On This Day - April 27th

Featured Event:

Independence for Sierra Leone (1961) 🇸🇱

Sierra Leone—which for years had been a British colony and protectorate—achieved independence within the British Commonwealth

Other Events:

1865: The worst maritime disaster in U.S. history occurred when the overloaded steamship SS Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River, killing some 1,800 people. 🚢

1960: After several years as an autonomous republic in the French Union, the West African country of Togo became independent. 🇹🇬

1981: Xerox PARC debuted the first personal computer mouse. 🖱️

2014: Pope John Paul II was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI. ✝️

Holidays:

Flag Day 🇲🇩

Freedom Day 🇿🇦

Independence Day 🇹🇬🇸🇱

National Veterans' Day 🇫🇮

Featured Birthdays:

1791: Samuel Morse 🇺🇸 (Inventor)

1822: Ulysess S. Grant 🇺🇸 (18th President)

1967: Willem-Alexander 🇳🇱 (King)

1988: Lizzo 🇺🇸 (Singer)

Featured Deaths:

1521: Ferdinand Magellan 🇵🇹 (Explorer)

1931: Antonio Gramsci 🇮🇹 (Politician)

2023: Jerry Springer 🇺🇸 (TV Host)