Today In Patriots History May 27: Make that a double Collins

Happy 67th birthday to Tony Collins
Born May 27, 1959 in Sanford, Florida; hometown Penn Yan, New York
Patriots running back/kick returner, 1981-1987; uniform #33
Pats second round (47th overall) selection of the 1981 draft, from East Carolina
Pats résumé: seven seasons, 102 games (83 starts); 7,003 yards from scrimmage, 44 TD; 6 playoff games;
New England Patriots All-1980s Team




Tony Collins rushed for 4,647 yards with New England , which still ranks as third most in franchise history. By the end of the 1987 season his 32 rushing touchdowns was the third most (tied with Curtis Martin for sixth most now). He was also adept catching the ball out of the backfield, at one top holding the club record for receptions by a running backs with 261 (now 3rd), ranks fourth in receiving yards (2,356, behind only Kevin Faulk, James White and Larry Garron). At that time the 261 career receptions was the third most in team history overall regardless of position, and today still ranks as 14th most. Collins also had 12 receiving touchdowns, a franchise record for running backs that lasted for more than two decades. (White and Faulk are the only RBs with more.)


Collins also had 1,520 touches (third most), 7,003 yards from scrimmage (fifth) and 8,353 all-purpose yardage (sixth) with the Patriots, and his 44 touchdowns ranks seventh on the career leader board. Tony Collins was named to the 1983 and 1984 Pro Bowls, and is a member of the New England Patriots All-Decade Team for the 1980s.






Dec 13, 2012:













Oct 29, 2015:











Jan 29, 2013:


Feb 11, 2016:




Patriots.com Audio -- 48:31 Podcast

Most of the other options at running back in Collins' career (Vagus Feguson early, Reggie 'Two Yards' Dupard late) made Tony Collins look like a Hall of Famer by comparison. The one time Collins had a good complimentary back - Craig James - the team made it to the super bowl.

After Collins left the Patriots he signed with Indianapolis.
He never played for the Colts though as that was the year he was suspended.

Tony only played in one game for Miami in 1990 before they released him.


Then Tony Collins, NFL star just a few years earlier, played in the Arena Football League - for three years!
He was a FB/WR/LB for the Orlando Predators (1991), Cincinnati Rockers (1992) and Miami Hooters (1993).

Happy 56th birthday to Todd Collins
Born May 27, 1970 in New Market, Tennessee
Patriots linebacker, 1992-1998; uniform #54 ('92-'94); #59 ('96-'98)
Pats 3rd round (64th overall) selection of the 1992 draft, from Carson-Newman
Pats résumé: six seasons, 76 games (53 starts); 354 tackles, 2 picks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries


It is easy to understand why Todd Collins is the only person from New Market to make it to the NFL. The town in northeastern Tennessee, about 24 miles from Knoxville, had a population of 1,216 - though it has grown to all of 1,416 now. Collins had earned a scholarship to Georgia, but received a medical redshirt after suffering a broken foot during practice. He transferred to Tennessee - but separated his shoulder, resulting in another season lost due to injury. After one semester in Knoxville he transferred to Division II Carson-Newman (enrollment: 2,500) in Jefferson City, which borders on his hometown of New Market. While Collins was there the Eagles won the 1989 NAIA championship.


Todd Franklin Collins played in 76 games with 53 starts over six seasons in New England. He had 92 tackles in 1993 and 99 in 1997, before taking a leave of absence for the entire 1995 season at the age of 25. Collins played in two super bowls: for the Patriots in their loss to Green Bay, and after he signed as a free agent for St Louis in 1999, in their narrow win over Tennessee.


His departure from the Patriots was inadvertently Collins' greatest contribution to the franchise, as the number of free agent losses versus free agent signings resulted in the Pats receiving a compensatory draft pick: number 199 in the 2000 draft.


And just in case anybody was wondering, this Todd Collins is not related to RB Tony Collins, nor backup QB Todd Collins from Walpole.






















