A few of the great historical events that happened today in history, February 27th!

1801	The District of Columbia was placed under the jurisdiction of Congress.
1807	Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
1827	The first Mardi-Gras celebration is held in New Orleans.
1902	Author John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, Calif.
1951	The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, limiting a president to two terms of office, was ratified.
1973	Members of the American Indian Movement occupied Wounded Knee, S.D., the site of the 1890 massacre of Sioux men, women and children. The occupation lasted until May.
1991	President George H.W. Bush announced the end of the Persian Gulf War, saying the allies would suspend combat operations at midnight.
1997	Divorce became legal in Ireland.
1997	Legislation banning most handguns in Britain went into effect.
2002	Alicia Keys won five Grammy Awards for her debut album, “Songs in A Minor.”
2002	A mob of Muslims set fire to a train carrying hundreds of Hindu nationalists in Godhra, India; some 60 people died.
2008	Author and conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr. died at age 82. William F. Buckley Jr
2010	An 8.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami killed 524 people in Chile caused $30 billion in damage and left over 200,000 homeless.

Today in History facts are from various sites including, but not limited too: the History Channel, The New York Times, WHG Historynet.com, and HistoryOrb.com.