October 27 - Second Battle of Newbury

1644 - During the English Civil War, the Second Battle of Newbury was fought on October 27th, 1644, re-matching the armies of King Charles and the Earl of Essex. The First Battle of Newbury occurred the year before (1643) in late September. Hoping that the Parliamentarians would not engage his forces, King Charles had deployed defensively north of Newbury and allowed Prince Rupert (son of Frederic V and nephew of King Charles -he was also commander of the Royalist cavalry) to join him. Commanded by Sir William Waller and the Earl of Manchester, the Parliamentary forces attempted to trap the royalist forces by attacking both sides of Charles� army simultaneously. With heavy losses to both sides, the Parliamentary attacks were repulsed by the royalists. Charles withdrew towards Oxford when he realized that his position was untenable. Charles was able to leave unmolested when the exhausted Parliamentary army was unable to block the royalist retreat. Therefore, it is said that the Second Battle of Newbury was indecisive in its results and no less hardly fought than was the first battle.

For more on the Battles of Newbury, see:
http://www.berkshirehistory.com/articles/newbury_bat02.html
http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1644-second-new bury.htm

1858 - Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, was born in New York City. An energetic and dynamic politician, Theodore �Teddy� Roosevelt is credited with creating the modern presidency. He was instrumental in organizing and leading the �Rough Riders� - a voluntary cavalry, most famously known for its contribution to the victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba.

For more on �Teddy� Roosevelt see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt

Other events on this day:
1553 In Switzerland, Spanish physician Michael Servetus, 42, convicted for promulgating anti-Trinitarianism, was condemned for heresy and blasphemy, and burned at the stake in Geneva
1659 Quakers executed for religious beliefs
1904 New York City subway opens
1924 Sigmund Freud appeared on the cover of Time magazine for the first time.


Discoveries/inventions/new technology:
1925 Water skis patented by Fred Waller
1938 DuPont announces its new synthetic fiber will be called "nylon"
1949 Walter R. Hess won the Nobel prize for his research on the functions of the midbrain

Women in History:
1932 Poet Sylvia Plath is born. Having suffered from severe depression, she took her own life in February of 1963 at the age of 30. Her poetry in �Collected Poems�, published after her death, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1982.