Who are famous people born on January 19?

Famous people born on January 19 include: Felix Afena-Gyan, Jonathan Taylor, Donyell Malen.

What famous people died on January 19?

Notable historical figures who died on January 19 include: Valentino, Jeff Torborg, Miguel Ferrer.

January 19 in History

Q: What happened on January 19 in history?

On January 19, 2007: Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink is assassinated in front of his newspaper's Istanbul office by 17-year-old Turkish ultra-nationalist Ogün Samast.

2007 — Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink is assassinated in front of his newspaper's Istanbul office by 17-year-old Turkish ultra-nationalist Ogün Samast

January 19 spans 55 recorded events across recorded history — from 379 – 2025. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · January 19 — Wikipedia

Historical Events 55 events 379 – 2025

Did you know

In 2007, Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink is assassinated in front of his newspaper's Istanbul office by 17-year-old Turkish ultra-nationalist Ogün Samast. This featured entry focuses on the immediate decision and its direct historical impact.

Did you know

The prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was assassinated in Istanbul on 19 January 2007. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

Did you know

Dink was a newspaper editor who had written and spoken about the Armenian genocide and was well known for his efforts for reconciliation between Turks and Armenians and his advocacy of human and minority rights in Turkey. This clarifies the institutional and public response around the event.

Did you know

At the time of his death, he was on trial for violating Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code and "denigrating Turkishness". This shows how the event shaped policy and public communication in the same period.

Did you know

His murder sparked both massive national protests in Turkey itself as well as widespread international outrage. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

Emperor Gratian elevates Flavius Theodosius at Sirmium to Augustus, and gives him authority over all the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.

Roman emperor from 367 to 383

Gratian was emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 367 to 383. The eldest son of Valentinian I, Gratian was raised to the rank of Augustus as a child and inherited the West after his father's death in 375. He nominally shared the government with his infant half-brother Valentinian II, who was also acclaimed emperor in Pannonia on Valentinian's death. The East was ruled by his uncle Valens, who was later succeeded by Theodosius I.

379

Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surrender after a forty-day siege led by Tang dynasty general Ashina She'er, establishing Tang control over the northern Tarim Basin in Xinjiang.

Tang dynasty conquest

The Tang campaign against Kucha was led by the Tang dynasty general Ashina She'er against the Tarim Basin oasis state of Kucha in Xinjiang, which was aligned with the Western Turkic Khaganate. The campaign began in 648 and ended on 19 January 649, after the surrender of the Kuchan forces following a forty-day siege of Aksu. Kuchean soldiers tried to recapture the kingdom with the assistance of the Western Turkic Khaganate, but were defeated by the Tang army.

649

Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England, completing his reconquest of Normandy.

Medieval Anglo-French conflicts, 1337–1453

The Hundred Years' War was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a claim to the French throne made by Edward III of England. The war grew into a broader military, economic, and political struggle involving factions from across Western Europe, fuelled by emerging nationalism on both sides. The periodisation of the war typically charts it as taking place over 116 years. However, it was an intermittent conflict which was frequently interrupted by external factors, such as the Black Death, and several years of truces.

1419

John VIII Palaiologos marries Sophia of Montferrat and is then crowned Byzantine co-emperor to his father Manuel II Palaiologos.

Byzantine emperor from 1425 to 1448

John VIII Palaiologos was the penultimate Roman emperor to rule in Constantinople. Ruling from 1425 to 1448, he attempted to bring about the reunification of the Orthodox and Catholic churches and prioritised the protection of Constantinople against the Ottoman Empire. He was succeeded by his brother, Constantine XI, who would become the final emperor.

1421

The Italian Duchy of Mirandola surrenders to the Pope.

Part of the War of the League of Cambrai

The siege of Mirandola took place from 2 January to 19 January 1511 as a part of Pope Julius II's campaign to keep France from dominating northern Italy during the War of the League of Cambrai. At that time Mirandola was the capital of the Duchy of Mirandola in the Italian region of Emilia. The siege was conducted by Julius after he had broken away from the League of Cambrai and entered into a treaty with Venice.

1511

Sten Sture the Younger, the Regent of Sweden, is mortally wounded at the Battle of Bogesund and dies on February 3.

