December 27: Fun Facts about Today in History

(December 27, 1571)
Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer, was born. He developed three key laws of planetary motion. photo source: wikimedia.org

(December 27, 1831)
Charles Darwin set sail on the HMS Beagle, embarking on the journey that would lead to the development of his theory of evolution. photo source: wikimedia.org

(December 27, 1923)
The famed Eiffel Tower's designer, Gustave Eiffel, died at the age of 91. photo source: wikimedia.org

(December 27, 1949)
On this day in 1949, the Dutch officially handed over authority over Indonesia to the United States of Indonesia, four years after nationalist revolutionary leader Sukarno declared Indonesia independent. photo source: wikimedia.org

(December 27, 1966)
In Aquismón, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, the Cave of Swallows, the world's largest known cave shaft, is discovered. photo source: wikimedia.org

(December 27, 2007)
Benazir Bhutto, a Pakistani politician and the first woman to head a Muslim country in modern history, was assassinated in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, while campaigning for parliamentary elections. photo source: wikimedia.org

(Died on December 27, 2018)
Frank Blaichman, Polish resistance fighter (b. 1922).