January 19
1809 - Author Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston.
1861 - Georgia became the fifth state to secede from the Union.
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 as a pair of Zeppelins dropped bombs onto Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn in England.
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; 71 survived.
1944 - The federal government relinquished control of the nation's railroads after settling a wage dispute.
1953 - CBS-TV aired the widely watched episode of “I Love Lucy” in which Lucy Ricardo, played by Lucille Ball, gave birth to Little Ricky. (By coincidence, Ball gave birth the same day to her son, Desi Arnaz Jr.) More people tuned in to watch this event than the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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.
1981 - The United States and Iran signed an agreement paving the way for the release of 52 American hostages held 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 handed over control of the West Bank city to Palestinians.
2001 - In a deal sparing himself possible indictment, President Bill Clinton acknowledged for the first time making false statements under oath about Monica Lewinsky; he also surrendered his law license for five years.
2005 - The American Cancer Society reported that cancer had passed heart disease as the top killer of Americans age 85 and younger.
2006 - An unmanned NASA spacecraft blasted off on a 3 billion-mile journey to Pluto.
2006 - 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 liberal champion Edward Kennedy for nearly half a century as he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election.
2012 - One of the world’s most popular file-sharing sites, Megaupload.com, was shut down as its founder and several company officials were accused of facilitating millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content.
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.
2021 - On President Donald Trump’s last full day in office, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell placed blame on Trump for the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6; McConnell said the mob had been “fed lies,” and that Trump and others “provoked” those who were intent on overturning Democrat Joe Biden’s election.
2021 - Just before midnight, President Donald Trump signed a flurry of pardons and commutations for more than 140 people, including his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, as well as rap performers and ex-members of Congress.
Birthdays
29 - Sarah Fisher (actress)
30 - Shawn Johnson (gymnast)
30 - Logan Lerman (actor)
30 - Briana Henry (actress)
31 - Erin Sanders (actress)
32 - Shaunette Renee Wilson (actress)
40 - Jodie Sweetin (actress)
41 - Bitsie Tulloch (actress)
46 - Marsha Thomason (actress)
46 - Drew Powell (actor)
48 - Frank Caliendo (actor/comedian/impressionist)
50 - Ron Killings (professional wrestler)
51 - Shawn Wayans (actor)
56 - Stefan Edberg (tennis player)
60 - Jeff Van Gundy (basketball coach/commentator)
61 - William Ragsdale (actor)
61 - Paul McCrane (actor)
67 - Paul Rodriguez (comedian)
68 - Katey Sagal (actress)
69 - Desi Arnaz Jr. (actor)
75 - Paula Deen (chef)
75 - Ann Compton (news reporter)
76 - Dolly Parton (singer)
78 - Shelley Fabares (actress)
80 - Michael Crawford (actor/singer)
91 - Robert MacNeil (TV host)
===============================================
Today in Sports History - January 19
1937 - Cy Young, Tris Speaker and Nap Lajorie are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1952 - The National Football League (NFL) bought the franchise of the New York Yankees from Ted Collins. The franchise was then awarded to a group in Dallas on January 24.
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-recrd 88-game men's basketball winning 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.
1995 - 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.
1996 - The NHL announced and approved the move of the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix.
2000 - Michael Jordan returns to the NBA, joining the Washington Wizards as part owner and president of basketball operations.
2013 - The 2012-2013 NHL season begins after a 119-day lockout.
1809 - Author Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston.
1861 - Georgia became the fifth state to secede from the Union.
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 as a pair of Zeppelins dropped bombs onto Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn in England.
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; 71 survived.
1944 - The federal government relinquished control of the nation's railroads after settling a wage dispute.
1953 - CBS-TV aired the widely watched episode of “I Love Lucy” in which Lucy Ricardo, played by Lucille Ball, gave birth to Little Ricky. (By coincidence, Ball gave birth the same day to her son, Desi Arnaz Jr.) More people tuned in to watch this event than the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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.
1981 - The United States and Iran signed an agreement paving the way for the release of 52 American hostages held 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 handed over control of the West Bank city to Palestinians.
2001 - In a deal sparing himself possible indictment, President Bill Clinton acknowledged for the first time making false statements under oath about Monica Lewinsky; he also surrendered his law license for five years.
2005 - The American Cancer Society reported that cancer had passed heart disease as the top killer of Americans age 85 and younger.
2006 - An unmanned NASA spacecraft blasted off on a 3 billion-mile journey to Pluto.
2006 - 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 liberal champion Edward Kennedy for nearly half a century as he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election.
2012 - One of the world’s most popular file-sharing sites, Megaupload.com, was shut down as its founder and several company officials were accused of facilitating millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content.
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.
2021 - On President Donald Trump’s last full day in office, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell placed blame on Trump for the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6; McConnell said the mob had been “fed lies,” and that Trump and others “provoked” those who were intent on overturning Democrat Joe Biden’s election.
2021 - Just before midnight, President Donald Trump signed a flurry of pardons and commutations for more than 140 people, including his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, as well as rap performers and ex-members of Congress.
Birthdays
29 - Sarah Fisher (actress)
30 - Shawn Johnson (gymnast)
30 - Logan Lerman (actor)
30 - Briana Henry (actress)
31 - Erin Sanders (actress)
32 - Shaunette Renee Wilson (actress)
40 - Jodie Sweetin (actress)
41 - Bitsie Tulloch (actress)
46 - Marsha Thomason (actress)
46 - Drew Powell (actor)
48 - Frank Caliendo (actor/comedian/impressionist)
50 - Ron Killings (professional wrestler)
51 - Shawn Wayans (actor)
56 - Stefan Edberg (tennis player)
60 - Jeff Van Gundy (basketball coach/commentator)
61 - William Ragsdale (actor)
61 - Paul McCrane (actor)
67 - Paul Rodriguez (comedian)
68 - Katey Sagal (actress)
69 - Desi Arnaz Jr. (actor)
75 - Paula Deen (chef)
75 - Ann Compton (news reporter)
76 - Dolly Parton (singer)
78 - Shelley Fabares (actress)
80 - Michael Crawford (actor/singer)
91 - Robert MacNeil (TV host)
===============================================
Today in Sports History - January 19
1937 - Cy Young, Tris Speaker and Nap Lajorie are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1952 - The National Football League (NFL) bought the franchise of the New York Yankees from Ted Collins. The franchise was then awarded to a group in Dallas on January 24.
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-recrd 88-game men's basketball winning 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.
1995 - 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.
1996 - The NHL announced and approved the move of the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix.
2000 - Michael Jordan returns to the NBA, joining the Washington Wizards as part owner and president of basketball operations.
2013 - The 2012-2013 NHL season begins after a 119-day lockout.
