On This Day for 5/27 - The British sink the Bismarck, St. Petersburg is founded, and more

Don't miss an issue of On This Day! Simply add [customerservice@eb.com]( to your address book. On This Day May 27 Discover the Fastest Route to Britannica - [EB.com]( Biography of the Day [Hubert Humphrey.]( [Hubert Humphrey]( Born on this day in 1911, [Hubert Humphrey]( was the 38th U.S. vice president (1965–69), a presidential candidate (1968), and a liberal Senate leader (1949–65; 1971–78) whose political base was a Democrat-Farmer-Labor coalition. Who else was born today? Find out with the newest version of [our best-selling software! >>]( On This Day [St. Petersburg]( 1703: Founding of St. Petersburg Founded this day in 1703 by [Peter the Great]( [St. Petersburg]( has played a vital role in Russian history and is especially known as the scene of the [1917 revolutions]( and as a fiercely defended city during [World War II](. Explore more key moments in history for just $39.95 [Learn more >>]( [Sign up now]( for our monthly newsletter, showcasing articles hand-picked by our editors! More Events On This Day 2000: Canadian [ice hockey]( player [Maurice ("Rocket") Richard]( who helped the [Montreal Canadiens]( win eight [Stanley Cups]( while becoming the first NHL player to score 500 goals, died at age 78. 1994: [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, 1974.]( from the Soviet Union since February 13, 1974, for writing The Gulag Archipelago, [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]( returned to his Russian homeland. 1993: [East (right) and west (left) wings of the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, with the Palazzo Vecchio in the background.]( terrorist bomb went off in [Florence]( damaging a wing of the famous [Uffizi Gallery](. 1964: [Jawaharlal Nehru, photograph by Yousuf Karsh, 1956.]( Indian prime minister [Jawaharlal Nehru]( a leader of the [Indian independence movement]( of the 1930s and '40s, died in New Delhi. 1941: [The Bismarck shortly after commissioning in 1940.]( [World War II]( the British navy sank the German battleship [Bismarck](. 1912: American short-story writer and novelist [John Cheever]( known as "the [Chekhov]( of the suburbs," was born. 1911: [Vincent Price]( actor [Vincent Price]( who was considered the master of [horror films]( was born in St. Louis, Missouri. 1905: [The Tsushima Strait was the site of the first great naval battle in the 20th century]( final conflict of the Russo-Japanese War, the [Battle of Tsushima]( commenced. 1889: The American petrochemical corporation South Penn Oil Co., later [Pennzoil Company]( was founded in Pennsylvania. 1819: [Julia Ward Howe]( author and lecturer [Julia Ward Howe]( who was best known for "Battle Hymm of the Republic," was born. 1660: The [Treaty of Copenhagen]( between Sweden and Denmark-Norway was signed, concluding a generation of warfare between the two powers as well as helping to establish the modern boundaries of [Denmark]( [Norway]( and [Sweden](. A Great Gift Idea from The Britannica Store [1768 Encyclopaedia Britannica Replica Set]( The handsome three-volume reproduction is so beautifully executed that it's almost indistinguishable from the 1768 original, right down to the natural age spots and watermarks on the pages. A must-have for collectors of history or vintage books, the set lends an unmistakable air of prestige to any home or office. [Get yours today]( Our Best-Selling Software! the world's most trusted and authoritative information for [only $39.95](. Britannica on Facebook a fan]( on Facebook and get updated Britannica content in your news feed! Britannica on Twitter @Britannica]( and enjoy daily tweets relating to the news stories of the day! [Home]( [Advocacy for Animals]( [Newsletters]( [Feedback]( [Help]( Please note that if you do not open or click on any On This Day email during any consecutive 30-day period, we reserve the right to remove your address from the active mailing list. This policy does not apply to RSS feeds. Share: Was this message forwarded to you? [Click here]( and we'll start sending you the On This Day newsletters. This message has been sent to {EMAIL}. To unsubscribe [click here](. To unsubscribe by postal mail, send your request to: Encyclopaedia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle St. - Suite 200 Chicago, IL 60654 US ATTN: Customer Service - On This Day © 2017 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. [Privacy Policy]( — [Help](