January 19
1809 - Author Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston.
1861 - Georgia became the fifth state to secede from the Union during the Civil War.
1915 - The electric neon sign was patented in the United States by George Claude of Paris, France.
1915 - Germany carried out its first air raid on Britain during World War I.
1937 - Millionaire Howard Hughes set a transcontinental air record by flying his monoplane from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.
1942 - During World War II, Japanese forces captured the British protectorate of North Borneo; a German submarine sank the Canadian liner RMS Lady Hawkins off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, killing 251 people, while 71 survived.
1944 - The federal government relinquished control of the nation's railroads after settling a wage dispute.
1955 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower okayed the first filming of a news conference for television.
1966 - Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister of India.
1979 - Former Attorney General John Mitchell was released on parole after serving 19 months in federal prison for Watergate-related crimes.
1980 - Retired Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas died in Washington, D.C. at age 81.
1981 - The United States and Iran signed an agreement paving the way for the release of 52 Americans held hostage for more than 14 months.
1987 - Guy Hunt became Alabama's first Republican governor since 1874 as he was sworn into office, succeeding George C. Wallace.
1997 - Yasser Arafat returned to Hebron for the first time in 30 years, as Israel hands over control of the West Bank city to Palestinians.
2001 - In a deal sparing him possible indictment, President Bill Clinton acknowledged for the first time that he made false statements under oath about Monica Lewinsky; he also surrendered his law license for five years.
2006 - An unmanned NASA spacecraft blasted off on a 3 billion mile journey to Pluto.
2006 - Osama bin Laden, in an audiotape that was his first in more than a year, said al-Qaida was preparing for attacks in the United States; at the same time, he offered a “long-term truce” without specifying the conditions. Vice President Dick Cheney defended the administration’s domestic surveillance program, calling it an essential tool in monitoring al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations.
2009 - Russia and Ukraine signed a deal restoring natural gas shipments to Ukraine and paving the way for an end to the nearly two-week cutoff of most Russian gas to a freezing Europe.
2010 - In a major upset, Republican Scott Brown captured the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Edward Kennedy for nearly 50 years as he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election.
2011 - Chinese President Hu Jintao, visiting the White House, declared “a lot still needs to be done” to improve his country’s record on human rights; the exchange with President Barack Obama over human rights was balanced by U.S. delight over newly announced Chinese business deals expected to generate about $45 billion in new export sales for the U.S.
2020 - Health officials in central China reported that 17 more people had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, which had killed two patients and placed other countries on alert.
Birthdays
25 - Taylor Bennett (rapper)
27 - Josh Dylan (actor)
28 - Sarah Fisher (actress)
28 - Dani Thorne (actress/musician)
29 - Shawn Johnson (gymnast)
29 - Logan Lerman (actor)
29 - Briana Henry (actress)
30 - Erin Sanders (actress)
31 - Shaunette Renee Wilson (actress)
39 - Jodie Sweetin (actress)
40 - Bitsie Tulloch (actress)
45 - Marsha Thomason (actress)
45 - Drew Powell (actor)
47 - Frank Caliendo (comedian/impressionist)
49 - Drea de Matteo (actress)
49 - Ron (R-Truth) Killings (professional wrestler)
50 - Shawn Wayans (actor)
55 - Stefan Edberg (tennis player)
59 - Jeff Van Gundy (basketball coach/commentator)
60 - William Ragsdale (actor)
60 - Paul McCrane (actor)
66 - Paul Rodriguez (comedian)
67 - Katey Sagal (actress)
68 - Desi Arnaz Jr. (actor)
74 - Paula Deen (TV chef)
74 - Ann Compton (broadcast journalist)
75 - Dolly Parton (country singer)
77 - Shelley Fabares (actress)
79 - Michael Crawford (actor/singer)
90 - Robert MacNeil (news anchor)
91 - Tippi Hedren (actress)
==========================================
Today in Sports History - January 19
1937 - Cy Young, Tris Speaker and Nap Lajorie are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1952 - The PGA approves allowing black participants in its events.
1958 - The Canadian Football Council changed its name to the Canadian Football League.
1972 - Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra and Early Wynn are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1974 - Notre Dame defeats UCLA 71-70 in South Bend, Indiana to snap the Bruins' NCAA-record 88-game win streak.
1977 - Ernie Banks is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1978 - Eddie Mathews is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1989 - President Ronald Reagan pardoned George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner was indicted on 14 criminal counts on April 5, 1974, then pleaded guilty to making illegal contributions to Nixon's re-election campaign and a felony charge of obstruction of justice on August 23.
1996 - The NHL Board of Governors approved the sale of the Winnipeg Jets, officially clearing the way for the team to move to Phoenix for the 1996-97 season.
2000 - Michael Jordan returns to the NBA as part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards.
2002 - The "tuck rule game" takes place in the AFC Division playoff round; with under two minutes to play, the New England Patriots trail the Oakland Raiders 13-10 in a driving snowstorm, when a Tom Brady fumble is ruled an incomplete pass. The Patriots would ultimately win the game 16-13 in overtime.
2013 - The 2012-13 NHL season begins after a 119-day lockout.
2013 - Lance Armstrong admits to doping in all seven of his Tour de France victories.
2014 - The Denver Broncos defeat the New England Patriots 26-16 and the Seattle Seahawks defeat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 to advance to the Super Bowl.
2020 - The San Francisco 49ers defeat the Green Bay Packers 37-20 and the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Tennessee Titans 35-24 to advance to the Super Bowl.
