On January 27, 1776, Henry Knox’s “noble train of artillery” arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, no known restrictions

Ice skating in front of Lincoln Memorial on January 27, 1922

Image via LOC, no known restrictions

On January 27, 1750, the legislature of the colony of Pennsylvania created the county of Cumberland (named for Cumberland in England) out of Lancaster County in Pennsylvania.
The county seat of Cumberland is Carlisle, PA which was founded the following year in 1751.
Carlisle is home to one of the oldest active military bases in the United States (dating back to the French & Indian War) and home of the Army War College.

Interestingly Carlisle in England is also the active administrative headquarters of the historic county of Cumberland (now Cumbria) in England.
Carlisle in England has been a military city for most of its history. A military fort was constructed by the Romans at Carlisle in England in the year 73.

American movie and TV show star Donna Reed was born on today’s date January 27, 1921 in Denison, Iowa.

Image: Reed promotional photo for the film See Here, Private Hargrove in 1944 by Laszlo Willinger via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in The United States

A Plymouth Valiant buried in snow

January 27, 1967

Image via Alamy

On January 27, 1939, the P-38 Lightning flew for the first time. The fighter-bomber, manufactured by Lockheed, proved effective in both the Pacific and European theaters of WW2. The plane’s twin-boom design and tricycle landing gear gave it a unique place in America’s wartime arsenal.

Image from USAF via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the US.

U.S. Navy Admiral Hyman Rickover, “The Father of the Nuclear Navy,” was born in Poland on January 27, 1900. When he worked his first job at nine years old he made only 3 cents an hour.

Image of Captain Rickover, USN, Receiving Award. Secretary of the Navy Dan A. Kimball, (right), inspects a model of the Navy’s atomic submarine, the Nautilus after presenting Captain Hyman George Rickover, USN, (left), the Gold Star in Lieu of the Second Legion of Merit Award at ceremonies in his office at the Pentagon in 1952 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

US Patent drawing of Thomas Edison’s Incandescent Light Bulb labeled as “Electric-Lamp” dated January 27, 1880.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

The U.S. Navy’s K-28 blimp escorting the SS Paulsboro, a US merchant ship, in the Atlantic on January 27, 1944.

The U.S. Navy’s K-class blimps were used for anti-submarine warfare.
They carried bombs, a machine gun and often a crew of 10 people. They also had radar systems for detecting enemy submarines.

After the war, K-28 was purchased by Goodyear who renamed it “the Puritan,” and who used the blimp for commercial purposes.

American musician Jerome Kern who wrote classic tunes such as “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” “The Way Your Look To-night” and “Ol’ Man River” was born on January 27, 1885 in New York City.

Image of Jerome in 1918 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

On January 27, 1862, Abraham Lincoln issued Executive Order #1 which directed Union forces to go on the offensive the following month.

Image of Lincoln in 1862 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

African American violinist and composer Will Marion Cook was born on January 27, 1869 in Washington, D.C.

He took up the violin when he was 14, studied in Europe and later received instruction from Antonín Dvořák.

Image via NYPL Digital Collections, no known restrictions

On January 27, 1785, the University of Georgia, the first state-chartered public university in the U.S., was established.