Regent of Sweden (1493–1520)

Sten Sture the Younger, was a Swedish nobleman who served as the regent of Sweden during the era of the Kalmar Union.

1520

San Agustin Church in Manila is officially completed; it is the oldest church still standing in the Philippines.

Roman Catholic church in Manila, Philippines

The Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation and Cincture, also known as the San Agustin Church and Immaculate Conception Parish, is a Roman Catholic church under the auspices of the Order of Saint Augustine located inside the historic walled city of Intramuros in Manila, Philippines. Completed in 1607, it is the oldest stone church in the country.

1607

Hämeenlinna (Swedish: Tavastehus) is granted privileges after it separated from the Vanaja parish as its own city in Tavastia.

City in Kanta-Häme, Finland

Hämeenlinna is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Kanta-Häme. It is located in the southern interior of the country and on the shores of Lake Vanajavesi. The population of Hämeenlinna is approximately 69,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 94,000. It is the 15th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 14th most populous urban area in the country.

1639

John Wilkes is expelled from the British House of Commons for seditious libel.

British radical, journalist and politician (1725–1797)

John Wilkes was a British radical, journalist, politician, magistrate and writer. He was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of his voters – rather than the House of Commons – to determine their representatives. In 1768, angry protests of his supporters were suppressed in the Massacre of St George's Fields. In 1771, he was instrumental in obliging the government to concede the right of printers to publish verbatim accounts of parliamentary debates. In 1776, he introduced the first bill for parliamentary reform in the British Parliament.

1764

Bolle Willum Luxdorph records in his diary that a mail bomb, possibly the world's first, has severely injured the Danish Colonel Poulsen, residing at Børglum Abbey.

Danish civil servant (1716–1788)

Bolle Willum Luxdorph was a Danish government official, historian, writer and book collector.

1764

The second group of ships of the First Fleet arrive at Botany Bay.

11 British ships establishing an Australian penal colony

The First Fleet were eleven British ships which transported a group of settlers to mainland Australia, marking the beginning of the European colonisation of Australia. It consisted of two Royal Navy vessels, three storeships and six convict transports under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. On 13 May 1787, the ships, with over 1,400 convicts, marines, sailors, colonial officials, and free settlers onboard, left Portsmouth and travelled over 24,000 kilometres and over 250 days before arriving in Botany Bay, New South Wales, on 18 January 1788. Governor Arthur Phillip rejected Botany Bay, choosing instead Port Jackson to the north as the site for the new colony; the Fleet arrived there on 26 January 1788. The Fleet established the Colony of New South Wales as a penal colony; the first British settlement in Australia.

1788

The Batavian Republic is proclaimed in the Netherlands, replacing the Dutch Republic.

State in Europe (1795–1806)

The Batavian Republic was the successor state to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 after the Batavian Revolution and ended on 5 June 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the Dutch throne. From October 1801 onward, it was known as the Batavian Commonwealth. Both names refer to the Germanic tribe of the Batavi, representing both the Dutch ancestry and their ancient quest for liberty in their nationalist lore.

1795

An army of 5,423 soldiers, led by General José de San Martín, crosses the Andes from Argentina to liberate Chile and then Peru.

Argentine general and leader (1778–1850)

José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras, nicknamed "the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru", was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and central parts of South America's successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire who served as the Protector of Peru. Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes, in modern-day Argentina, he left the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata at the early age of seven to study in Málaga, Spain.

1817

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy receives its premiere performance.

German writer and polymath (1749–1832)

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on literary, political, Christian views, and philosophical thought in the Western world from the late 18th century to the present. A poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre-director, and critic, Goethe wrote a wide range of works, including plays, poetry and aesthetic criticism, as well as treatises on botany, anatomy, and colour.

1829

The British East India Company captures Aden.

British joint-stock company (1600–1858)

The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies, and later with East Asia. The company gained control of large parts of the Indian subcontinent and Hong Kong. At its peak, the company was the largest corporation in the world by various measures and had its own armed forces in the form of the company's three presidency armies, totalling about 260,000 soldiers, twice the size of the British Army at certain times.

1839

Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il trovatore receives its premiere performance in Rome.

Italian opera composer (1813–1901)

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the modern province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the help of a local patron named Antonio Barezzi.

