The following events occurred in February 1927:
February 1, 1927 (Tuesday) In its third year of conferring B.A. degrees, the "Southern Branch of the University of California" formally changed to its present name to the University of California at Los Angeles, more commonly referred to as UCLA.Marina Dundjerski, UCLA: The First Century (Third Millennium Publishing, 2011) p. 46 The first seaside resort hotel in Hawaii, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel opened for business. Now called the "Pink Palace", the hotel originally owned of land in Honolulu at Waikiki. On the same day, the first and only luxury hotel in Death Valley National Park— originally called The Furnace Creek Inn, and later the Oasis at Death Valley— opened in the California desert.NationalParksTraveler.com Born: Galway Kinnell, American poet; in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 2014) Died: Sir George Higginson, 100, British general and Crimean War hero
February 2, 1927 (Wednesday) After ax murderer George J. Hassell gave directions, police in Whittier, California unearthed the bodies of his wife and three children. Hassell, on death row in Texas for the murder there of a second wife and eight other children, earned a postponement of his February 27 execution date."Bodies of Victims Found as Confessed", Deseret News (Salt Lake City), February 2, 1927, p. 1 The Ziegfeld Theatre opened on Broadway with the production Rio Rita. The building was razed in 1967Ken Bloom, The Routledge Guide to Broadway (CRC Press, 2007) pp. 287-88 Born: Stan Getz, American jazz saxophonist; in Philadelphia (d. 1991)
February 3, 1927 (Thursday) A revolt against the government of Portugal broke out at Porto. After six days of fighting, and at least 120 deaths, the rebels surrendered after it appeared that Porto would be destroyed by heavy artillery. More than 600 conspirators and participants were exiled to Portugal's colonies in the Azores and Cape Verde.James M. Anderson, The History of Portugal (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000) p. 144-145 The 4th Regiment of the United States Marines, with 1,200 men, was dispatched from San Diego to protect Americans in Shanghai."1,200 Marines Sent to China", Gettysburg (PA) Times, February 4, 1927, p. 2 After arriving on the transport USS Chaumont on February 27, the unit continued its presence in Shanghai until 1941. The Brazilian airline VARIG (Viação Aérea Rio-Grandense) began operations. William Phillips was named as the first U.S. Minister to Canada, and Frederick A. Sterling was named as the first United States Ambassador to Ireland. Prior to 1927, diplomatic relations with Canada and the Irish Free State had been conducted directly with the United Kingdom."Washington Names First U.s. Minister to Canada", Ottawa Evening Citizen, February 3, 1927, p. 1 Born: Val Doonican, Irish singer and TV personality; in Waterford (d. 2015) Blas Ople, Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 2002 until his death in 2003; in Hagonoy (d. 2003)
February 4, 1927 (Friday) Malcolm Campbell of England broke the world's record for the fastest speed in an automobile, driving at nearly per hour on the Pendine Sands in Wales. Driving the Napier-Campbell Blue Bird, Campbell averaged 174.883 mph (281.447 km/h)."Capt. Campbell Sets Two World Records", The New York Times, February 5, 1927, p4; Landspeed.com U.S. Senator Matthew M. Neely (D-WV) introduced a bill in the Senate to provide a $5,000,000 reward to the discoverer of a cure for cancer."Millions for Cure of Cancer Urged", Pittsburgh Press, February 4, 1927, p. 1; Guy B. Faguet, The War on Cancer: An Anatomy of Failure, a Blueprint for the Future (Springer, 2005) p95 Neely would die of cancer on January 18, 1958, after his own 15-month battle with the disease."Cancer Kills Neely, Senate Veteran, 83", Miami News, January 19, 1958, p. 3A Flying in an airplane approximately above Columbus Circle in New York City, baritone John Charles Thomas sang operatic arias to an audience in the first public test of what he called the "Voice of the Sky", a secret sound-reproducing and amplifying device which makes possible direct vocal communication between aircraft and any one on the ground."Opera Sung from Plane to Earth", Montreal Gazette, February 5, 1927, p. 1; "Columbus Circle Hears Voice From the Sky; Singer in Plane 4,000 Feet Up Uses New Device", The New York Times February 5, 1927, p. 17; "Flying Electric Billboards and Talking Airplanes Introduce Novelty in Outdoor Advertising", by Paul D. Paddock, Popular Mechanics (May 1929) pp 723-727
February 5, 1927 (Saturday) The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), described as "a non-profit organisation training surgeons and maintaining surgical standards in Australia and New Zealand", was founded. The United States Tennis Association dropped its 1926 national champion, Vincent Richards, from its rankings after Richards became the most famous player to that time to turn professional. Bill Tilden, at that time still an amateur, replaced Richards at #1 in the rankings."Richards' Name Is Stricken From List Because of Play With Mlle. Lenglen's Troup", Miami News, February 6, 1927, p. 10
February 6, 1927 (Sunday) In Nicaragua, a force of 1,500 rebels captured the city of Chinandega and burned the city, at one time the national capital."Nicaragua Rebels Seize and Burn City", The New York Times, February 7, 1927, p1; Government troops retook the town after a battle of five days. Reportedly, 300 people were killed and 500 were wounded. At the request of President Adolfo Díaz, the United States sent troops to Chinandega."Many Die In Liberal Clash", Palm Beach (FL) Daily News, February 12, 1927, p. 1; Robert L. Scheina, Latin America's Wars: The Age of the Professional Soldier, 1900-2001 (Brassey's, 2003) p59
