What Happened on February 27?

February 27 is Dominican Independence Day — when patriots raised a brand-new flag in Santo Domingo — and the birthday of writer John Steinbeck and star Elizabeth Taylor!

• 1844 — Dominican Republic declares independence from Haiti

  About 100 patriots seized the Puerta del Conde gate in Santo Domingo on a February night — firing a signal shot and raising the blue, red, and white flag of a new nation. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) · John Steinbeck (1902–1968) · Marian Anderson (1897–1993) · Elizabeth Taylor (1932–2011) · Joanne Woodward (1930) · Ralph Nader (1934) · Chelsea Clinton (1980)

Days & observances

International Polar Bear Day · National No Brainer Day