1853

American Civil War: Georgia joins South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama in declaring secession from the United States.

1861–1865 conflict in the United States

The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union to preserve slavery in the United States, which they saw as threatened because of the election of Abraham Lincoln and the growing abolitionist movement in the North. The war ended with Union victory, the dissolution of the Confederacy and the abolition of slavery, freeing four million African Americans.

1861

American Civil War: Battle of Mill Springs: The Confederacy suffers its first significant defeat in the conflict.

Part of the American Civil War

The Battle of Mill Springs, also known as the Battle of Fishing Creek in the Confederacy, and the Battle of Logan's Cross Roads or Battle of Somerset in the Union, was fought in Wayne and Pulaski counties, near the current unincorporated community of Nancy, Kentucky, on January 19, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. The Union victory concluded an early Confederate offensive campaign in south central Kentucky.

1862

Franco-Prussian War: In the Siege of Paris, Prussia wins the Battle of St.

Quentin. Meanwhile, the French attempt to break the siege in the Battle of Buzenval will end unsuccessfully the following day.

The Franco-Prussian War, occasionally known as the Franco-German War, and sometimes referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between France and the North German Confederation led by Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 January 1871, the conflict was caused primarily by France's determination to reassert its dominant position in continental Europe, which appeared in question following the decisive Prussian victory over Austria in 1866.

1871

The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey.

American inventor and businessman (1847–1931)

Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.

1883

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan is formed.

1899–1956 period of Anglo-Egyptian rule in Sudan

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was a condominium of the United Kingdom and Egypt between 1899 and 1956, corresponding to the territory of what is now both Sudans and parts of southeastern Libya. Legally, sovereignty and administration were shared between both Egypt and the United Kingdom, but in practice the structure of the condominium ensured effective British control over Sudan, with Egypt having limited local power and influence. In the meantime, Egypt itself fell under increasing British influence. Following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, Egypt pushed for an end to the condominium, and the independence of Sudan. By agreement between Egypt and the United Kingdom in 1953, Sudan was granted independence as the Republic of Sudan on 1 January 1956. In 2011, the south of Sudan itself became independent as the Republic of South Sudan.

1899

Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom, is stricken with paralysis.

She dies three days later at the age of 81.

Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days, which was longer than those of any of her predecessors, constituted the Victorian era, a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. In 1876, the British parliament voted to grant her the additional title of Empress of India.

1901

Georges Claude patents the neon discharge tube for use in advertising.

French engineer, inventor & Nazi collaborator (1870–1960)

Georges Claude was a French engineer and inventor. He is noted for his early work on the industrial liquefaction of air, for the invention and commercialization of neon lighting, and for a large experiment on generating energy by pumping cold seawater up from the depths. He has been considered by some to be "the Edison of France". The Claude process for manufacturing ammonia was named for him.

1915

German strategic bombing during World War I: German zeppelins bomb the towns of Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn in the United Kingdom killing at least 20 people, in the first major aerial bombardment of a civilian target.

World War I air campaign

A German air campaign of the First World War was carried out against Britain. After several attacks by seaplanes, the main campaign began in January 1915 with airships. Until the Armistice the Marine-Fliegerabteilung and Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches mounted over fifty bombing raids. The raids were generally referred to in Britain as Zeppelin raids but Schütte-Lanz airships were also used.

1915

Silvertown explosion: A blast at a munitions factory in London kills 73 and injures over 400.

The resulting fire causes over £2,000,000 worth of damage.

The Silvertown explosion occurred in Silvertown in West Ham, Essex on Friday, 19 January 1917 at 6:52 p.m. The blast occurred at a munitions factory that was manufacturing explosives for Britain's First World War military effort. Approximately 50 tonnes of trinitrotoluene (TNT) exploded, killing 73 people and injuring 400 more, as well as causing substantial damage in the local area. This was not the first, last, largest, or the most deadly explosion at a munitions facility in Britain during the war; an explosion at Faversham involving 200 long tons of TNT killed 105 in 1916, and the National Shell Filling Factory, Chilwell, exploded in 1918, killing 137.

1917

The United States Senate votes against joining the League of Nations.

Upper house of the US Congress

The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, and the U.S. House of Representatives is the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the Constitution to make and pass or defeat federal legislation.

