Today in History: Obama becomes the first Black major‑party U.S. presidential nominee

The following is a chronological list of notable events that occurred on August 27 throughout history:

1. 410 – End of the Sack of Rome by the Visigoths

The three‑day siege of Rome by the Visigoths concludes, marking a pivotal blow to the Western Roman Empire.

2. 1232 – Implementation of Japan’s first samurai legal code

Shikken Hōjō Yasutoki promulgates the Goseibai Shikimoku, the inaugural Japanese legal code governing the samurai class.

3. 1776 – Battle of Long Island (American Revolutionary War)

American forces under the 1st Maryland Regiment heroically delay British troops, enabling General Washington and his army to escape.

4. 1859 – First commercially successful oil well drilled in the U.S.

Edwin Drake strikes oil in Titusville, Pennsylvania, inaugurating the modern petroleum industry.

5. 1883 – Catastrophic eruption of Krakatoa

One of history’s most powerful volcanic eruptions occurs on Rakata island; tsunamis devastate Java and Sumatra, with approximately 36,000 casualties.

6. 1939 – First flight of the world’s first turbojet aircraft, the Heinkel He 178

Marking a milestone in aviation history, Germany’s Heinkel He 178 completes its inaugural flight.

7. 1979 – Assassination of Lord Louis Mountbatten

An IRA bomb detonates aboard his fishing boat off Ireland’s coast, killing Mountbatten and three others, including his grandson.

8. 2003 – Mars makes its nearest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years

The Red Planet comes within about 34.6 million miles of Earth—its closest proximity since roughly 57,617 B.C.

9. 2005 – Evacuations begin ahead of Hurricane Katrina

Residents of New Orleans and surrounding areas rush to flee as the impending storm threatens severe destruction.

10. 2008 – Barack Obama becomes the first Black major‑party U.S. presidential nominee

At the Democratic Convention, Obama secures his party’s nomination, making history.