395day.year
Rufinus, praetorian prefect of the East, is murdered by Gothic mercenaries under Gainas.
In 395, Rufinus, the Eastern Roman Empire’s powerful praetorian prefect, was assassinated by Gothic mercenaries under the command of Gainas amid a volatile court conflict.
Rufinus had long wielded immense influence in the eastern court of Emperor Theodosius I, acting as de facto ruler through strategic alliances and administrative reforms. Distrust between Roman officials and barbarian troops grew as Gothic mercenaries under Gainas demanded greater recognition. During a gathering near Constantinople, Gainas’s men ambushed Rufinus, delivering a stark message about the shifting balance of power. His brutal murder exposed the fragility of imperial authority and the complexities of integrating barbarian soldiers into Roman ranks. The incident deepened divisions between Roman elites and foreshadowed future insurrections. Rufinus’s death marked a turning point in the late empire’s struggles with internal rivalries and external pressures.
395
Rufinus
praetorian prefect of the East
Gothic
Gainas
1095day.year
Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont.
At the Council of Clermont in 1095, Pope Urban II issued a momentous call for the First Crusade, mobilizing European knights to reclaim the Holy Land.
Summoned by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I’s plea for aid against Turkish advances, Pope Urban II convened church leaders and nobles at Clermont in southern France. He framed the crusade as a penitential pilgrimage, promising spiritual rewards and absolution for those who took up the cross. Urban’s impassioned sermon ignited fervor among assembled lords and peasants, coalescing into a military expedition. The rallying cry of 'Deus vult!' became the crusaders’ banner, forging a new Christian martial identity. Over the following months, thousands marched toward Constantinople, embarking on what would be a century of religious warfare. The campaign’s launch at Clermont reshaped medieval geopolitics and left a profound legacy on Christian-Muslim relations in the centuries to follow.
1095
Pope Urban II
First Crusade
Council of Clermont
1863day.year
American Civil War: Confederate cavalry leader John Hunt Morgan and several of his men escape the Ohio Penitentiary and return safely to the South.
Confederate cavalry leader John Hunt Morgan escapes from the Ohio Penitentiary and makes a daring return to the South.
During the American Civil War on November 27, 1863, Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and several of his captured cavalrymen executed a daring escape from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus. After being held due to Morgan’s extensive raids in the North, they overpowered guards, seized weapons, and fled in full Confederate uniforms. The group navigated snowy terrain and Union patrols, slipping through the lines back into Confederate territory. Morgan’s successful breakout bolstered Southern morale and added to his legend as the 'Thunderbolt of the Confederacy.' Northern newspapers were embarrassed by the lapse in security, prompting criticism of Union leadership. Morgan later resumed cavalry operations in Tennessee until his eventual death in 1864. The episode remains one of the most celebrated prison escapes of the Civil War.
1863
American Civil War
Confederate
John Hunt Morgan
Ohio Penitentiary
South
1863day.year
American Civil War: Battle of Mine Run: Union forces under General George Meade take up positions against troops led by Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
Union forces under General George Meade confront Robert E. Lee’s army at Mine Run, but poor weather halts the offensive.
On November 27, 1863, during the American Civil War, Union Major General George G. Meade advanced the Army of the Potomac to engage Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee near Mine Run, Virginia. Meade planned a surprise flanking maneuver to break Lee’s right wing, hoping for a swift victory. Confederate pickets discovered the movement in time, and Lee repositioned his army behind strong defensive works. Heavy rains and swollen creeks hampered Union artillery and supply trains, forcing Meade to reconsider the attack. After assessing the formidable Confederate entrenchments and logistical challenges, he called off the offensive on November 30. The Battle of Mine Run ended inconclusively without significant casualties, but underscored the difficulties of large-scale winter operations. Historians view the engagement as an example of cautious command decisions on both sides.
1863
Battle of Mine Run
Union
George Meade
Confederate
Robert E. Lee
1868day.year
American Indian Wars: Battle of Washita River: United States Army Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer leads an attack on Cheyenne living on reservation land.
Lt. Col. Custer leads U.S. troops in a surprise attack on a Cheyenne village at the Washita River, resulting in heavy casualties.
In the early morning of November 27, 1868, during the American Indian Wars, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led the 7th U.S. Cavalry in a surprise assault on a Cheyenne village along the Washita River in present-day Oklahoma. The attack targeted Chief Black Kettle’s band, who were encamped and believed to be under U.S. protection. Custer’s troops destroyed lodges, killed warriors, and inflicted civilian casualties, including women and children. The Battle of Washita River was heralded by many contemporaries as a decisive blow against hostile tribes, but later criticized for its brutality. The engagement exacerbated tensions between Native Americans and the U.S. government, fueling further conflict on the Great Plains. Custer’s actions at Washita foreshadowed the controversial aspects of his military career and remain a subject of debate among historians.
1868
American Indian Wars
Battle of Washita River
United States Army
Lieutenant Colonel
George Armstrong Custer
Cheyenne
1879day.year
War of the Pacific: Battle of Tarapacá: The confrontation between the Chilean Army and the Peruvian Army takes place in Tarapacá, the Peruvian victory is consummated with the death of the 2 generals and the capture the Chilean general in said place of battle, headed by the Peruvian victory of General Juan Buendía y Noregia.
Peruvian forces secure a victory over Chilean troops at the Battle of Tarapacá during the War of the Pacific.