1998 Patriots Media Guide -- page 115
Outtakes
★ Todd was named Tennessee's "Mr. Football" as a prep AII-American in 1987, the same title won by his brother, Brent, in 1985.
★ That year, he was rated the top prep prospect in the country and earned National Defensive Player of the Year honors from USA Today.
★ Todd and his wile, Jill , were married last May in the British Virgin Islands

Career Transactions
Todd Collins was drafted by the Patriots after his junior year with their first of two selections in the third round of the 1992 NFL draft (64th player selected) . . . Signed by the Patriots (7/23/92) . . . Placed on injured reserve with a neck injury (1 0/1 6/92-1 1/1 3/92) . . . Placed on injured reserve with a knee injury (11/15/94 - for the remainder of the season) . . . Became a restricted free agent (2/1 5/95) and re-signed with the Patriots (4/20/95) . . . Did not report to training camp and was placed on a reserved-did not report list . . . Missed the entire 1995 season, but filed for reinstatement following the year . . . Returned for the 1996 season . . . Became an unrestricted free
agent after the 1996 season and re-signed with the Patriots ( 4/4/97)

Career Highlights (GP/GS: 64/43; 5/5)
• Started 17 games for the Patriots in 1 997, including both playoff games. His previous single season high was 12 starts in 1993.
• Recorded a career-high 99 tackles (64 solos) , including 1½ sacks.
• Intercepted a Dan Marino pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown in the Patriots' wild-card game victory over the Dolphins (12/28/97).
• Began his career lined up inside in the Patriots' 3-4 defensive alignment along with former Patriot Vincent Brown. Moved to outside linebacker upon his return in 1996.
• He emerged as a starter in 1993 and finished the season with 92 tackles, including a sack and an interception.
• Started the first seven games of the 1994 season prior to suffering a season-ending knee injury. Rehabilitated the injury in New England during the offseason, but elected to sit out 1995 season. Returned to the Patriots in 1996.

College:
As a senior, he recorded 119 tackles (66 solos), six sacks and 11 stops behind the line of scrimmage . . . Returned two interceptions for touchdowns and was credited with 16 quarterback pressures . . . Chosen Small College Underclassman of the Year in 1990 despite missing two games with a knee injury . . . Finished season with 65 tackles (19 solos), a fumble recovery and a pass deflection . . . Played in only five games after suffering a foot injury in the second game of the season as a sophomore . . . ln 1989, he notched 12 tackles (five solos), two sacks and a pass deflection ... Enrolled at Georgia in 1988 but received a medical redshirt after breaking foot in fall drills . . . Transferred to Tennessee but suffered a separated shoulder . . . Left the Volunteers that fall and enrolled at Carson-Newman.

Personal:
Todd Franklin Collins was born on May 27, 1970 in New Market, Tenn. . . . He was one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Jefferson County High in New Market, Tenn. . . . Earned USA Today, SuperPrep and Parade Magazine first-team All-American acclaim as a senior . . . Majored in psychology at Carson-Newman . . . Todd and his wife, Jill, were married in May of 1998.

On the evening of May 27, 2007, Marquise Hill and his friend, Ashley Blazio, fell off a jet ski in Lake Pontchartrain, north of New Orleans. Neither of them wore personal flotation or tracking devices. Hill ended up saving her life, keeping her calm until she could grab onto a buoy. Blazio was rescued and sent to Tulane Medical Center. Coast Guard units searched the area. Hill's body was found by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries the following day, around 2:20 PM CDT on May 28.


The 24-year old defensive end was a second round pick by the Patriots of the 2004 draft, from Louisiana State University.

















The Patriots wore number 91 on their helmet in memory of Hill for the full 2007 season.

May 27, 1964:
This trade is a bit convoluted, so bear with me.

The 1964 American Football League draft took place on November 30, 1963. The early date was not unusual then; the upstart AFL wanted to get a jump on the old school NFL in order to sign players for their new league.


