What Happened on January 19
Significant Events
- 379 Theodosius installed as co-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire
- 1812 Peninsular War: After a ten day siege, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, orders British soldiers of the Light and third divisions to storm Ciudad Rodrigo
- 1883 The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey
- 1966 Indira Gandhi elected India's 4th Prime Minister
- 2013 Calcium deposits are discovered on Mars by NASA’s Curiosity Rover
January 19 in Film & TV
- 1955 "The Millionaire" TV program premieres on CBS
January 19 in Music
- 1853 Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" premieres in Rome
January 19 in Sport
- 2013 Lance Armstrong admits to doping in all seven of his Tour de France victories
Did You Know?
Coopers Inc. sells the world's first men's briefs in Chicago, calls it the "Jockey"
On January 19, 1935
Famous Birthdays
James Watt
(1736 - 1819)
Robert E. Lee
(1807 - 1870)
Edgar Allan Poe
(1809 - 1849)
Mary Mills
78 Years Old
Janis Joplin
(1943 - 1970)
Dolly Parton
72 Years Old
Would You Believe?
World's largest crowd gathering - the Hindu Kumbh Mela in India attracts a then record 15 million people
On January 19, 1977
Famous Weddings
- 1872 Physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (26) weds Anna Bertha Ludwig in Apeldoorn, Netherlands
- 1884 Painter Thomas Eakins (39) weds painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony
- 1957 Golfer Gary Player (21) weds Bobby Verwey's sister Vivienne Verwey
- 2012 Indian bollywood actress Deepshikha Nagpal (34) weds Indian actor Kaishav Arora in Mumbai
- 2013 "Big Brother" Daniele Donato (26) weds Dominic Briones at the Newland House Museum in Huntington Beach, California
Famous Divorces
- 1977 Director Martin Scorsese (34) divorces Julia Cameron (28) after 1 year of marriage
Hedy Lamarr
Wilson Pickett
Stan MusialJanuary in History
The Man Who Saved Elton John's Life
Long John Baldry was born on this day - a friend of stars from Rod Stewart to The Beatles and who, in 1969, famously took Elton John aside and saved the life.
January 12, 1941
British Museum Opens its Doors
The British Museum opened to visitors on January 15, 1759. Fearing damage to the collections by unruly hordes, nobody was admitted without a ticket.
January 15, 1759
Squaring Up for Radio Commentary
This was the day when the BBC broadcast live sports commentary for the first time and introduced a novel way of involving listeners in the action.
January 15, 1927
The British: 139. Zulu Warriors: 4,000. Let Battle Begin
It was one of the most remarkable military engagements ever: the day that 139 British soldiers took on 4,000 Zulu warriors – and won.
January 22, 1879