1920

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is founded.

Legal advocacy organization in the United States

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million.

1920

Howard Hughes sets a new air record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in seven hours, 28 minutes, 25 seconds.

American aviator, aerospace engineer and business magnate (1905–1976)

Howard Robard Hughes Jr. was an American aviator, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was one of the richest and most influential people in the world during his lifetime. He first became prominent as a film producer, and then as an important figure in the aviation industry. Later in life, he became known for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle—oddities that were caused in part by his worsening obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), chronic pain from a near-fatal plane crash, and increasing deafness.

1937

World War II: HMS Greyhound and other escorts of convoy AS-12 sink Italian submarine Neghelli with all hands 64 kilometres (40 mi) northeast of Falkonera.

1939–1945 global conflict

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, the latter enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the only nuclear weapons used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 60 to 75 million people. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides, including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.

1941

World War II: The Japanese conquest of Burma begins.

Part of World War II

The Japanese invasion of Burma, referred to by the BIA in 1941 as the fourth Anglo-Burmese war or the war of Burmese Independence, was a series of battles fought in the British colony of Burma as part of the Pacific theatre of World War II. The initial invasion in 1942 resulted in the capture of Rangoon and the retreat of British, Indian, and Chinese forces. The invasion had the support of the Burma Independence Army (BIA), which fought in view of decolonisation. However, Japan installed a puppet state in Burma, which lost the support of the Burmese people.

1942

World War II: Soviet forces liberate the Łódź Ghetto.

Of more than 200,000 inhabitants in 1940, fewer than 900 had survived the Nazi occupation.

The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often referred by its shortened name as the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars to oppose the military forces of the new nation's adversaries during the Russian Civil War, especially the various groups collectively known as the White Army. In February 1946, the Red Army was renamed the "Soviet Army". Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it was split between the post-Soviet states, with its bulk becoming the Russian Ground Forces, commonly considered to be the successor of the Soviet Army.

1945

General Douglas MacArthur establishes the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo to try Japanese war criminals.

American general (1880–1964)

Douglas MacArthur was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army. He served with distinction in World War I; as chief of staff of the United States Army from 1930 to 1935; as Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area, from 1942 to 1945; as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers overseeing the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951; and as head of the United Nations Command in the Korean War from 1950 to 1951. MacArthur was nominated for the Medal of Honor three times, and awarded it for his WWII service in the Philippines. He is one of only five people to hold the rank of General of the Army, and the only person to hold the rank of Field Marshal in the Philippine Army.

1946

Almost 72 percent of all television sets in the United States are tuned into I Love Lucy to watch Lucy give birth.

American sitcom (1951–1957)

I Love Lucy is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with 180 half-hour episodes across six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian Vance and William Frawley, and follows the life of Lucy Ricardo (Ball), a young, middle-class housewife living in New York City, who often concocts plans with her best friends and landlords, Ethel and Fred Mertz, to appear alongside her bandleader husband, Ricky Ricardo (Arnaz), in his nightclub. Lucy is depicted trying numerous schemes to mingle with and be a part of show business. After the series ended in 1957, a modified version of the show continued for three more seasons, with 13 one-hour specials, which ran from 1957 to 1960. It was first known as The Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Show, and later, in reruns, as The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.

1953

Japan and the United States sign the US–Japan Mutual Security Treaty

1960 military alliance treaty

The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, more commonly known as the U.S.–Japan Security Treaty in English and as the Anpo jōyaku or just Anpo in Japanese, is a treaty that permits the presence of U.S. military bases on Japanese soil, and commits the two nations to defend each other if one or the other is attacked "in the territories under the administration of Japan". Over time, it has established a military alliance between the United States and Japan.

1960

Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 871 crashes near Ankara Esenboğa Airport in Turkey, killing all 42 aboard.

1960 aviation accident in Turkey

Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 871 was a scheduled flight from Copenhagen in Denmark to the Egyptian capital of Cairo, with several intermediate stops, operated by Scandinavian Airlines System. On 19 January 1960, the Sud Aviation Caravelle flying the service crashed while operating a leg between Yeşilköy Airport, Turkey and Esenboğa International Airport in Turkey. The flight was on approach but crashed 6 NM from the airport, killing all 42 occupants on board. This was the first fatal crash of a Caravelle.

