What Happened on June 27?

June 27 is National Sunglasses Day on the same date Barclays installed the world's first ATM in London in 1967, the Soviet Union connected the first nuclear power plant to a grid in 1954, and Helen Keller became the first deaf-blind person to earn a college degree in 1904.

• 1898 — Joshua Slocum completes the first solo sail around the world

  Captain Joshua Slocum sailed into Newport, Rhode Island, on June 27, 1898, finishing the first recorded solo circumnavigation of the globe. Read the full story →

• 1904 — Helen Keller graduates cum laude from Radcliffe College

  On June 27, 1904, Helen Keller received her Radcliffe degree — becoming the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts. Read the full story →

• 1950 — President Truman commits U.S. air and naval forces to Korea

  Two days after North Korea invaded the South, President Harry Truman ordered U.S. air and sea units into combat on June 27, 1950 — without asking Congress to declare war. Read the full story →

• 1954 — The world's first nuclear power plant connects to an electrical grid

  On June 27, 1954, the Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant in the Soviet Union began supplying electricity to the public grid — the first reactor built for peaceful power. Read the full story →

• 1967 — The world's first ATM is installed at a Barclays bank in London

  On June 27, 1967, Barclays Bank opened the first automatic teller machine at its Enfield branch — letting customers withdraw cash after hours with a special voucher. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Helen Keller (1880–1968) · Tobey Maguire (1975) · J.J. Abrams (1966) · Bob Keeshan (1927–2004)

Days & observances

National Sunglasses Day · National Orange Blossom Day · National HIV Testing Day · National PTSD Awareness Day