Denver had the first pick of the draft, and the Patriots held the fourth. The Pats traded their first and third round picks, plus 'future considerations' in order to move up three spots to the number one pick. Billy Sullivan coveted a good catholic Irish Dorchester lad and local phenom quarterback from Matignon High School and Boston College, Jack Concannon. With that trade Sullivan got the guy he was sure would pack the stands, drafting Concannon with the first overall pick.


Sullivan surely felt the well known name local hero would be a big ticket draw. Babe Parilli had just been named to the 1963 AFL All-Star Team, but he would turn 34 before the next training camp opened. Concannon was a thrilling double threat as a passer and runner at BC. Sullivan viewed him as a worthy successor to Parilli, and future face of the franchise. Even Cardinal Cushing got involved, urging Concannon to stay home and sign with the Patriots.


The Philadelphia Eagles also drafted Concannon, in the second round of the NFL draft. That occurred only after their team officials discovered at the last minute that the Pats had not yet signed Concannon. Sullivan operated the Patriots on a shoestring budget. As badly as he wanted Concannon, he did not have deep enough pockets to compete in a bidding war with an NFL team. Concannon signed for a $25,000 bonus, a new Thunderbird and a $50,000 salary with the Eagles – big money at that time – and as a result the Patriots had nothing to show for from two of their first three rounds of the draft. Sullivan never considered that Concannon would opt for the NFL over staying home to play for the Patriots, but that is exactly what Jack did.




Seven months later it was time to pay the bill. Walt Cudkik had manned the center position for every game in the first five years of the Boston Patriots existence. He was sent to Denver as compensation for the Patriots trading up, but never played for the Broncos. Denver immediately traded him to Buffalo for LB Marvin Matusazk, and a S Billy Atkins.




While he received a bigger payday, the decision did not help Concannon's pro football career. The Eagles had Norm Snead entrenched as their starter and King Hill as the backup QB. Concannon barely ever saw the playing field as the third stringer.


In 1967 Philadelphia traded Concannon and a fourth round draft pick to the Chicago for TE Mike Ditka. The Bears had a great running back (Gale Sayers), but no QB, so it made sense to them at the time. Jack was so-so on a mediocre team and eventually lost his job as a starter when the Bears bottomed out with a 1-13 record in 1969. Ditka was a five-time Pro Bowler for the Bears, but was not the same player he was early in his career. Instead of a win-win the trade was more of a meh-meh.


Jack Concannon did play in the NFL for ten years though. His best season was in 1970, regaining his starting job and throwing for 16 touchdowns and 2,130 yards. Cudzik spent one season with Buffalo before retiring at the age of 33.




For more on Jack Concannon, check out these articles:

May 27, 1970:
The Patriots sign two free agents who did not make a regular season NFL roster: Troy State LB George Little and Virginia DB Pete Schmidt.








May 27, 1972:
Patriots sign G Steve Beyrle, an 8th round draft pick from Kansas State, and undrafted rookie free agent LB Henry Adolfi from Amherst.

Beyrle did not make the Pats roster in either '72 or '73, and he then played briefly in the CFL for the BC Lions. The 1972 Pats media guide said this of Adolfi: "Three year veteran at Amherst College . . . also filled in as center . . . good speed and mobility with excellent quickness . . . had six interceptions and five blocked punts to his credit.





May 27, 1979:
New England signs East Stroudsburg State rookie free agent S Rich Rodenberger and veteran free agent WR Larry Dorsey





Larry Dorsey had 27 receptions in three seasons for the Chargers and Chiefs before coming to New England. He was the head coach at Mississippi Valley state from 1990-1998, at Prairie View A&M from 2000-2002, and at Greenville-Weston Mississippi High School from 2008-2010.

May 27, 1980:
Patriots sign former North Carolina State punter Jay Sherrill, running back Mark Loftus, who played semi-pro football in upstate New York, and William Penn outside linebacker/long snapper Marty Hanna











May 27, 1982:
First year head coach Ron Meyer makes some changes, cutting eight players: Frank Rocco, Garry Puetz, John Vella, Peter Corrigan, Robert Intemann, Tom St. Jacques, Vince Coby and Edwin Rakus.

