What Happened on May 27?

May 27 is Sunscreen Day — and the date the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937, the Chrysler Building debuted in 1930, Australia voted to count Indigenous people in the census, and the battleship Bismarck sank in 1941.

• 1703 — Peter the Great founds Saint Petersburg on the Neva River

  On May 27, 1703, Russian tsar Peter the Great laid the foundation of the Peter and Paul Fortress — beginning Saint Petersburg, his 'window to Europe.' Read the full story →

• 1930 — New York's Art Deco Chrysler Building opens to tenants

  The gleaming Chrysler Building in Manhattan opened on May 27, 1930 — briefly the world's tallest building, with a sunburst spire that became an Art Deco icon. Read the full story →

• 1933 — Chicago's Century of Progress World's Fair opens

  The Century of Progress Exposition opened in Chicago on May 27, 1933, showcasing futuristic technology and Art Deco design during the Great Depression. Read the full story →

• 1937 — The Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrians and vehicles

  San Francisco's orange-red Golden Gate Bridge opened on May 27, 1937 — a 1.7-mile suspension span linking the city to Marin County across the Golden Gate strait. Read the full story →

• 1941 — The German battleship Bismarck is sunk in the North Atlantic

  After a pursuit across the Atlantic, British naval forces sank the mighty German battleship Bismarck on May 27, 1941 — ending one of World War II's most dramatic sea chases. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Rachel Carson (1907–1964) · Henry Kissinger (1923–2023) · Paul Bettany (1971) · Chris Colfer (1990)

Days & observances

Sunscreen Day · National Grape Popsicle Day · National Cellophane Tape Day · National Hair Oil Day