placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress.
  11. 1809 Action of 27 February 1809: Captain Bernard Dubourdieu captures HMS Proserpine.
  12. 1812 Argentine War of Independence: Manuel Belgrano raises the Flag of Argentina in the city of Rosario for the first time.
  13. 1812 Poet Lord Byron gives his first address as a member of the House of Lords, in defense of Luddite violence against Industrialism in his home county of Nottinghamshire.
  14. 1844 The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti.
  15. 1859 United States representative Daniel Sickles, after learning of an affair between his wife and United States Attorney Philip Barton Key II, murders him in Washington, D.C.
Show 15 earlier entries from February 27
  1. 1860 Abraham Lincoln makes a speech at Cooper Union in the city of New York that plays an important role in his election to the Presidency.
  2. 1864 American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia.
  3. 1870 The current flag of Japan is first adopted as the national flag for Japanese merchant ships.
  4. 1881 First Boer War: The Battle of Majuba Hill takes place.
  5. 1898 King George I of Greece survives an assassination attempt.
  6. 1900 Second Boer War: In South Africa, British military leaders receive an unconditional notice of surrender from Boer General Piet Cronjé at the Battle of Paardeberg.
  7. 1900 The British Labour Party is founded.
  8. 1900 Fußball-Club Bayern München is founded.
  9. 1902 Second Boer War: Australian soldiers Harry "Breaker" Morant and Peter Handcock are executed in Pretoria after being convicted of war crimes.
  10. 1916 Ocean liner SS Maloja strikes a mine near Dover and sinks with the loss of 155 lives.
  11. 1921 The International Working Union of Socialist Parties is founded in Vienna.
  12. 1922 A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States in Leser v. Garnett.
  13. 1932 The Mäntsälä rebellion begins when members of the far-right Lapua Movement start shooting at the social democrats' event in Mäntsälä, Finland.
  14. 1933 Reichstag fire: Germany's parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, is set on fire; Marinus van der Lubbe, a young Dutch Communist claims responsibility.
  15. 1939 United States labor law: The U.S. Supreme Court rules in NLRB v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. that the National Labor Relations Board has no authority to force an employer to rehire workers who engage in sit-down strikes.

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