Puetz was the one surprise from this group to be let go. The offensive lineman had only missed one game since being acquired in 1979, and had played in 117 NFL games with 74 starts over the previous ten seasons.



























May 27, 1987:
The Patriots sign Joe Peterson, a safety from Nevada.

Peterson was one of the dozens of football players who were cut, then re-signed when the NFLPA went on strike, appearing in all three "replacement players" games from October 4 to October 18 in 1987.

May 27, 1994:
Fifth round draft pick Pat O'Neill signs his rookie contract.

Th punter from Syracuse played in 24 games over 1½ seasons in Foxborough. O'Neill averaged 41.2 yards on 69 punts, with 25 inside the twenty as a rookie, but tailed off in 1995: 36.9 yards gross, 31.2 net on 41 punts in the first eight games. Bill Parcells replaced O'Neill with Bryan Wagner for the rest of '95, then Tom Tupa in 1996.


NFL punter becomes a surgeon | Sarasota Herald










Dr. Patrick J. O’Neill | Patrick J. O’Neill, MD






May 27, 1994:
Art Spinney passes away at the age of 66

Spinney was the Boston Patriots offensive line coach from 1962 to 1968. Born in Saugus, he was an end at Boston College, then played guard for the Baltimore Colts, where he was an All Pro and NFL champion. While there he played with Don Shula, who offered him a job coaching with the 1970 Miami Dolphins, but he turned it down to remain in the area and 'get a real job'.

Art worked for the American Biltrite Rubber Company in Cambridge as a consultant to its Sports Surfaces Division. In 1972 he and another employee were awarded a patent for Biltrite's Poly-Turf, a composite surface for football or soccer fields using additional layers of shock dissipating and shock-absorbing material. Later he worked in public relations for the Massachusetts Port Authority and then the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

May 27, 2003:






May 27, 2009:

May 27, 2010:
Patriots waive WR Isaiah Stanback and LB Bruce Davis, and re-sign LB Derrick Burgess

May 27, 2021:






May 27, 2022:





May 27, 2023:
The Patriots are docked two days of Organized Team Activities due to a rule violation.

At first the assumption was that the infraction was for impermissible contact, which is not allowed in OTAs. On-field contact is typically the cause of this type of offseason violation, with several teams having faced similar consequences in recent years.

As it turned the violation was much more benign: a meeting violation. An observer from the NFL Players Association believed that one of the optional early offseason meetings was a violation, because a 15-minute special teams meeting was made visible on the internal schedule. In the opinion of the NFLPA, placing the meeting on the formal schedule converted it from ‘optional’ to ‘mandatory'.

Seriously?









May 27, 2024:
Bob Kronenberg is hired as a Pro Scout.
He had been with the Atlanta Falcons, as a scout from 2012-2018, and as their offensive line coach in 2019-2020.








May 27, 2024:
Forum discussions from two years ago:







May 27, 2026:
Organized Team Activities begin, scheduled for May 27, May 29, June 1-2, June 8-9, and June 11.

In memory of Bo Robinson, who would have turned 70 today
Born May 27, 1956 in Lamesa, Texas
Died Jan 26, 2022 in Forth Worth at the age of 65
Patriot fullback/tight end, 1984-1985; uniform #41
Claimed off waivers from Atlanta on August 28, 1984
Pats résumé: two seasons (one on IR), 16 games (one start); four receptions for 32 yards, one TD


Melvin Dell 'Bo' Robinson still holds the career rushing yardage record at West Texas A&M, with 3,542 yards on the ground for the Buffaloes. With the Patriots he primarily a special teamer, appearing in all 16 games with one start in '84. Bo's 3rd quarter touchdown reception gave the Pats a lead they would not relinquish in a week five 28-21 victory at the Jets. Robinson was placed on injured reserve on Sept 2, 1985, and again on August 19, 1986. He was released with an injury settlement on Sept 20, 1986.


