Died On This Date - January 27

Verdi, Giuseppe
b. October 10, 1813 d. January 27, 1901
Composer. He was the leading figure of Italian music in the nineteenth century and made important contributions to the development of opera. Hi was born in the village of Roncole in the province of Parma. His family recognized and encouraged his talents early and he received a good basic education in the nearby town of Busseto. He studied in Milan and returned to Busseto to take the position of musical director for the town.

Jackson, Mahalia
b. October 26, 1911 d. January 27, 1972
Gospel performer and singer who had a powerful and expressive contralto voice. Her concerts and recordings gained worldwide recognition for African-American religious music. Her singing combined powerful vitality with dignity and strong religious beliefts. She disliked being identified with nonreligious music, though her singing style revealed the influence of jazz.

Roussimoff, André 'The Giant'
b. May 19, 1946 d. January 27, 1993
Professional Wrestler and Actor. Andre "The Giant" was one of the largest athletes to participate in any sport. At his peak, he stood 7' 4" tall and weighed over 500 pounds. He was the first wrestler to gain national fame and was largely responsible for the immense popularity of wrestling in the 1970s and 1980s. Born Andre Rene Roussimoff in the village of Grenoble, France, he suffered from acromegaly, a disease that results in an over abundance of growth hormones.

Grissom, Virgil
b. April 3, 1926 d. January 27, 1967
Astronaut. Grissom was a native of Mitchell, Indiana and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with cluster for his Korean service, two NASA Distinguished Service medals and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and the Air Force Command Astronaut Wings. He received his wings in March 1951. He flew 100 combat missions in Korea in F-86s with the 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron.

Crapper, Thomas
b. September, 1836 d. January 27, 1910
Inventor. Crapper was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1836 or 1837, but his exact birthdate is unknown. Crapper was thought to have been an urban legend and not a real person at all. He was credited with the invention of the 'Water Closet' or 'Flush Toilet' but in fact he only helped to improve it by inventing the 'Silent Valveless Water Waste Preventer' a ball and suction device that allows an efficient flush with a minimum of water and also shuts off the flow to the tank.

Horton, William Franklin "Bill"
b. December 25, 1929 d. January 27, 1995
Musician. A native of Hickory, North Carolina, Horton was the lead singer for the early rhythm and blues/doo wop musical group, The Silhouettes. They are best remembered for their 1957 hit "Get A Job", which sold over 2 million copies. Horton left the group in 1958, but continued singing with his former band members off and on until his death. His other recordings with The Silhouettes include "Voodoo Eyes", "Vision In The Night", "Bing Bong", "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman", and "Miss Thing".

Audubon, John James
b. April 26, 1785 d. January 27, 1851
Artist. Indelibly linked with the painting of birds, Audubon was the son of a French sea captain and his Creole mistress. Educated in his father's native France, he had spent a disastrous year at a military school before studying art in Paris with the great David. At age 18 he emigrated to the United States, where he set out for the frontier. An excellent shot and horseman, Audubon could also dance with grace and perform parlor tricks, but his one obsession was painting birds.

Chaffee, Roger
b. February 15, 1935 d. January 27, 1967
Astronaut. He was killed, along with Edward White and Gus Grissom, when their Apollo 1 command module had a flash fire on their launching pad.

Walsh, Bill
b. September 30, 1913 d. January 27, 1975
Renowned motion picture writer/producer of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Wrote and/or produced many wholesome family movies for Walt Disney, among them "The Shaggy Dog," "The Absent-Minded Professor," "Mary Poppins," "That Darn Cat!,"The Love Bug," "Bednobs and Broomsticks," and "Herbie Rides Again," plus many others. He won the Writer's Guild of America award for 'Best Written American Musical' ("Mary Poppins").

White II, Edward H.
b. November 14, 1930 d. January 27, 1967
Astronaut. He made the United States' first spacewalk on June 3, 1965, during the Gemini 4 mission. He was killed when the Apollo 1 command module had a flash fire on the launch pad.

