UCLA Center for East
Asian Studies
Today in Asian History
April 27
1521 Ferdinand Magellan (in his native Portuguese: Fernão de Magalhães, b. 1480?), sailing for Spain, was killed by Mactan natives in the Philippines. Magellan had left Spain in August 1520, just one of his five vessels was able to return to Seville in September 1522. Those sailors were the first to circumnavigate the globe.
The ASEAN Focus Group offers a general survey of Filipino history. It includes little on Magellan's visit but much on the colonial period which followed. Compton's Encyclopedia offers a biography and links to related articles. The North Park University history department also devotes a page to this voyage.
1853 The first three Morman missionaries (Hosea Stout, James Lewis, and Chapman Duncan) arrived in Hong Kong. Finding it impossible to gain access to China, they stayed for just four months, perhaps baptizing one convert.
Dixon Chung, a Morman living in Hong Kong has created a page with information on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Hong Kong.
1856 Empress Xiaoqin was promoted to second-class concubine with the title Yifei. This followed her giving birth to the future Tongzhi emperor (
r. 1862-1874). Empress Xiaoqin eventually became the Empress Dowager Ci Xi (
1835-1908) and wielded great influence for a generation.
Click here to see a painting of the Empress Dowager.
1945 Admiral Suzuki Kantaro became Japan's third prime minister in a year.
The AI "Today in Asian History" page was compiled by Clayton Dube. He welcomes your comments and suggestions. Send them to <cdube@isop.ucla.edu>.
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