February 7, 1927 (Monday) The first revision of the Book of Common Prayer since 1662 was introduced at 3:00 pm at Westminster Abbey. The Archbishop of Canterbury received the proposed revisions for a new prayer book for the Church of England, "the outcome of sixty years of study and effort designed to make the church services richer and more elastic"."First Changes in Prayer Book for 265 Years", Montreal Gazette, February 8, 1927, p. 1 The new book quickly became a bestseller for Anglicans and Episcopalians worldwide, but failed to receive the required approval. The House of Commons twice voted against a bill to accept the new text, a resolution that would still have required the approval of the House of Lords and royal assent by the King in his capacity as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.Anglican.org Born: Vladimir Kuts, Ukrainian Soviet distance runner, 1956 Olympic gold for the 5,000 meter race (and holder of the world record from 1957 to 1965) as well the world record for the 10,000 meters from 1956 to 1960) (committed suicide, 1975)"|Vladimir Kuts (Soviet athlete)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2014-08-08. Juliette Gréco, French singer and film actress; in Montpellier, Hérault département (d. 2020)
February 8, 1927 (Tuesday)
In what the American press described as "the most pretentious funeral in the history of the Orient","Last Tributes Paid to Mikado By 80,000,000", Miami Daily News, February 7, 1927, p. 1 the Emperor Taishō, known in the West as Yoshihito, was buried after being mourned by his 80,000,000 subjects in Japan, who thought of him as a deity."Mikado's Subjects Throng in Sorrow to Solemn Funeral", Montreal Gazette, February 8, 1927, p. 3; "Japan: Toward Fuji", Time, February 14, 1927
February 9, 1927 (Wednesday) By a 59–30 vote, the United States Senate rejected American participation in the Permanent Court of International Justice of the League of Nations, more popularly known as the "World Court"."Senate Drops World Court As British Bar Our Terms, Ending Hopes of Adherence", The New York Times, February 10, 1927, p. 1 The strongest gun control legislation in the United States, to that time, was signed by U.S. President Calvin Coolidge. Taking effect on May 10, the Miller Act prohibited the sending of revolvers, pistols and other small arms through the mail.President Signs Ban on Mailing Firearms", Christian Science Monitor, February 10, 1927, p. 1 The ban was easily evaded by using private shipping companies.Alexander DeConde, Gun Violence in America: The Struggle for Control (Northeastern University Press, 2003) p. 127
February 10, 1927 (Thursday) President Coolidge addressed a joint session of the United States Congress and announced that he would invite the world's major powers to meet in Geneva to discuss further reductions of their navies., Miami Daily News, February 10, 1927, p. 1 In 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty had been signed by the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Japan. As one historian noted, "The hastily conceived meeting, which [Coolidge] expected to parallel the success of the 1921-22 naval conference, turned out to be a fiasco."Margot Louria, Triumph and Downfall: America's Pursuit of Peace and Prosperity, 1921-1933 (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001), p115 The first contingent of American troops in China arrived as 300 U.S. Marines arrived at Shanghai to protect U.S. citizens there."U.S. Marines in Shanghai", Montreal Gazette, February 11, 1927, p. 1 Jonny spielt auf, Ernst Krenek's opera about an African-American jazz musician, premiered in Leipzig and became a hit in Germany.Michael J. Budds, Jazz & the Germans: Essays on the Influence of "hot" American Idioms on the 20th-century German Music (Pendragon Press, 2002) Born: Leontyne Price, African-American operatic soprano and prima donna; in Laurel, Mississippi (alive in 2026) Died: Frank S. Ryan, 46, American con man who at one time was known as the "prince of clairvoyants" until his nationwide ring was broken in 1914"Famous Notorious Clairvoyant Dead— Frank S. Ryan Headed International Ring— Broken Up in 1914", The Gazette (Montreal), February 11, 1927, p.1
February 11, 1927 (Friday) Billy Gaffney, a 4-year-old boy, was kidnapped while playing near his apartment building at 99 Fifteenth Street in Brooklyn, and was never found.The Doe Network; "Trolley Clue Spurs Gaffney Boy Hunt", The New York Times, February 19, 1927, p. 32 More than eight years later, convicted child murderer Albert Fish confessed to abducting and killing Gaffney."Fish Says He Slew the Gaffney Boy", The New York Times, March 25, 1935 The city of Homewood, Alabama, near Birmingham, was created by the merger of the towns of Rosedale, Edgewood and Grove Park."Historical Marker Database"
February 12, 1927 (Saturday) The first contingent of British troops landed in Shanghai to begin protection of British citizens."British Troops Reach Shanghai", Pittsburgh Press, February 12, 1927, p. 1 Within a week, 21 warships from the U.S., Britain, Japan, France and Italy had anchored at the Huangpu River."Foreign Navy Craft Anchor Off Shanghai", St. Petersburg (FL) Times, February 18, 1927, p. 1
February 13, 1927 (Sunday) Three months before Charles Lindbergh's nonstop flight across the North Atlantic, two Italian army officers, Lt. Col. Francesco de Pinedo and Lt. Col. Carlo del Prete, began the longest airplane tour to that time. Taking off from Sesto Calende in a Savoia-Marchetti S.55, de Pinedo and del Prete made fifty stops over four months in Europe, Africa, and North and South America, traveling with 193 hours flying time.Norman Polmar and Dana Bell, One Hundred Years of World Military Aircraft (Naval Institute Press, 2004) pp. 79-80 A series of twenty earthquake tremors in one hour in Bosnia killed about 100 people in an area along the Neretva River. While the death toll was initially believed to be 700 or more, the areas hit were sparsely populated and the loss of life was less than expected."Hundreds Killed in Balkan Quake", Miami Daily News, February 15, 1927, p1"Toll of Quake Declines to 100", Miami Daily News, February 16, 1927, p. 1