Deaths on January 27

Thomas Sopwith, English ice hockey player and pilot (b. 1888)

Sir Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith, CBE, Hon FRAeS (18 January 1888 – 27 January 1989) was an English aviation pioneer, businessman and yachtsman.

15 Apr

Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
Upon Hu Yaobang's death, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 begin in China.
26 Apr

Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
People's Daily publishes the April 26 Editorial which inflames the nascent Tiananmen Square protests
27 Apr

Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The April 27 demonstrations, student-led protests responding to the April 26 Editorial, during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
20 May

Tiananmen Square massacre
The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiananmen Square massacre.
5 Jun

Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tank Man halts the progress of a column of advancing tanks for over half an hour after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.