Bo was originally a third round draft pick by Detroit in 1979; the 1984 campaign with the Patriots was the last of his six seasons in the NFL. He appeared in 80 NFL games with 22 starts from 1979 to 1984, gaining 750 yards from scrimmage and scoring five touchdowns, playing primarily with the Lions and Falcons.

Happy 70th birthday to Nick Lowery
Born May 27, 1956 in Munich; hometown Washington DC
Patriots kicker, 1978; uniform #7
Signed as a rookie free agent on September 19, 1978
Pats résumé: 27 days, two games


Undrafted out of Dartmouth in 1978, Dominic Gerald 'Nick' Lowery was initially signed by the Jets, and released in mid-August. He then signed with the Patriots, was cut at the end of camp, and re-signed the day after a week 3 loss to the Colts where John Smith suffered a thigh injury. Lowery filled in for two games while Smith was rehabbing. The Pats went 2-0 in those games with Lowery going 7-7 on extra points, while missing on his one and only field goal attempt, from 46 yards. He was cut five times by four teams in his first two seasons, before finding a home in Kansas City where he replaced Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud.

Lowery then proceeded to make a mockery of those previous assessments by the Jets, Patriots, Bengals and Washington. Over the course of an 18-year NFL career Lowery kicked 383 field goals, which at that time was an NFL record. He also scored a total of 1,711 points (which ranked second in NFL history at that point in time), was named to three Pro Bowls, and had the best field goal percentage in league history when he retired.



June 14, 1993 - Peter King:

A kicker enriched; Lowery profits from a Stockbroker's Investment -- Washington Post, July 20, 1985





Chiefs Hall of Honor -- Nick Lowery

Audio Podcast:

In memory of Lew Erber, who would have been 92 today
Born May 27, 1934 in Clifton, New Jersey
Died Feb 26, 1990 in El Cajon, California at the age of 55
Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, 1982-1984
Hired mid-January, 1982
Pats résumé: three seasons as offensive coordinator

Lew Erber was one of Ron Meyer's first hires in 1982. While brought many of his SMU coaches with him to Foxborough, that was not the case here. Erber had coached running backs and then receivers with Oakland from 1976 to 1981, winning two Super Bowls with the Raiders. The Pats went 22-19 with Erber as their OC, never finishing below .500. The Patriots finished 2nd, 5th and 11th in rushing yardage those three years, and improved from 21st to 10th in points scored during that time.





















Happy 65th birthday to Frank Bianchini
Born May 27, 1961 in East Islip, Long Island, New York
Patriots running back, 1987; uniform #30
Signed as a free agent on September 28, 1987
Pats résumé: one game as a replacement player


5'8, 190 lb Hofstra running back Frank Bianchini played in the final strike-replacement game in 1987, with no stats. The following year he joined the New England Steamrollers of the Arena Football League as a defensive back, his first of five seasons playing arena ball.

In 2007 Frank was inducted into the American Football Association "Minor League/Semi-Pro Hall of Fame' - although they did manage to misspell his name for this honor.

Happy 27th birthday to William Sherman
Born May 27, 1999 in Raleigh; hometown Allen, Texas
Patriots offensive tackle, 2021-2022; uniform #68 (#58 in 2021 training camp)
Pats sixth round (197th overall) selection of the 2021 NFL draft, from Colorado
Pats résumé: two seasons, one game (six snaps on special teams)


Will Sherman was waived at the end of his rookie training camp, on August 31, 2021. He was immediately signed to the practice squad, where he remained until being elevated to the roster on October 9, 2021. Sherman got on the field for six special team snaps the following day in a 25-22 win at Houston, and was then reverted back to the practice squad a day later. He stayed with the Patriots for the full 2022 offseason before being waived as part of final roster cuts on August 30, 2022. Denver signed Sherman to their practice squad once he cleared waivers; he spent all of 2022, 2023 and 2024 on the Broncos practice squad, and is still part of their 90-man roster.