1960

Indira Gandhi becomes India's first female prime minister.

Prime Minister of India (1966–1977; 1980–1984)

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was an Indian stateswoman who served as the prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. She was India's first and only female prime minister, and a central figure in Indian politics as the leader of the Indian National Congress (INC). She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, and the mother of Rajiv Gandhi, who succeeded her as prime minister. Her cumulative tenure of 15 years and 350 days makes her the second-longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father.

1966

Student Jan Palach dies after setting himself on fire three days earlier in Prague's Wenceslas Square to protest about the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union in 1968.

His funeral turns into another major protest.

Jan Palach was a Czech student of history and political economics at Charles University in Prague. His self-immolation in 1969 at the age of 20 was a political protest against the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 which brought an end to the Prague Spring.

1969

President Gerald Ford pardons Iva Toguri D'Aquino (a.k.a.

"Tokyo Rose").

Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. He assumed the presidency after the resignation of Richard Nixon, under whom he served as the 40th vice president from 1973 to 1974, after the resignation of Spiro Agnew. A member of the Republican Party, Ford previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1973.

1977

The last Volkswagen Beetle made in Germany leaves VW's plant in Emden.

Beetle production in Latin America continues until 2003.

The Volkswagen Beetle, officially the Volkswagen Type 1, is a small family car produced by the German company Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003. A global cultural icon known for its bug-like design, the Beetle is widely regarded as one of the most influential cars of the 20th century. Its production period of 65 years is the longest for any single generation of automobile. With 21.5 million units produced over twenty locations worldwide, the Beetle is the best-selling car of a single platform in history and the second best-selling car nameplate of the 20th century.

1978

Iran hostage crisis: United States and Iranian officials sign an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity.

Occupation of Tehran's U.S. embassy (1979–1981)

The Iran hostage crisis began on November 4, 1979, when 66 Americans, including diplomats and other civilian personnel, were taken hostage at the Embassy of the United States in Tehran, with 52 of them being held until January 20, 1981. The incident occurred after the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line stormed and occupied the building in the months following the Iranian Revolution. With support from Ruhollah Khomeini, who had led the Iranian Revolution and would eventually establish the present-day Islamic Republic of Iran, the hostage-takers demanded that the United States extradite Iranian king Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who had been granted asylum by the Carter administration for cancer treatment. Notable among the assailants were Hossein Dehghan, Mohammad Ali Jafari, and Mohammad Bagheri. The hostage crisis contributed to a dramatic decline in Iran–United States relations. After 444 days, it came to an end with the signing of the Algiers Accords between the Iranian and American governments; Pahlavi had died in Cairo, Egypt, on July 27, 1980.

1981

Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286 crashes in Bayfield, Colorado, killing nine.

1988 aviation accident in Colorado

Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Denver, Colorado, United States, to Durango, Colorado, United States, operated for Continental Express by Trans-Colorado Airlines. On January 19, 1988, the Swearingen Metroliner crashed onto terrain near Bayfield, Colorado, while on approach to Durango-La Plata County Airport. Out of the 17 people on board, 9 were killed, including both crew members.

1988

Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley in Indian-administered Kashmir due to an insurgency.

Exodus of Hindus from the Kashmir Valley in the 1990s

The Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus, or Pandits, is their early-1990 migration, or flight, from the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley in Indian-administered Kashmir following rising violence in an insurgency. Of a total Pandit population of 120,000–140,000 some 90,000–100,000 left the valley or felt compelled to leave by the middle of 1990, by which time about 30–80 of them are said to have been killed by militants.

1990

Gulf War: Iraq fires a second Scud missile into Israel, causing 15 injuries.

1990–1991 conflict in the Middle East

The Gulf War was an armed conflict between Iraq and a 42-country coalition led by the United States. The coalition's efforts were in two phases: Operation Desert Shield, which marked the military buildup from August 1990 to January 1991; and Operation Desert Storm, from the bombing campaign against Iraq on 17 January until the American-led liberation of Kuwait on 28 February.

1991

Czech Republic and Slovakia join the United Nations.

Country in Central Europe

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate. The capital and largest city is Prague; other major cities and urban areas include Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň and Liberec.

