What happened on this day in history: Louis Pasteur is born in 1822, iconic actress Carrie Fisher dies in 2016, and more important events from December 27th.
537: The Hagia Sophia Is Consecrated
Wikimedia CommonsThe 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey.
Hagia Sophia is consecrated as a Greek Orthodox Church in modern-day Istanbul, Turkey. Commissioned by Emperor Justinian in 532 C.E. after the previous church on the site was destroyed, the iconic building was constructed in just five years. Though it started as an Orthodox church, the Hagia Sophia became a mosque after the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople in 1453.
1822: Louis Pasteur Is Born
Louis Pasteur, the scientist who discovered the process of pasteurization, is born in Dole, France. Throughout his career, Pasteur also helped develop vaccines for anthrax and rabies as well as the underlying principles of germ theory. He’s been called the “father of microbiology” and is credited with saving countless lives due to his contributions to vaccines, medical hygiene, and public health.
1932: Radio City Music Hall Opens
New York City’s famous Radio City Music Hall opens as part of the new Rockefeller Center complex. John D. Rockefeller Jr. was the mastermind behind the Art Deco building, which was meant to be a place where regular New Yorkers could go to experience entertainment.
Even in the midst of the Great Depression, thousands of residents showed up for its opening night. The famous Christmas Spectacular debuted the very next year and continues on nearly a century later.
2011: Pam Hupp Murders Her Best Friend
Pam Hupp murders her best friend, Betsy Faria, in Troy, Missouri. Ross Faria, Betsy’s husband, went to check on his wife the night she was murdered. Betsy was supposed to catch a ride home from chemotherapy with Pam Hupp, but when Ross entered their home, he found Betsy bloody and slumped against the front of their sofa.
Police would eventually arrest Ross for the crime, but he would later be acquitted. Police began narrowing in on Hupp after she made bizarre statements to police and killed another person. Hupp is currently in prison.
2016: Carrie Fisher Dies
Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty ImagesCarrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars, alongside Mark Hamill (left) and Harrison Ford (right).
American actress Carrie Fisher, best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars series, dies in Los Angeles, California at the age of 60. Four days before her death, Fisher had suffered a cardiac incident during a flight from London to Los Angeles.
When the plane landed, she was rushed to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where she ultimately died of cardiac arrest. Fisher’s final film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, was released the following year.
