Discover what happened on January 19 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

January 19

Discover what happened on January 19 with HISTORY&#8217;s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

What Happened on January 19 | HISTORY

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The horrors of modern warfare were on full view in 1915, the second year of World War I. A German U-boat sank the passenger liner Lusitania off Ireland, German zeppelins bombed London, the French developed a fighter plane that could fire precisely timed machine-gun bullets through its propeller, and German troops unleashed poison gas for the first time on the battlefield. In America, meanwhile, a young Boston Red Sox pitcher named Babe Ruth clubbed his first major-league homer.

1915

1977

1807

2007

1764

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian—the U.S. president—would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

World War I pitted Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire against Great Britain, the United States, France, Russia, Italy and Japan. New military technology resulted in unprecedented carnage. By the time the war was over and the Allied Powers claimed victory, more than 16 million people—soldiers and civilians alike—were dead.

World War I

The continent of Asia, home to the majority of the world's population and countries as diverse as China, South Korea and India, has thousands of years of rich history.

Asian History

In the 15th century, Europeans began to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of new routes to China and the East, but in the process they discovered what they labeled a "New World," although Indigenous people had lived there for centuries. Other explorers have pushed the limits of flight and seafaring, and traversed the frozen Continent of Antarctica.

Exploration

Crime has been a dark and powerful undercurrent in human society throughout history. Uncover the facts behind some of the most daring robberies, brazen scams and brutal murders ever committed.

Crime

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

U.S. Government and Politics

The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.

Civil War

Sports and recreation are an integral part of human history, from the ancient Olympics to the Kentucky Derby, Jackie Robinson, Negro League Baseball, the Super Bowl and more.

Sports

The Revolutionary War waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a small fledgling nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

American Revolution

Videos

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History.com Editors

Art history tells the complex story of human civilization through art, literature and design. It ranges from prehistoric art of the Neolithic period through Renaissance masterpieces, Impressionism, Modernism, the Bauhaus and contemporary art.

Art, Literature and Film History

Inventions from the telephone to the Model T and the computer have defined human history, and inventors like Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell have transformed our society.

Inventions & Science

The 1950s were a decade marked by the post-World War II boom, the dawn of the Cold War and the civil rights movement in the United States. At this time the U.S. economy was booming and more (mostly white) Americans could afford new cars, suburban houses and other consumer goods. But the 1950s also saw great conflict and division, from the nascent civil rights movement to the crusade against communism at home and abroad in the Korean War.

This Day In History: January 19

Edgar Allan Poe is born

Also on This Day in History January | 19

First BlackBerry device hits the market

Lucille Ball gives birth on TV—and in real life

PGA approves participation of Black golfers

Sandy Koufax becomes youngest player elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

The Howard Dean scream

This Day in History Video: What Happened on January 19

Fleetwood Mac reunites to play “Don’t Stop” at Bill Clinton’s first inaugural ball

Charles Wilkes claims portion of Antarctica for U.S.

Indira Gandhi becomes Indian prime minister

First air raid on Britain

President Ford pardons Tokyo Rose

Production begins on “Toy Story”

Man charged in California cyberstalking case

Robert E. Lee born

First McDonald’s drive‑through in Beijing opens

John Wilkes expelled from British Parliament

Also on This Day in History January | 19

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