April 27: Easter in Eastern Christianity ( 2008); Independence Day in Togo and Sierra Leone; Freedom Day in South Africa

• 1296 – In the first battle of the First War of Scottish Independence, the English defeated the Scots near Dunbar, Scotland.

• 1565 – Conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi and 500 armed soldiers arrived at Cebu and established the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines.

• 1865 – An explosion destroyed the steamboat Sultana (pictured) on the Mississippi River, killing 1,700 passengers.

• 1909 – Abdul Hamid II, the last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire to rule with absolute power, was overthrown by Mehmed V.

• 1967 – The Expo 67 World's Fair opened in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with over 50 million visitors and 62 nations participating.

• 1992 – Betty Boothroyd became the first female Speaker of the British House of Commons.

• 1993 – Members of the Zambia national football team were killed in a plane crash off Libreville, Gabon en route to Dakar, Senegal to play a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against the Senegal national team.