On April 27, 1847, William H. Beall, the second president of The Mutual Insurance Company of Frederick County, died. On April 27, 1861, the Maryland General Assembly declined to secede from the Union in a special session at Kemp Hall on Market Street at Church (SE corner) in Frederick. The session was called by Governor Thomas Hicks and is the only session of the General Assembly to be held outside Annapolis. In actuality, no vote on secession was ever taken. On April 27, 1937, lightning struck the steeple of St. John The Evangelist Roman Catholic Church on East Second Street in Frederick. If anyone can add information to these History Moments, or would like to suggest an item for another calendar day, please contact me privately. John W. Ashbury (wasps65@earthlink.net)