Look Back To 1927: What Happened That Year

The BBC became a corporation, talking pictures arrived and the FA Cup went to Wales.

Here's 1927 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

Popular music in 1927

• The Jazz Singer, released in America in October, brought synchronised song to the cinema.
• Dance bands continued to dominate the BBC's evening schedule.
• Home gramophones were now common enough for record sales to matter.

In the news in 1927

• The British Broadcasting Corporation was created by royal charter on 1 January.
• Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic in May.
• A total solar eclipse crossed northern England on 29 June and drew huge crowds.

On screen in 1927

• The Jazz Singer effectively ended the silent era.
• Hitchcock's The Lodger was released in Britain.
• Cinemas began the expensive business of wiring for sound.

In sport in 1927

• Cardiff City won the FA Cup, the only time it has left England.
• The first live radio commentary on a football match was broadcast in January.
• Newcastle United won the league.

Everyday life in 1927

• The first automatic telephone exchanges were being installed.
• The eclipse brought special excursion trains to Yorkshire and Lancashire.
• Wireless licences kept climbing.

If you were born in 1927

• Anyone born in 1927 was twelve when the Second World War began.
• They are the same age as the BBC as a corporation.
• Anyone born in 1927 turns 30 in 1957, 40 in 1967, 50 in 1977, 60 in 1987 and 70 in 1997.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

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How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

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• Decade trivia game: play for points
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• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

When did the BBC become a corporation?

1 January 1927, by royal charter, replacing the British Broadcasting Company.

Has the FA Cup ever left England?

Yes - Cardiff City won it in 1927, beating Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley.

How old is someone born in 1927?

Subtract 1927 from the current year. They turn 40 in 1967, 50 in 1977, 60 in 1987 and 70 in 1997.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.