On This Day in History – January 19

Major Events

• 379 – Emperor Gratian elevates Theodosius I to co-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, shaping the future of Roman Christianity.
• 1419 – Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England during the Hundred Years’ War, leading to the execution of Joan of Arc two years later.
• 1809 – Edgar Allan Poe is born in Boston, later becoming a foundational figure in Gothic and detective fiction.
• 1840 – British explorer James Clark Ross discovers Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf.
• 1915 – Germany launches its first Zeppelin air raid over Great Britain during World War I.
• 1937 – Howard Hughes sets a new air record by flying around the world in 91 hours.
• 1966 – Indira Gandhi is elected Prime Minister of India, becoming the country’s first woman to hold the office.
• 1983 – Apple releases the Lisa computer, one of the first personal computers with a graphical user interface.
• 2001 – Wikipedia is formally launched as a collaborative online encyclopedia project.
• 2020 – China reports human-to-human transmission of a novel coronavirus, escalating global concern.

Famous Birthdays

• 1736 – James Watt, Scottish inventor and engineer (d. 1819)
• 1809 – Edgar Allan Poe, American writer and poet (d. 1849)
• 1839 – Paul Cézanne, French painter (d. 1906)
• 1912 – Leonid Brezhnev, Soviet leader (d. 1982)
• 1943 – Janis Joplin, American singer (d. 1970)
• 1946 – Dolly Parton, American singer-songwriter
• 1954 – Katey Sagal, American actress
• 1976 – Jodie Sweetin, American actress
• 1980 – Logan Lerman, American actor

Notable Deaths

• 532 – Justin I, Byzantine Emperor (b. c. 450)
• 1824 – Lord Byron, English poet (b. 1788)
• 1935 – Thomas Edward Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), British officer and writer (b. 1888)
• 1968 – Janis Joplin, American singer (b. 1943)
• 1988 – Don Sutton, American baseball player (b. 1945)
• 1990 – Cecil Beaton, English photographer and designer (b. 1904)
• 2012 – Etta James, American singer (b. 1938)
• 2017 – Miguel Ferrer, American actor (b. 1955)
• 2021 – Hank Aaron, American baseball player (b. 1934)

Holidays

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day – United States (observed on the third Monday of January)
• Epiphany (Orthodox observance) – Eastern Orthodox Churches
• World Quark Day – Observed by science communities

Fun Facts

• Edgar Allan Poe, born on January 19, pioneered the modern detective story.
• Dolly Parton has donated millions of books to children through her literacy foundation.
• Apple Lisa’s interface influenced future computer operating systems.
• Howard Hughes’ flight record showcased advances in aviation technology.
• January 19 has produced an unusually high number of influential artists and writers.
• Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf remains one of the largest ice formations on Earth.