So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

December 27th
- Christian Feast Day

- St. Stephen's Day (Eastern Orthodox Church; a public holiday in Romania)

- The third day of Christmas (Western Christianity)


December 27th
- 2008 - Israel launches 3-week operation on Gaza - Operation Cast Lead

- 2007 - Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated in a shooting incident.

- 2004 - Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reaches Earth. It is the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on the planet.

- 2002 - Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny, Chechnya.

- 2001 - The People's Republic of China is granted permanent normal trade relations with the United States.

- 1997 - Protestant paramilitary leader Billy Wright is assassinated in Northern Ireland.

- 1996 - Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram air base which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul.

- 1985 - Palestinian guerrillas kill eighteen people inside Rome and Vienna airports.

- 1979 - Soviet Union invades Afghanistan

- 1978 - Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship.

- 1968 - Apollo Program: Apollo 8 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, ending the first orbital manned mission to the Moon.

- 1949 - Indonesian National Revolution: The Netherlands officially recognizes Indonesian independence.

- 1945 - The World Bank was created with the signing of an agreement by 28 nations.

- 1942 - The Union of Pioneers of Yugoslavia is founded.

- 1939 - Erzincan, Turkey was hit by an earthquake.

- 1932 - Radio City Music Hall opened in New York City.

- 1923 - Namba Daisuke, a Japanese student, tries to assassinate the Prince Regent Hirohito.

- 1922 - Japanese aircraft carrier H?sh? becomes the first purpose built aircraft carrier to be commissioned in the world.

- 1918 - The Great Poland Uprising against the Germans begins.

- 1845 - Ether anesthetic is used for childbirth for the first time by Dr. Crawford Williamson Long in Jefferson, Georgia.

- 1836 - The worst ever avalanche in England occurs at Lewes, Sussex, killing 8 people.

- 1831 - Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard the HMS Beagle, during which he will begin to formulate the theory of evolution.

- 1814 - Destruction of schooner Carolina, the last of Commodore Daniel Patterson's make-shift fleet that fought a series of delaying actions that contributed to Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle of New Orleans.

- 1703 - Portugal and England sign the Methuen Treaty which gives preference to Portuguese imported wines into England.

- 1657 - The Flushing Remonstrance is signed.

- 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regards to native Indians in the New World.

- 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed.


December 27th
- 1991 - Chloe Bridges, American actress

- 1988 - Rick Porcello, American baseball player

- 1988 - Hayley Williams, American singer (Paramore)

- 1988 - Zavon Hines, English football player

- 1988 - Taecyeon, South Korean actor & singer (2PM)

- 1985 - Logan Bailly, Belgian football goalkeeper

- 1985 - Paul Stastny, Canadian-American ice hockey player

- 1984 - Gilles Simon, French tennis player

- 1984 - Pleasure P, American R&B Singer (Pretty Ricky)

- 1983 - Cole Hamels, American baseball player

- 1983 - Anthony Boric, New Zealand All Black rugby player

- 1982 - James Mead, American guitarist (Kutless)

- 1982 - Terji Skibenæs, Faroese guitarist, (Týr)

- 1981 - David Aardsma, American baseball player

- 1981 - Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress

- 1981 - Javine, British singer

- 1981 - Patrick Sharp, Canadian ice hockey player

- 1980 - Claudio Castagnoli, Swiss wrestler

- 1980 - Bernard Berrian, American football player

- 1980 - Cas Haley, American singer and guitarist

- 1980 - Dahntay Jones, American basketball player

- 1979 - Carson Palmer, American football player

- 1979 - David Dunn, English footballer

- 1978 - Deuce McAllister, American football player

- 1978 - Nikolaos Georgeas, Greek footballer

- 1977 - Jacqueline Pillon, Canadian actress

- 1976 - Fernando Pisani, Canadian/Italian ice hockey player

- 1976 - Aaron Stanford, American actor

- 1975 - Heather O'Rourke, American actress (d. 1988)

- 1974 - Masi Oka, Japanese-American actor

- 1974 - Jay Pandolfo, American ice hockey player

- 1974 - Fumiko Orikasa, Japanese seiy? and singer

- 1974 - Edgar Ponce, Mexican actor and dancer (d. 2005)

- 1973 - Kristoffer Zegers, Dutch composer

- 1973 - Wilson Cruz, Puerto Rican actor

- 1973 - Dee Ferris, British painter

- 1973 - Deepak Kumar, Indian philosopher

- 1972 - Thomas Wilson Brown, American actor

- 1972 - Colin Charvis, Welsh rugby union player

- 1972 - Kevin Ollie, American basketball player

- 1972 - Matt Slocum, American musician (Sixpence None the Richer)

- 1971 - Duncan Ferguson, Scottish footballer

- 1971 - Bryan Smolinski, American ice hockey player

- 1971 - Jason Hawes, Paranormal investigator

- 1970 - Brendon Cook, Australian racing driver

- 1970 - Lorenzo Neal, American football player

- 1970 - Chyna, female wrestler

- 1969 - Jean-Christophe Boullion, French race car driver

- 1969 - Sarah Vowell, American author and journalist

- 1966 - Wendy Coakley-Thompson, American writer

- 1966 - Eva LaRue, American actress

- 1966 - Bill Goldberg, American football player and professional wrestler

- 1966 - Fabian Núñez, American politician

- 1965 - Chris Mainwaring, Australian rules footballer (d. 2007)