1809 - Author Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston.
1861 - Georgia became the fifth state to secede from the Union during the Civil War.
1915 - The electric neon sign was patented in the United States by George Claude of Paris, France.
1915 - Germany carried out its first air raid on Britain during World War I.
1937 - Millionaire Howard Hughes set a transcontinental air record by flying his monoplane from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.
1942 - During World War II, Japanese forces captured the British protectorate of North Borneo; a German submarine sank the Canadian liner RMS Lady Hawkins off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, killing 251 people, while 71 survived.
1944 - The federal government relinquished control of the nation's railroads after settling a wage dispute.
1955 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower okayed the first filming of a news conference for television.
1966 - Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister of India.
1979 - Former Attorney General John Mitchell was released on parole after serving 19 months in federal prison for Watergate-related crimes.
1980 - Retired Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas died in Washington, D.C. at age 81.
1981 - The United States and Iran signed an agreement paving the way for the release of 52 Americans held hostage for more than 14 months.
1987 - Guy Hunt became Alabama's first Republican governor since 1874 as he was sworn into office, succeeding George C. Wallace.
1997 - Yasser Arafat returned to Hebron for the first time in 30 years, as Israel hands over control of the West Bank city to Palestinians.
2001 - In a deal sparing him possible indictment, President Bill Clinton acknowledged for the first time that he made false statements under oath about Monica Lewinsky; he also surrendered his law license for five years.
2006 - An unmanned NASA spacecraft blasted off on a 3 billion mile journey to Pluto.
2006 - Osama bin Laden, in an audiotape that was his first in more than a year, said al-Qaida was preparing for attacks in the United States; at the same time, he offered a “long-term truce” without specifying the conditions. Vice President Dick Cheney defended the administration’s domestic surveillance program, calling it an essential tool in monitoring al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations.
2009 - Russia and Ukraine signed a deal restoring natural gas shipments to Ukraine and paving the way for an end to the nearly two-week cutoff of most Russian gas to a freezing Europe.
2010 - In a major upset, Republican Scott Brown captured the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Edward Kennedy for nearly 50 years as he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election.
2011 - Chinese President Hu Jintao, visiting the White House, declared “a lot still needs to be done” to improve his country’s record on human rights; the exchange with President Barack Obama over human rights was balanced by U.S. delight over newly announced Chinese business deals expected to generate about $45 billion in new export sales for the U.S.
2020 - Health officials in central China reported that 17 more people had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, which had killed two patients and placed other countries on alert.
Birthdays
25 - Taylor Bennett (rapper)
27 - Josh Dylan (actor)
28 - Sarah Fisher (actress)
28 - Dani Thorne (actress/musician)
29 - Shawn Johnson (gymnast)
29 - Logan Lerman (actor)
29 - Briana Henry (actress)
30 - Erin Sanders (actress)
31 - Shaunette Renee Wilson (actress)
39 - Jodie Sweetin (actress)
40 - Bitsie Tulloch (actress)
45 - Marsha Thomason (actress)
45 - Drew Powell (actor)
47 - Frank Caliendo (comedian/impressionist)
49 - Drea de Matteo (actress)
49 - Ron (R-Truth) Killings (professional wrestler)
50 - Shawn Wayans (actor)
55 - Stefan Edberg (tennis player)
59 - Jeff Van Gundy (basketball coach/commentator)
60 - William Ragsdale (actor)
60 - Paul McCrane (actor)
66 - Paul Rodriguez (comedian)
67 - Katey Sagal (actress)
68 - Desi Arnaz Jr. (actor)
74 - Paula Deen (TV chef)
74 - Ann Compton (broadcast journalist)
75 - Dolly Parton (country singer)
77 - Shelley Fabares (actress)
79 - Michael Crawford (actor/singer)
90 - Robert MacNeil (news anchor)
91 - Tippi Hedren (actress)
==========================================
Today in Sports History - January 19
1937 - Cy Young, Tris Speaker and Nap Lajorie are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1952 - The PGA approves allowing black participants in its events.
1958 - The Canadian Football Council changed its name to the Canadian Football League.
1972 - Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra and Early Wynn are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1974 - Notre Dame defeats UCLA 71-70 in South Bend, Indiana to snap the Bruins' NCAA-record 88-game win streak.
1977 - Ernie Banks is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1978 - Eddie Mathews is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1989 - President Ronald Reagan pardoned George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner was indicted on 14 criminal counts on April 5, 1974, then pleaded guilty to making illegal contributions to Nixon's re-election campaign and a felony charge of obstruction of justice on August 23.
1996 - The NHL Board of Governors approved the sale of the Winnipeg Jets, officially clearing the way for the team to move to Phoenix for the 1996-97 season.
2000 - Michael Jordan returns to the NBA as part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards.
2002 - The "tuck rule game" takes place in the AFC Division playoff round; with under two minutes to play, the New England Patriots trail the Oakland Raiders 13-10 in a driving snowstorm, when a Tom Brady fumble is ruled an incomplete pass. The Patriots would ultimately win the game 16-13 in overtime.
2013 - The 2012-13 NHL season begins after a 119-day lockout.
2013 - Lance Armstrong admits to doping in all seven of his Tour de France victories.
2014 - The Denver Broncos defeat the New England Patriots 26-16 and the Seattle Seahawks defeat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 to advance to the Super Bowl.
2020 - The San Francisco 49ers defeat the Green Bay Packers 37-20 and the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Tennessee Titans 35-24 to advance to the Super Bowl.