1993

After being struck by lightning the crew of Bristow Helicopters Flight 56C are forced to ditch.

All 18 aboard are later rescued.

Bristow Helicopters Flight 56C was a helicopter flight that flew between Aberdeen and the Brae Alpha oil rig in the North Sea. On 19 January 1995, the AS 332L Super Puma helicopter operating the route, registered G-TIGK and named Cullen, was struck by lightning. The flight was carrying 16 oil workers from Aberdeen to an oil platform at the Brae oilfield. All 18 people on board survived.

1995

The barge North Cape oil spill occurs as an engine fire forces the tugboat Scandia ashore on Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.

1996 oil spill in the United States

The North Cape oil spill took place on Friday, January 19, 1996, when the tank barge North Cape and the tug Scandia grounded on Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, after the tug caught fire in its engine room during a winter storm. An estimated 828,000 US gallons (3,130 m3) of home heating oil was spilled. Oil spread throughout a large area of Block Island Sound, including Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge, resulting in the closure of a 250-square-mile (650 km2) area of the sound for fishing.

1996

Yasser Arafat returns to Hebron after more than 30 years and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city.

President of Palestine from 1989 to 2004

Yasser Arafat, also popularly known by his kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, President of Palestine from 1989 to 2004 and President of the Palestinian Authority (PNA) from 1994 to 2004. Ideologically an Arab nationalist and a socialist, Arafat was a founding member of the Fatah political party, which he led from 1959 until 2004.

1997

British Aerospace agrees to acquire the defence subsidiary of the General Electric Company, forming BAE Systems in November 1999.

Aerospace and defence company

British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer that was formed in 1977. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. It purchased Marconi Electronic Systems, the defence electronics and naval shipbuilding subsidiary of the General Electric Company, in 1999 to form BAE Systems.

1999

A Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 crashes near Hejce, Hungary, killing 42.

Air warfare branch of Slovakia's military

The Slovak Air Force, known since 2002 as the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, is the aviation and air defense branch of the Slovak Armed Forces. Operating 15 aircraft and 18 helicopters from three air bases : Malacky–Kuchyňa, Sliač, Prešov. It succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Czech Air Force in 1993. The Slovak Air Force is part of NATO Integrated Air Defense System – NATINADS.

2006

Four-man Team N2i, using only skis and kites, completes a 1,093-mile (1,759 km) trek to reach the Antarctic pole of inaccessibility for the first time since 1965 and for the first time ever without mechanical assistance.

British polar explorer and adventurer (born 1975)

Henry John Richard Cookson, FRGS is a British polar explorer and adventurer. On 19 January 2007 he, alongside fellow Britons Rory Sweet and Rupert Longsdon, and their Canadian polar guide Paul Landry, became the first team to reach the southern pole of Inaccessibility (POI) by foot, the last visitors being a research team using tracked vehicles & planes in 1965.

2007

The Hong Kong-based file-sharing website Megaupload is shut down by the FBI.

Defunct file hosting service (2005–2012)

Megaupload Ltd was a Hong Kong–based online company established in 2005 that operated from 2005 to 2012 providing online services related to file storage and viewing.

2012

A bomb attack on an army convoy in the city of Bannu kills at least 26 Pakistani soldiers and injures 38 others.

Terror attack in Pakistan by the Taliban

The 2014 Bannu Bombing was a bombing attack by the Taliban that killed twenty six Pakistani soldiers. Thirty-eight other people were injured as a result of the bombing.

2014

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's probe lands on the moon, making Japan the 5th country to land a spacecraft on the moon.

Japan's national air and space agency

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is the operator of the Japanese space program and Japan's national aeronautics research agency. It was formed in 2003 through the merger of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan, and the National Space Development Agency of Japan.

2024

Bytedance and sister companies are banned from the United States for "security concerns".

Chinese Internet technology company

ByteDance is a Chinese internet technology company headquartered in Haidian, Beijing. Its associated variable-interest entity, ByteDance Ltd, is incorporated in the Cayman Islands.

2025

Born on January 19

20 people 1990 – 2003

Felix Afena-Gyan

Ghanaian footballer

Felix Afena Ohene-Gyan is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Süper Lig club Amedspor, on loan from Serie B club Cremonese. He also plays for the Ghana national team.