- 1965 - Salman Khan, Indian actor

- 1964 - Ian Gomez, American actor

- 1964 - Theresa Randle, American actress

- 1963 - Gaspar Noé, Argentinian-born director

- 1962 - Barbara Crampton, American actress

- 1962 - Mark Few, American basketball coach

- 1962 - Bill Self, American basketball coach

- 1962 - Sherri Steinhauer, American golfer

- 1960 - Maryam d'Abo, British actress

- 1960 - Victoria Paige Meyerink, American actress and producer

- 1960 - Donald Nally, American choral conductor

- 1959 - Gerina Dunwich, American author

- 1959 - Andre Tippett, American football player

- 1958 - Steve Jones, American golfer

- 1957 - Greg Mortensen, American author

- 1955 - Barbara Olson, American political commentator (d. 2001)

- 1955 - Brad Murphey, Australian racing driver

- 1952 - Karla Bonoff, American singer and songwriter

- 1952 - Tovah Feldshuh, American actress

- 1952 - Jay Hill, Canadian politician

- 1952 - David Knopfler, British musician (Dire Straits)

- 1951 - Ernesto Zedillo, President of Mexico

- 1950 - Roberto Bettega, Italian footballer

- 1950 - Terry Bozzio, American drummer (Missing Persons)

- 1950 - Morgan Chu, lawyer and intellectual property expert

- 1950 - Doug Stone, Canadian voice actor

- 1948 - Gérard Depardieu, French actor

- 1947 - Bill Eadie, professional wrestler known as "Ax" of Demolition

- 1947 - Tracy Nelson, American blues singer

- 1947 - Mickey Redmond, National Hockey League player

- 1947 - Janet Perry, American soprano

- 1947 - Willy Polleunis, Belgian athlete

- 1946 - Lenny Kaye, American guitarist

- 1946 - Janet Street-Porter, British journalist, producer and presenter

- 1944 - Barry Elliot British actor

- 1944 - Mick Jones, British musician (Foreigner)

- 1943 - Cokie Roberts, American journalist

- 1943 - Joan Manuel Serrat, Spanish musician

- 1943 - Peter Sinfield, British lyricist and producer

- 1942 - Byron Browne, baseball player

- 1942 - Thomas Menino, American politician

- 1942 - Charmian Carr, American actress

- 1942 - Ron Rothstein, American basketball coach

- 1941 - Michael Pinder, British musician (Moody Blues)

- 1941 - Nolan Richardson, American basketball coach

- 1939 - John Amos, American actor

- 1934 - Larissa Latynina, Russian gymnast

- 1931 - Scotty Moore, American guitarist

- 1930 - Wilfrid Sheed, English-born American writer

- 1927 - Antony Gardner, British politician

- 1927 - Agnes Nixon, American television producer, director, and writer

- 1926 - Jerome Courtland, American actor, director and producer

- 1925 - Maurice Bambier, French politician (d. 1994)

- 1925 - Michel Piccoli, French actor

- 1920 - Bruce Hobbs, American jockey (d. 2005)

- 1919 - Charles Sweeney, American general (d. 2004)

- 1918 - John Celardo, American comic strip artist

- 1917 - Onni Palaste, Finnish writer (d. 2009)

- 1916 - Werner Baumbach, German bomber pilot (d. 1953)

- 1915 - Mary Kornman, American actress (d. 1973)

- 1915 - William Masters, American gynecologist (d. 2001)

- 1915 - Gyula Zsengellér, Hungarian footballer (d. 1999)

- 1911 - Anna Russell, English-born Canadian singer and comedian (d. 2006)

- 1910 - Charles Olson, American poet (d. 1970)

- 1909 - James Riddell, British champion skier and author (d. 2000)

- 1907 - Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and writer (d. 1999)

- 1907 - Conrad L. Raiford, Goodwill Ambassador (d. 2002)

- 1907 - Willem van Otterloo, Dutch conductor and composer (d. 1978)

- 1906 - Oscar Levant, American pianist, composer, and actor (d. 1972)

- 1901 - Marlene Dietrich, German actress and singer (d. 1992)

- 1901 - Irene Handl, English actress (d. 1987)

- 1900 - Hans Stuck, German race car driver (d. 1978)

- 1896 - Carl Zuckmayer, German author and dramatist (d. 1977)

- 1896 - Louis Bromfield, American writer (d. 1956)

- 1896 - Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (d. 1952)

- 1892 - Alfred Edwin McKay, Canadian World War One flying ace (d. 1917)

- 1888 - Thea von Harbou, German author and actress (d. 1954)

- 1883 - Cyrus S. Eaton, Canadian-American financier, industrialist and philanthropist (d. 1979)

- 1879 - Sydney Greenstreet, English actor (d. 1954)

- 1864 - René Georges Hermann-Paul, French artist (d. 1940)

- 1832 - Pavel Tretyakov, Russian businessman and patron of art (d. 1897)

- 1823 - Sir Mackenzie Bowell, fifth Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1917)

- 1822 - Louis Pasteur, French scientist (d. 1895)

- 1803 - François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, French Canadian Patriote (d. 1839)

- 1796 - Mirza Ghalib, Indian poet (d. 1869)

- 1776 - Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (d. 1811)

- 1773 - George Cayley, English scientist, inventor, and politician (d. 1857)

- 1761 - Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, Russian military commander (d. 1818)

- 1721 - François Hemsterhuis, Dutch philosopher (d. 1790)

- 1717 - Pope Pius VI (d. 1799)

- 1715 - Philippe de Noailles, duc de Mouchy, French soldier (d. 1794)

- 1683 - Conyers Middleton, English minister (d. 1750)

- 1654 - Jacob Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (d. 1705)

- 1571 - Johannes Kepler, German astronomer (d. 1630)

- 1390 - Anne de Mortimer, claimant to the English throne (d. 1411)

