Apollo 1 ( 1967 ) Three astronauts aboard Apollo 1 ( Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee ) die while still on the launch pad as they are practicing for a two-week mission in space.

Outer Space Treaty
27th January ( 1967 ) : The Outer Space Treaty which banned the placing of nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction in orbit of Earth is signed by 60 countries of the world including the two most important superpowers at the time The Soviet Union and The United States Of America who both had large Space Exploration programmes and Large Nuclear programmes. This was an important treaty because if any country was to place Nuclear Weapons or other Weapons of Mass Destruction in Orbit no country in the world would be safe.

Michael Jackson
27th January ( 1984 ) : Michael Jackson receives serious burns to his head after his hair caught light while singing his hit "Billie Jean" for a Pepsi Cola commercial in Los Angeles when the special effects went wrong.


Birth of Television 27th January ( 1926 ) John Logie Baird, gives the first public demonstration of a television system in London. The BBC started the first public broadcasts in London in 1936. Regular television broadcasts began in the United States in 1939.