This Day In History, November 27th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on November 27th
Pope Urban II calls for the First Crusade in 1095: Pope Urban II declared a holy war in order to recover the Holy Land from Muslim dominion. This was dubbed the First Crusade.
During the Great Northern War, Swedish soldiers led by King Charles XII beat a considerably bigger Russian army in the Battle of Narva.
Alfred Nobel signs his last will and testament in 1895: Alfred Nobel, the creator of dynamite, made his final will and testament, donating a large portion of his assets to the Nobel Prizes.
The inaugural Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is conducted in New York City in 1924, and it has floats, balloons, and marching bands.
1978: Assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk: Former Supervisor Dan White shoots and kills San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk at City Hall.
11095: Pope Urban II calls for the first Crusade: Pope Urban II called for a holy war to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control. This became known as the First Crusade.
The First Crusade was a military expedition started under the auspices of the Catholic Church by Western European Christians with the intention of recapturing the Holy Land from Muslim dominion. At the Council of Clermont in France in 1095, Pope Urban II issued a call to arms, urging Christians to take up the cross and join the crusade. The campaign began in 1096 and finished in 1099 with the Christian army capturing Jerusalem. The First Crusade had a profound influence on both Western Europe and the Middle East, and it marked the beginning of the Crusades, a series of warfare.
1701: The Battle of Narva: Swedish forces under King Charles XII defeat a much larger Russian army at the Battle of Narva during the Great Northern War.
During the Great Northern War, the Swedish Empire and the Russian Empire fought the Battle of Narva on November 30th, 1700 (according to the Julian calendar in use at the time, which corresponds to November 20th in the Gregorian calendar usually used today). The Swedish soldiers, headed by King Charles XII, were outnumbered nearly five to one by the Russian army, but were able to win decisively because to better tactics and armament. The fight is widely recognized as one of Sweden's finest military successes, and it marked the start of Charles XII's extraordinary military career. The First Crusade was a military expedition started under the auspices of the Catholic Church by Western European Christians with the intention of recapturing Jerusalem.
1895: Alfred Nobel signs his last will and testament: Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, signed his last will and testament, leaving much of his fortune to the establishment of the Nobel Prizes.
On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris. He bequeathed the majority of his income to create the Nobel Prizes, which would be presented yearly to those who had made remarkable achievements to physics, chemistry, medicine or physiology, literature, or peace. Nobel was driven to establish the awards to offset the catastrophic legacy of his creation of dynamite, and he felt that the prizes would stimulate and reward greatness in human endeavor. The first Nobel Prizes were given out in 1901, and they have since become one of the world's most distinguished prizes.
1924: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade debuts: The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held in New York City, featuring floats, balloons, and marching bands.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade that takes place on Thanksgiving Day in New York City. The parade began on November 27th, 1924, and was arranged by the department store chain Macy's to kick off the Christmas shopping season. There were floats, marching bands, and real animals from the Central Park Zoo in the procession. The parade's trademark element, however, the massive helium-filled balloons, did not make their appearance until 1927. Today, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the most iconic holiday events in the United States, watched in person and on television by millions of people.
1978: San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk are assassinated: San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk are shot and killed by former Supervisor Dan White at City Hall.
Former Supervisor Dan White killed San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk at City Hall on November 27, 1978. White had quit as supervisor earlier that year, but had asked Moscone to re-appoint him. When Moscone refused, White became enraged and shot and killed both Moscone and Milk. The killings sent shockwaves across San Francisco and the country, and had a major impact on the LGBT community, as Harvey Milk was one of the country's first openly homosexual political leaders. White was subsequently found guilty of voluntary manslaughter rather than murder, sparking rioting and protests in San Francisco. Moscone and Milk's assassinations remain major events in both San Francisco and LGBT history.