On November 27, 1879, in the Atacama Desert region of Tarapacá, the Peruvian Army defeated Chilean forces in one of the key engagements of the War of the Pacific. Despite being outnumbered and low on ammunition, Peruvian troops commanded by General Juan Buendía held strategic positions and launched counterattacks that routed the Chilean infantry. The battle resulted in the deaths of two Peruvian generals and the capture of a Chilean commander, but cemented Peruvian morale. Tarapacá showcased the harsh desert conditions and logistical challenges both sides faced in northern campaigns. The victory was one of the few bright spots for Peru during a war that ultimately ended in Chilean dominance of the region. Historians note the engagement for its tactical ingenuity and the human cost of desert warfare.
1879
War of the Pacific
Battle of Tarapacá
Chilean Army
Peruvian Army
Tarapacá
generals
Chilean
general
Juan Buendía y Noregia
1918day.year
The Makhnovshchina is established.
The Makhnovshchina anarchist movement is founded in Ukraine.
In November 1918, the Makhnovshchina emerged under the leadership of Nestor Makhno, establishing a self-managed anarchist territory in southeastern Ukraine during the Russian Civil War. Rejecting both Bolshevik and White Army control, the movement championed peasants’ councils, voluntary communes, and free soviets. Makhno’s Revolutionary Insurgent Army defended local communities against external forces, relying on guerrilla tactics and popular support. The Makhnovshchina experimented with direct democracy and socialized land, attracting international attention. Despite eventual defeat by the Red Army in 1921, its legacy influenced later anarchist and libertarian ideological movements.
1918
Makhnovshchina
1940day.year
World War II: At the Battle of Cape Spartivento, the Royal Navy engages the Regia Marina in the Mediterranean Sea.
Battle of Cape Spartivento sees British and Italian navies clash.
During World War II, on November 27, 1940, the British Royal Navy and the Italian Regia Marina engaged at the Battle of Cape Spartivento in the Mediterranean Sea. British forces sought to protect a convoy bound for Malta, while Italian ships aimed to intercept and disrupt Allied supply lines. The encounter involved cruisers and destroyers on both sides, with limited exchanges of fire and no decisive victory. Although the battle concluded inconclusively, it demonstrated the strategic importance of naval power in Mediterranean operations. Both navies sustained minor damage, and the engagement set the stage for subsequent larger-scale confrontations in the theatre.
World War II
Battle of Cape Spartivento
Royal Navy
Regia Marina
Mediterranean Sea
1942day.year
World War II: At Toulon, the French navy scuttles its ships and submarines to keep them out of Nazi hands.
French fleet scuttles its ships in Toulon to thwart Nazi seizure.
On November 27, 1942, following Germany’s occupation of Vichy France, the French navy at Toulon executed a prearranged plan to scuttle its ships and submarines. Over 70 vessels were deliberately sunk or sabotaged to prevent them from falling into Nazi hands. Senior officers coordinated the operation under the slogan ‘Better destroyed than surrendered.’ The scuttling marked the largest self-inflicted naval loss in history, effectively neutralizing the French Mediterranean Fleet. While some ships were later salvaged by Axis powers, the act preserved French naval honor and prevented a significant boost to German maritime capabilities.
1942
Toulon
scuttles its ships and submarines
Nazi
1965day.year
Vietnam War: The Pentagon tells U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson that if planned operations are to succeed, the number of American troops in Vietnam has to be increased from 120,000 to 400,000.
The Pentagon advises President Johnson to increase U.S. troop levels in Vietnam from 120,000 to 400,000 to secure planned operations.
On November 27, 1965, the Pentagon delivered a classified memo to President Lyndon B. Johnson recommending a major troop buildup in Vietnam.
Military planners argued that expanding from 120,000 to 400,000 American soldiers was necessary to ensure the success of upcoming offensives.
This assessment marked a turning point in U.S. involvement and heralded a deeper escalation of the conflict.
The proposed increase intensified domestic debate over the war's objectives, costs, and human toll.
In the following months, troop levels surged, fueling widespread protest and shaping American politics for years to come.
1965
Vietnam War
The Pentagon
Lyndon B. Johnson
Vietnam
1975day.year
The Provisional IRA assassinates Ross McWhirter, after a press conference in which McWhirter had announced a reward for the capture of those responsible for multiple bombings and shootings across England.
The Provisional IRA assassinates British record-holder Ross McWhirter after he offered a reward for information on IRA attacks.
Ross McWhirter, co-founder of the Guinness Book of Records, had publicly offered a reward for tips on IRA bombings and shootings.
On November 27, 1975, members of the Provisional IRA shot McWhirter outside his home in London.
His assassination intensified security measures and increased tensions during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The killing underscored the IRA's campaign against those perceived as collaborating with British authorities.
McWhirter's death resonated internationally, highlighting the brutal realities of political violence in the UK.
1975
Provisional IRA
Ross McWhirter
press conference
England
1978day.year
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is founded in the Turkish village of Fis.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is founded in the village of Fis, marking the beginning of an armed Kurdish insurgency in Turkey.
Abdullah Öcalan and fellow activists established the PKK on November 27, 1978, advocating for Kurdish autonomy and rights within Turkey.
Initially a political and cultural organization, the PKK soon adopted armed struggle against the Turkish state.
The group's activities led to decades of conflict, affecting millions of Kurds and Turks in the region.
PKK's insurgency prompted a military response and ongoing debates over ethnic identity and national sovereignty.
The founding of the PKK remains a pivotal moment in the modern history of Kurdish resistance and Middle Eastern politics.
Kurdistan Workers' Party