William Sherman trivia: he was teammates with Kyler Murray and Greg Little in high school, where he also threw the shot put and discus.




















Happy 22nd birthday to Gabe Jacas
Born May 27, 2004; from Fort Pierce, Florida
Patriots edge rusher, 2026-; uniform #50
Pats second round (55th overall) selection of the 2026 NFL draft, from Illinois
Pats résumé: to be determined

The Patriots traded away their fourth and sixth round picks in order to move up eight spots, from 63rd to 55th in the second round in order to select Jacas (pronounced ACK-iss).













Other pro football players born on this date with New England connections:

Dan Colchico (May 27, 1935 - April 27, 2014)
Boston Patriots 1960 draft pick, from San Jose
Colchico was also a 7th round pick by San Francisco in 1959, and never played for the Patriots.
He was the 49ers starting defensive end from 1960 to 1964.


Jackie Slater, 72 (May 27, 1954)
Relative
Better known by some younger fans simply as Matt Slater's dad, the elder Slater was named to seven Pro Bowls at tackle for the Rams, playing in 259 games before being inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2001. He was named the NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year four times, and was the first player in the history of the NFL to play twenty years for one team.


Patrick Ricard, 32 (May 27, 1994)
Born and raised in Spencer; David Prouty High School (Spencer MA); University of Maine
"Pancake Pat" was a defensive tackle for the Black Bears, and signed with Baltimore as an undrafted rookie in 2017. With Kyle Juszczyk having departed in free agency for the 49ers, the Ravens had a gaping hole in their offense at fullback - and converted Ricard to fill that position, making him a rare two-way player. From 2019 to 2025 he played exclusively at fullback and was named to six Pro Bowls, with one First Team All Pro and two Second Team All Pro honors as well. In March he followed John Harbaugh to the Giants, signing a two year, $7.63 million contract with the Giants. $3.54 million is guaranteed including a $2.2 million signing bonus, making him the highest paid fullback in the league.


Sean McHugh, 44 (May 27, 1982)
Born in Springfield MA
Sean McHugh was a FB/TE who played in 40 games with Green Bay, Detroit and Pittsburgh from 2004-08. A 7th round pick by Tennessee in 2004 out of Penn State, he played in all 3 playoff games en route to winning a ring with the Steelers following the '08 season.


Tom Budrewicz, 88 (May 27, 1938)
Born and raised in Greenfield; Greenfield High School; Brown University
The western Mass native was a guard who got into a couple of games for the 1961 New York Titans.


Larry Ellis (May 27, 1922 - Aug 24, 1988)
Born and raised in York, Maine; York High School; Cheshire (CT) Academy
Ellis was an All-American LB at Syracuse who played in four games for the Lions in 1948 before blowing out his knee, ending his NFL career.


Dimp Halloran (May 27, 1896 - Nov 17, 1970)
Born and raised in Framingham; Framingham High School; Boston College
One of the earliest football stars at BC, Dimp was a tailback for the Hartford Blues in 1926, the only year that Connecticut had an NFL team (thankfully).


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


- Tom Dean (5/27/1923)
LT for the 1946-47 Boston Yanks

- Dale Waters (5/27/1909)
RT for the 1932-33 Boston Braves.

- Lloyd Young (5/27/1903)
G/E for the 1925-27 Providence Steam Roller.

Happy 72nd Birthday to Jackie Slater
Born May 27, 1954 in Jackson, Mississippi
Hall of Fame RT for the Los Angeles Rams
Played in 259 games from 1976 to 1995, plus 18 postseason games
Named to seven Pro Bowls in an eight-year span (1983-1990)

Jackie Slater, a veteran of twenty National Football League seasons, was like the Energizer Battery bunny that “just kept going and going and going.” Drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 1976 NFL Draft, Slater is tied for third all time for the most seasons played in the history of the league. His 259 regular-season games played were the most ever by an offensive lineman when he retired, and his 20 seasons with one team was an NFL record.