2003

Jonathan Taylor

American football player

Jonathan Taylor is an American professional football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL).

1999

Donyell Malen

Dutch footballer

Donyell Malen is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Serie A club Roma and the Netherlands national team.

1999

Emre Guler

Australian rugby league player

Emre Guler is a Turkey international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL).

1998

Jakub Jankto

Czech footballer

Jakub Jankto is a Czech former professional footballer who played for the Czech Republic national team. A versatile player, Jankto could play as a full-back, left midfielder or left winger.

1996

Matthias Ginter

German footballer

Matthias Lukas Ginter is a German professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club SC Freiburg.

1994

Alfie Mawson

English footballer

Alfie Robert John Mawson is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back.

1994

Marvelous Nakamba

Zimbabwean footballer

Marvelous Nakamba is a Zimbabwean professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for EFL League One club Sheffield Wednesday and the Zimbabwe national team. He will become a free agent on 30 June 2026.

1994

Erick Torres Padilla

Mexican footballer

Erick Estéfano Torres Padilla is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a striker. He is nicknamed "El Cubo" due to his large, cubical shaped head.

1993

João Mário

Portuguese footballer

João Mário Naval da Costa Eduardo, known as João Mário, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Super League Greece club AEK Athens, on loan from Süper Lig club Beşiktaş.

1993

Ricardo Centurión

Argentine footballer

Adrián Ricardo Centurión is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger for Racing de Córdoba in the Primera B Nacional of Argentina.

1993

Walter Benítez

Argentine footballer

Walter Daniel Benítez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Crystal Palace and the Argentina national team.

1993

Jack Schlossberg

American writer and political candidate

John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg is an American political commentator and author. He is a member of the Kennedy family and the Bouvier family.

1993

Shawn Johnson East

American gymnast

Shawn Johnson East is an American former artistic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist and team, all-around and floor exercise silver medalist. Johnson is also the 2007 all-around World Champion,…

1992

Logan Lerman

American actor

Logan Wade Lerman is an American actor. He appeared in commercials in the mid-1990s, before starring in the series Jack & Bobby (2004–2005) and the movies The Butterfly Effect (2004) and Hoot (2006). Lerman gained…

1992

Mac Miller

American rapper (died 2018)

Malcolm James McCormick, known by the stage name Mac Miller, was an American rapper. He began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip-hop scene in 2007, at the age of 15. In 2010, he signed a record deal with independent…

1992

Petra Martić

Croatian tennis player

Petra Martić is a Croatian professional tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 14, achieved in January 2020. Martić has won two singles titles on the WTA Tour, one singles and one doubles…

1991

Erin Sanders

American actress

Erin Zariah Sanders is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Quinn Pensky on Zoey 101, Camille Roberts on Big Time Rush, and for portraying Eden Baldwin on The Young and the Restless in 2008. She appeared…

1991

Tatiana Búa

Argentine tennis player

Tatiana Búa is an Argentine former professional tennis player.

1990

Shaunette Renée Wilson

Guyanese-American actress

Shaunette Renée Wilson is a Guyanese actress. She is best known for four seasons in the role of Dr. Mina Okafor in The Resident (2018–2021). She has also appeared in Billions (2017), Black Panther (2018), and Indiana…

1990

See all birthdays on January 19

Died on January 19

20 people 2012 – 2026

Valentino

Italian fashion designer, founder of Valentino (born 1932)

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani, known mononymously as Valentino, was an Italian fashion designer who founded Valentino S.p.A., a luxury fashion house, in 1960 and served as its creative director until 2007. A…

2026

Jeff Torborg

American baseball player and manager (born 1941)

Jeffrey Allen Torborg was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels from 1964 to 1973. He managed the Cleveland…

2025

Miguel Ferrer

American actor (born 1955)

Miguel José Ferrer was an American actor. His breakthrough role was as Bob Morton in the 1987 film RoboCop. Other film roles include Harbinger in Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), Quigley in Blank Check, Eduardo Ruiz in…

2017

Richard Levins

American ecologist and geneticist (born 1930)

Richard Levins was a Marxist biologist, population geneticist, biomathematician, mathematical ecologist, and philosopher of science who researched diversity in human populations. Until his death, he was a university…

2016

Ettore Scola

Italian director and screenwriter (born 1931)

Ettore Scola was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He received a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1978 for his film A Special Day and over the course of his film career was nominated for five Academy…

2016

Sheila Sim (Lady Attenborough)

English actress (born 1922)

Sheila Beryl Grant Sim, Baroness Attenborough was an English film and theatre actress. She was the wife of Richard Attenborough.

