On this day in history
January 19
American
1920The U.S. Senate rejects membership in the League of Nations for a second time, and the American Civil Libertie…
The U.S. Senate rejects membership in the League of Nations for a second time, and the American Civil Liberties Union is founded the same day.
Source: HistorIQly
1861Georgia secedes from the Union, becoming the fifth state to leave.
Georgia secedes from the Union, becoming the fifth state to leave.
Source: Wikipedia
1862The Battle of Mill Springs in Kentucky ends in a Union victory, an early setback for the Confederacy in the we…
The Battle of Mill Springs in Kentucky ends in a Union victory, an early setback for the Confederacy in the western theater.
Source: Wikipedia
1883Thomas Edison opens an electric lighting system in Roselle, New Jersey, the first community in the world wired…
Thomas Edison opens an electric lighting system in Roselle, New Jersey, the first community in the world wired for overhead electric light.
Source: HistorIQly
1937Howard Hughes sets a transcontinental speed record, flying from Los Angeles to New York in 7 hours and 28 minu…
Howard Hughes sets a transcontinental speed record, flying from Los Angeles to New York in 7 hours and 28 minutes.
Source: Wikipedia
1955President Dwight Eisenhower holds the first televised presidential press conference.
President Dwight Eisenhower holds the first televised presidential press conference.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
1977President Gerald Ford pardons Iva Toguri, known as Tokyo Rose, restoring her citizenship decades after her tre…
President Gerald Ford pardons Iva Toguri, known as Tokyo Rose, restoring her citizenship decades after her treason conviction.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
1983Apple announces the Lisa personal computer, one of the first computers with a graphical user interface and mou…
Apple announces the Lisa personal computer, one of the first computers with a graphical user interface and mouse.
Source: Simple Wikipedia
World
1969Jan Palach dies of his injuries three days after setting himself on fire in Prague to protest the Soviet occup…
Jan Palach dies of his injuries three days after setting himself on fire in Prague to protest the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia.
Source: Wikipedia
1812The Duke of Wellington's troops storm Ciudad Rodrigo in Spain after a ten day siege in the Peninsular War.
The Duke of Wellington's troops storm Ciudad Rodrigo in Spain after a ten day siege in the Peninsular War.
Source: On This Day
1817Jose de San Martin begins crossing the Andes with his army, the march that leads to the liberation of Chile fr…
Jose de San Martin begins crossing the Andes with his army, the march that leads to the liberation of Chile from Spain.
Source: HistorIQly
1915German Zeppelins carry out the first air raid on Britain, striking towns on England's east coast.
German Zeppelins carry out the first air raid on Britain, striking towns on England's east coast.
Source: On This Day
1942Japanese forces invade Burma, beginning a campaign that cuts the Burma Road and isolates China from Allied sup…
Japanese forces invade Burma, beginning a campaign that cuts the Burma Road and isolates China from Allied supply lines.
Source: Simple Wikipedia
1966Indira Gandhi becomes prime minister of India, beginning a political career that dominates the country for nea…
Indira Gandhi becomes prime minister of India, beginning a political career that dominates the country for nearly two decades.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
1983Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie is arrested in Bolivia and extradited to France to stand trial.
Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie is arrested in Bolivia and extradited to France to stand trial.
Source: Simple Wikipedia
1419Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England after a six month siege, a turning point in the Hundred Years' War.
Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England after a six month siege, a turning point in the Hundred Years' War.
Source: HistorIQly