May 27, 1864

1864 In Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, fighting between Confederate and Union forces in Paulding County shifted from New Hope Church to Pickett’s Mill. Gen. Howard’s 4th U.S. Corps attacked Gen. Cleburn’s Division and Gen. Kelly’s Brigade. At the end of the day, the Confederates won what would become known as the Battle of Pickett’s Mill, suffering 500 casualties to 1,600 Union losses.

May 27, 1887

1887 Master bridge builder Horace King died in LaGrange, Ga. Born Sept. 8, 1807 in Cheraw, South Carolina of mixed black, white, and Indian ancestry, King grew up as a slave and was brought by his owner, John Godwin, to the Columbus, Ga. area in 1830. Two years later, Godwin and King began work on the first bridge across the Chattahoochee River. Over the next three decades, King built more of his famous lattice bridges over the Chattahoochee (at West Point and Fort Gaines), the Flint River (at Albany), and Oconee River (at Milledgeville). He also constructed bridges in Alabama, and Mississippi. In 1846, Godwin successfully petitioned the Alabama legislature to grant King his legal freedom. Thereafter, King not only built bridges but constructed courthouses and other buildings, including rebuilding of the Alabama State Capitol after it burned. After the Civil War, King served in the Alabama House of Representatives (1869-1872) and in other public offices.

May 27, 1913

1913 The detective from the Burns Agency, called in to help the investigation into Mary Phagan’s murder, withdrew from the case, citing continued fighting among the police, mayor’s office, solicitor’s office, and the attorney who had brought him into the case. On another note, Mrs Arthur White, who had testified on May 7 that she saw a "strange Negro" lurking near the elevator of the National Pencil Factory around 1:00 PM after visiting her husband, identified the man she saw as Jim Conley.

May 27, 1938

1938 Mayor William Hartsfield approved a city council resolution creating the Atlanta Housing Authority.

May 27, 1954

1954 The "Iron Horse" -- a ten-foot-high, one-ton abstract sculpture of a horse crafted in iron by University of Georgia artist Abbott Pattison -- was placed in front of the university’s Reed Hall. Student reaction to the work was immediate. Twice during the night straw was placed around it and set on fire, and the word "Front" was painted on the horse’s neck. University officials had the controversial sculpture removed to a secret hiding place. Eventually, it was loaned to an agricultural professor who placed in the middle of a field on his farm in Greene County, where it can be seen today from Ga. 15 just north of the Oconee River.

May 27, 1956

1956 Little Richard’s "Long Tall Sally" topped the popular music charts.

May 27, 1968

1968 Chicago White Sox first-base slugger Frank Thomas was born in Columbus, Ga. Thomas won the MVP award for the American League in 1993.

May 27, 1975

1975 Georgia-born heavyweight boxing champion Ezzard Charles died at age 53 in Chicago (some sources cite May 28). He had a lifetime boxing record of 92-25-1 (58 by knockout). He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

May 27, 1976

1976 Campaigning in Cincinnati, Jimmy Carter blasted the "stop Carter" movement among his opponents, saying "My critics don’t want to stop Carter. They want to stop the reforms I am committed to. They want to stop the people of this country from regaining control of this government."

May 27, 1991

1991 Georgia comic strip artist Ed Dodd (creator of the "Mark Trail") died at age 88.

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Today in History

1849 Musician Thomas Greene "Blind Tom" Bethune was born in Harris County, Georgia. Blind from birth and born a slave, Bethune exhibited a natural ability to imitate and create music … read more