Although used primarily as a backup and special teams player during his first three seasons, Slater became a starter in 1979 and was a part of an offensive line that surrendered just 29 sacks and helped the Rams’ offense finish second in the NFL in total yards gained with 6,006.


The 6-4, 277-pound tackle went on to become the mainstay of the Rams’ offensive line. Slater was a first- or second-team all-pro selection following five different seasons and a first- or second-team All-NFC choice, seven times. A popular player known for his work ethic and leadership skills, Slater earned seven Pro Bowl berths. His first selection followed the 1983 season, and then was chosen in consecutive years from 1985 through 1990.


Twenty-four different quarterbacks and 37 different running backs played behind Slater during his long career. A powerful drive blocker, Slater blocked for seven different 1,000-yard rushers, including Lawrence McCutcheon, Wendell Tyler, Eric ****erson, Charles White, Greg Bell, Cleveland Gary, and Jerome Bettis. He also blocked in 107 games in which a runner gained 100 yards or more. Slater was also a quality pass blocker.


Twenty-seven times Rams quarterbacks threw for 300 yards or more in a game with Jackie in the lineup. In 1983, he and the Rams offensive line demonstrated their versatility when they allowed a league-low 23 sacks while also paving the way for ****erson’s rookie rushing record of 1,808 yards.

A veteran of 18 playoff games, including Super Bowl XIV, Slater was a model of consistent superlative play and was widely regarded as one of the game’s premier linemen.

May 27, 1937:
New York Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell won his 24th consecutive major league baseball game, extending a historic pitching streak that spanned across multiple seasons.




May 27, 1991:
The Chicago Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons to advance to their first-ever NBA Finals, sweeping the series to end the "Bad Boys" era long before the Pistons that that would ever happen.




May 27, 2001:
NASCAR driver Tony Stewart pulled off the grueling "Memorial Day Double," finishing sixth in the Indianapolis 500 and third in the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. He remains the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles of racing.

May 27, 2017:
Gregg Allman, founding member and keyboardist/vocalist of the Allman Brothers Band, died at the age of 69 at his home in Savannah, Georgia, due to liver cancer. The band's main songwriter early on, Cher's short-time husband contributed compositions such as “Dreams” and “Whipping Post”. Both songs became staples of their live shows; a cathartic 22-minute version of “Whipping Post” was a highlight of their acclaimed 1971 live album, At Fillmore East.

May 27, 1692:
William Phips, Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony authorizes a special Court of Oyer and Terminer ("to hear and determine"), to administer Salem witch trials.





May 27, 1897
The first copies of the classic vampire novel Dracula, by Irish writer Bram Stoker, go on sale in London.





May 27, 1930:
New York's Chrysler Building is completed, briefly becoming the world's tallest building. Its secretly assembled 185-foot spire ensures that it tops a rival skyscraper, but the Empire State Building claims the title the next year.





May 27, 1937:
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, a stunning technological and artistic achievement, opens to the public after five years of construction. On opening day - “Pedestrian Day” - some 200,000 bridge walkers marveled at the 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge, which spans the Golden Gate Strait at the entrance to San Francisco Bay and connects San Francisco and Marin County. The next day, on May 28, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to vehicular traffic.

The concept of bridging the nearly mile-wide Golden Gate Strait was proposed as early as 1872, but it was not until the early 1920s that public opinion in San Francisco began to favor such an undertaking. In 1921, Cincinnati-born bridge engineer Joseph Strauss submitted a preliminary proposal: a combination suspension-cantilever that could be built for $27 million. Although unsightly compared with the final result, his design was affordable, and Strauss became the recognized leader of the effort to bridge the Golden Gate Strait.





May 27, 1969:
Walt Disney World construction begins at Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida.






May 27, 1994:
Larry King ends his radio show, and the final broadcast of TV talk show "The Arsenio Hall Show" is aired.





May 27, 2020:
America's COVID-19 death toll passes 100,000, which is equal to number of US service members killed in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan combined.