December 27

1571: German astronomer Johannes Kepler, who formulated the three major laws of planetary motion, was born. 1771: Henri Pitot, discoverer of the pitot tube used for airspeed measurements, died. 1822: French microbiologist Louis Pasteur, who developed the pasteurization process for milk preservation and developed the rabies vaccine, was born. 1825: The first public railroad using steam locomotive was completed in England. 1882: Louis Pasteur, who invented the pasteurization process for killing bacteria, was born. 1923: French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel, of tower fame, died. 1932: Radio City Music Hall opened in NYC. 1949: United States of Indonesia gained independence from Netherlands. 1956: USAF Captain Milburn Apt piloted the Bell X-2 to Mach 3.2, the first time past Mach 3.  1968: Apollo 8 and its three astronauts made a safe, nighttime splashdown in the Pacific. 1977: Star Wars hit British theaters.