On January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society was
incorporated in Washington, D.C., for “the increase and
diffusion of geographical knowledge.

The 33 men who originally met and formed the National
Geographic Society were a diverse group of geographers,
explorers, teachers, lawyers, military officers and financiers.

All shared an interest in scientific and geographical knowledge,
as well as an opinion that in a time of discovery, invention,
change and mass communication, Americans were becoming
more curious about the world around them.

On January 27, 1965, the Shelby GT 350, a version of a Ford
Mustang sports car developed by the American auto racer
and car designer Carroll Shelby,was launched.

Carroll Hall Shelby
(January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012)

The Apollo 1 crew, from left, Edward H. White II, Virgil I.
"Gus" Grissom, and Roger B. Chaffee.

A launch pad fire during Apollo program tests at Cape Canaveral,
Florida, killed all three astronauts of Apollo 1 on this day in 1967. 
     
An investigation indicated that a faulty electrical wire inside the
Apollo 1 command module was the probable cause of the fire.

The astronauts, the first Americans to die in a spacecraft, had been participating in a simulation of the Apollo 1 launch scheduled for
the following month.

The entrance to the tribute to the three astronauts who died
in the fire.

The three-part hatch that was in place on the Apollo 1
spacecraft is shown in the tribute.This is the first time
any part of the Apollo 1 spacecraft has been displayed
publicly. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791)
(Unfinished portrait,1782)

Mozart was a composer, instrumentalist, and music
teacher.

His full baptized name was Johannes Chrysostomus
Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart.

He was born in Salzburg (then a free archbishopric
city within the Holy Roman Empire, now Austria).

He wrote more than 800 musical works including many
chamber pieces, church music, minuets, dances, songs,
and a Requiem. Along with Bach and Beethoven, Mozart
is viewed as one of the greatest composers who ever lived.

Mozart also had his own special violin. It is called the
"Klotz" violin. The violin still exists today and is in a
museum called the Salzburg Mozarteum.  
       
Mozart died on December 5, 1791 at the age of 35. The
cause of death is uncertain.
(Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)