February 27
1539: Scholar, printer, and bookseller Franciscus Raphelengius born. Raphelengius will produce an Arabic-Latin dictionary, about 550 pages, which will be published posthumously in 1613 at Leiden — the first publication by printing press of a book-length dictionary for the Arabic language in Latin.
1735: Polymath John Arbuthnot dies. Arbuthnot invented the figure of John Bull.
1869: Physician, research scientist, and author Alice Hamilton born. Hamilton will be a leading expert in the field of occupational health and a pioneer in the field of industrial toxicology.
1881: Mathematician and philosopher L. E. J. Brouwer born. Brouwer will make contributions to topology, set theory, measure theory and complex analysis; and he will found the mathematical philosophy of intuitionism.
1940: Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14. Its presence in organic materials is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method pioneered by Willard Libby and colleagues (1949) to date archaeological, geological and hydrogeological samples.
1982: The song "Back On the Supply Chain Gang" by Chrissie Hynde and the Department of Corrections reaches number one on the Gnomon Chronicles pop music chart.