Here’s a brief look back in time on this day, February 27.
In 1942, the first U.S. Navy aircraft carrier to be built, the USS Langley, is sunk off the coast of Indonesia. She was named after Samuel Langley, a notable American astronomer who invented the bolometer: a device that can detect thermal radiation. The USS Jupiter was converted into the Langley in 1920, granting her the ability to launch aircraft from the sea. She assisted on various missions in World War II, including reconnaissance for Australian submarines. Her demise would arrive at the hand of a Japanese air regiment, successfully bombing it after two failed attempts. Out of the 630 crewman, 232 were rescued. The other 398 were killed or declared missing in action (MIA) when Japanese submarines began attacking nearby destroyers sent to rescue the Langley‘s crew. 31 U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) pilots were also killed in the attack.
In 1973, Native American members of the Oglala tribe and the American Indian Movement (AIM) forcefully occupy the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre. This followed AIM’s occupation of Alcatraz Island in June 1971, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1972. Though not considered a militant group, 200 members of AIM were armed, taking the site by gunpoint and securing hostages. The occupations were believed to have been incited upon the passing of the Indian Relocation Act of 1956, a law intended to further assimilate Natives into modern American culture. Some clauses included forced relocation into cities; vocational classes on seeking employment; and the termination of federal oversight on Native reservations. While some parts of the bill seemed good on paper, it subjected Natives to further discrimination and unemployment, leaving most abandoned. The occupation lasted for 72 days, leaving multiple dead and wounded on both sides after federal marshals stormed the site. Leaders would call a truce and reach an agreement to disarm on May 5 that same year.
In 1964, Italy begins taking suggestions on how to save the Leaning Tower of Pisa from collapsing. The tower began leaning during its construction, which started on August 9, 1173. Due to the unusually soft ground it was built on, it caused the tower to gradually lean over the course of 900 years. Experts believe that the remains of an ancient river estuary is buried beneath the tower. Italy officials believed it was only a matter of time before a storm or earthquake would cause the tower to collapse. It wasn’t until 1999 when remedial work would be done while also keeping the tower’s famous lean.