History Today

Today in History — May 27

1937

27 May 1937: Golden Gate Bridge Opens to the Public

On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to pedestrian traffic, marking the completion of what was then the longest and tallest suspension bridge in the world. Spanning the treacherous strait connecting San Francisco…

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More from the Archive

1940

26 May 1940: Operation Dynamo Begins the Dunkirk Evacuation

In the early hours of April 26, 1986, a catastrophic explosion and fire at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in northern Ukraine released massive amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere, creating the worst nuclear…

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1961

25 May 1961: President Kennedy Announces Moon Mission Goal

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy stood before a joint session of Congress and issued one of the most ambitious challenges in human history. With the Cold War intensifying and the Soviet Union…

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