2016

Justin Capră

Romanian engineer and academic (born 1933)

Virgilius Justin Capră was a Romanian engineer and inventor.

2015

Michel Guimond

Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1953)

Michel Guimond was a Canadian politician. From 1987 to 1993 he served as a city councillor in Boischatel, Quebec. After this, he ran in the 1993 federal election for the Bloc Québécois. He was elected into the House of…

2015

Ward Swingle

American-French singer-songwriter and conductor (born 1927)

Ward Lamar Swingle was an American vocalist and jazz musician who founded The Swingle Singers in France in 1962.

2015

Azaria Alon

Ukrainian-Israeli environmentalist, co-founded the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (born 1918)

Azaria Alon was an Israel Prize-winning environmentalist, and a co-founder of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.

2014

Christopher Chataway

English runner, journalist, and politician (born 1931)

Sir Christopher John Chataway was a British middle- and long-distance runner, television news broadcaster and Conservative politician.

2014

Taihō Kōki

Japanese sumo wrestler, the 48th Yokozuna (born 1940)

Taihō Kōki was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He became the 48th yokozuna in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time.

2013

Stan Musial

American baseball player and manager (born 1920)

Stanley Frank Musial, nicknamed "Stan the Man", was an American professional baseball player. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history, Musial spent 22 seasons as an…

2013

Frank Pooler

American conductor and composer (born 1926)

Frank Mairich Pooler was an American choirmaster and the director of choral studies at California State University, Long Beach. He also collaborated with pop music group The Carpenters.

2013

Earl Weaver

American baseball player and manager (born 1930)

Earl Sidney Weaver was an American professional baseball manager, author, and television color commentator. Weaver played in minor league baseball as a second baseman from 1948 to 1960. In 1956, he began his managerial…

2013

Toktamış Ateş

Turkish academician, political commentator, columnist and writer (born 1944)

Toktamış Ateş was a Turkish academic, political commentator, columnist and writer. He was professor of political sciences at Istanbul University.

2013

Peter Åslin

Swedish ice hockey player (born 1962)

Peter Karl Åslin was a Swedish national team ice hockey goaltender.

2012

Sarah Burke

Canadian skier (born 1982)

Sarah Jean Burke was a Canadian freestyle skier who was a pioneer of the superpipe event. She was a five-time Winter X Games gold medallist, and won the world championship in the halfpipe in 2005. She successfully…

2012

Winston Riley

Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer (born 1943)

Winston Riley was a Jamaican singer, songwriter and record producer. The Jamaica Gleaner notes he was one of the most successful reggae producers.

2012

Rudi van Dantzig

Dutch ballet dancer and choreographer (born 1933)

Rudi van Dantzig was a Dutch choreographer, company director, and writer. He was a pivotal figure in the rise to world renown of Dutch ballet in the latter half of the twentieth century. He was co-director and then…

2012

See all deaths on January 19

What happened on January 19 in history?

On January 19, one notable event in history was 2007: Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink is assassinated in front of his newspaper's Istanbul office by 17-year-old Turkish ultra-nationalist Ogün Samast..

This date currently highlights 55 recorded events on thisDay.info, spanning 379 – 2025.

DateJanuary 19

Featured year2007

Locationfront of his newspaper

Events listed55

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January 19 in History

2007 — Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink is assassinated in front of his newspaper's Istanbul office by 17-year-old Turkish ultra-nationalist Ogün Samast

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January 19 in History

2007 — Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink is assassinated in front of his newspaper's Istanbul office by 17-year-old Turkish ultra-nationalist Ogün Samast

Born on January 19

Died on January 19

More questions about January 19

What happened on January 19?

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Who was born on January 19?

Who died on January 19?

What happened on January 19 in history?

Explore January 19

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