Bly (Cochrane), Nellie (Elizabeth)
b. May 5, 1864 d. January 27, 1922
Reporter. Extraordinary pioneer of investigative journalism. Her vagabond career with the Pittsburgh Dispatch was the first of many papers and magazines which gave her employment in her lifetime. Elizabeth took a pen name from Stephen Foster's song "Nellie Bly". She exposed abuses in politics, employment and dereliction of duty in hospitals and prisons. She feigned insanity to get herself committed to an asylum to be able to get the "inside story." By pre-arrangement, friends won her.

Fuqua, Samuel Glenn
b. October 15, 1899 d. January 27, 1987
World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He was known as "Sam" and was a 1923 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. His citation reads "For distinguished conduct in action, outstanding heroism, and utter disregard of his own safety above and beyond the call of duty during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. Upon the commencement of the attack, Lt. Comdr. Fuqua rushed to the quarterdeck of the U.S.S. Arizona to which he was attached.

Hays, Pvt. John H.
b. August 4, 1844 d. January 27, 1904
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Served as a Private, Company F, 4th Iowa Cavalry. At the Battle of Columbus Georgia April 16, 1865, Private Hays was with the lead assault on Austin’s Battery (C.S.A.). As his Company over took the position he not only captured the enemy flag but the bearer as well. A bloody battle said to have been unnecessary, if only people had known the war had ended at Appomatox Courthouse two weeks before. So this battle became known as the "Last Battle".

Emerson, Edward Kramer 'Eddie'
b. March 11, 1892 d. January 27, 1970
Professional Football Player. A native of Georgia, Emerson played for the Ottawa Rough Riders football team for a total record of 26 years. Emerson began playing for the team as a flying wing and then a linebacker in 1909, and from 1925 to 1926 he played for the Rough Riders Grey Cup champions. After his playing career he became an officer and president of the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1930 to 1931, and also from 1947 to 1951. For another 25 years he served as executive of the Big Four Football.

Coates, Jefferson
b. August 24, 1843 d. January 27, 1880
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served in the Civil War as a Sergeant in Company H, 7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, which was part of the Army of the Potomac’s famous “Iron Brigade”. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery on the First Day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, (July 1, 1863). His citation reads “Unsurpassed courage in battle, where he had both eyes shot out”. His Medal was awarded to him on June 29, 1866. Runyon, Theodore b. October 25, 1822 d. January 27, 1896
Civil War Union Brigadier General. A prominent New Jersey political figure, he facilitated the raising and equipping of four regiments of New Jersey militia immediately after President Abraham Lincoln called for troops to defend Washington, DC after the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April 1861. He was commissioned a Union Brigadier General for 3 months, and commanded the reserve division of New Jersey Volunteer and Militia troops at the Battle of First Bull Run (July 1861).

Akins, Claude
b. May 25, 1926 d. January 27, 1994
Actor. A graduate of Northwestern University, he served with the United States Army Signal Corps in World War II in Burma and the Phillipines. He was a popular motion picture and television figure who appeared in many classic television series. He played the title role in the series "Sheriff Lobo."

Paar, Jack
b. May 1, 1918 d. January 27, 2004
Legendary talk-show host and television personality. Started off in broadcasting as a radio announcer in Cleveland and the Midwest. During World War II he entertained troops in the South Pacific with his parodies of military brass, but didn't become a radio star until the post-war years as a summer replacement on Jack Benny's radio show. He hosted "The Tonight Show" from 1957-1962. He even quit the show briefly in 1960 as a matter of principle, after NBC edited out a joke that used the term ".

Chauncey, Isaac
b. February 20, 1777 d. January 27, 1840
War of 1812 United States Naval Officer. Served in the Barbary Wars before rising to prominence in the War of 1812. Under his direction, the United States Naval forces on Lake Ontario became a powerful fighting force. Despite its participation in successful raids, however, the fleet was used main as troop transportation, much to Commodore Chauncey's ire. This disappointment contributed to his lack of support for General Jacob Brown's unsuccessful Autumn 1814 campaign against Montreal.