It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

October 27, 1966

The animated television special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is aired for the first time. It was based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. Bill Melendez animated, produced, directed, and also provided the voice for Snoopy. It aired annually on CBS through 2000, and then moved to ABC. Apple Inc. purchased the broadcast rights to all Peanuts specials in 2018, and they became Apple TV+ exclusives in 2020.

Rebel Without a Cause

October 27, 1955

The film classic Rebel Without a Cause premieres starring James Dean, Natalie Wood, Nick Adams, and Sal Mineo, all of which met early tragic deaths. Dean had been killed in a car crash the previous month.

Walt Disney's Disneyland

October 27, 1954

The Walt Disney's Disneyland TV series debuts on ABC. Walt Disney created the show to help promote and finance the development of his Disneyland amusement park, which opened the following year. The show's stories took place in Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland, which corresponded to sections of the amusement park. It is the second-longest running primetime show on American television (after Hallmark Hall of Fame which started in 1954) and has run on all three major broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS). It was hosted by Walt Disney from 1954 to 1966, former Disney Chairman Michael Eisner from 1987 to 2021, and then by Abigail Disney, the great-niece of Walt Disney. It has changed names a number of times and is currently titled The Wonderful World of Disney.

First Commercial Radio License

October 27, 1920

The first license for a commercial radio station is issued to KDKA in Pittsburgh.
KDKA was originally intended to operate as private radiotelegraph links between Westinghouse's East Pittsburgh factory and its other facilities, to avoid the business expense of paying for telegraph and telephone lines. But, after the success of its broadcast of the November 1920 U.S. presidential results, it began providing regular entertainment programs.

New York City Subway

October 27, 1904

The first section the New York City Subway system opens. It was the World's first underground and underwater subway.

Columbus "Discovers" Cuba

October 27, 1492

Believing it to be Asia, Christopher Columbus named it Juanna.

The Spy Who Got Away

Edward Lee Howard

Born October 27, 1951 d. 2002

American CIA agent. He was the first CIA officer to defect to the Soviet Union (1985). After failing a routine polygraph, he was fired by the CIA. He was later accused by a KGB agent who defected to the U.S. of working for the KGB. However, the KGB agent re-defected back to the USSR and it is believed he may have been acting as a re-doubled agent in order to provide false information to the U.S. One night, as Howard and his wife were driving, he jumped out of the car as they slowed to round a corner. A dummy was placed in his seat to fool pursuing agents. Once at home, his wife called a pre-recorded message left on an answering machine in order to fool the wiretap listeners and buy her husband more time. From New York, Howard flew to Helsinki, where he went to the Soviet embassy. He maintained his innocence until his death.
Howard is the subject of the book The Spy Who Got Away.

John Cleese

Born October 27, 1939

English actor. One of the founders of the Monty Python comedy troop. TV: Monty Python's Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979, Basil Fawlty). Film: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of Brian (1979), The Meaning of Life (1983), and A Fish Called Wanda (1989).
Fawlty Towers was created and written by Cleese and Connie Booth, who also starred in the show. They were married when the series began in 1975, but were divorced by the second season in 1979. Cleese got the idea for Fawlty Towers after he stayed at a hotel in Torquay, Devon where the owner acted rude and snobbish and as if the guests were an annoyance to him.

Theodore Roosevelt

Born October 27, 1858 d. 1919

American politician. 26th U.S. President (1901-09, the youngest president - age 42), 25th U.S. Vice-President (1901). He is the youngest U.S. president, assuming the presidency at the age of 42 after the assassination of William McKinley (John F. Kennedy was 43 years old when he became president, making him the youngest person elected U.S. president).
He was the first U.S. president to ride in an automobile (1902), submerge in a submarine (1905), and fly in an airplane (1910). He was also the only U.S. president not to use the word "I" is his inaugural address (1905), and the first American to win a Nobel Peace Prize (1906). Also known for his motto, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."
Even though he was shot while on his way to deliver a speech, he delivered the speech before going to the hospital.
Known for his athleticism, during his presidency he participated in a boxing match that cost him his sight in his left eye (1904).

James Cook

Born October 27, 1728 d. 1779

English naval captain and explorer. He discovered the Hawaiian Islands, and introduced tattoos to the western world. He was killed by the natives of the Sandwich Islands.