January 27 in History

• 1880

  January 27, 1880:

  Thomas Edison receives a patent for the incandescent lamp.

• 1888

  January 27, 1888:

  33 men meet to form the National Geographic Society.

• 1944

  January 27, 1944:

  Finnish and German forces are ousted from Leningrad following an 872-day siege by the Red Army of the Soviet Union.

• 1945

  January 27, 1945:

  Troops from the Soviet Union liberate the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp.

• 1967

  January 27, 1967:

  Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” is released.

• 1970

  January 27, 1970:

  The hit single, “Instant Karma” by former Beatles member John Lennon is written and recorded by him.

• 1976

  January 27, 1976:

  The “Happy Days” sitcom’s spin-off series, “Laverne and Shirley” premieres on ABC.

• 1996

  January 27, 1996:

  Tennis star Monica Seles wins the Australian Open, her first Grand Slam title since she was stabbed by a fan of German player Steffi Graf at the Citizen Cup competition in April 1993.

• 2011

  January 27, 2011:

  The Yemen Uprising starts with thousands of protesters demanding Ali Abdullah Saleh’s resignation.