Today in History
Today is Wednesday, Jan. 19, the 19th day of 2022. There are 346 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Jan. 19, 1981, the United States and Iran signed an accord paving the way for the release of 52 Americans held hostage for more than 14 months.
On this date:
In 1853, Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Il Trovatore” premiered in Rome.
In 1861, Georgia became the fifth state to secede from the Union.
In 1915, Germany carried out its first air raid on Britain during World War I as a pair of Zeppelins dropped bombs onto Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn in England.
In 1942, during World War II, Japanese forces captured the British protectorate of North Borneo. A German submarine sank the Canadian liner RMS Lady Hawkins off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, killing 251 people; 71 survived.
In 1944, the federal government relinquished control of the nation’s railroads to their owners following settlement of a wage dispute.
In 1953, CBS- TV aired the widely watched episode of “I Love Lucy” in which Lucy Ricardo, played by Lucille Ball, gave birth to Little Ricky. ( By coincidence, Ball gave birth the same day to her son, Desi Arnaz Jr.)
In 1966, Indira Gandhi was chosen to be prime minister of India by the National Congress party.
In 1987, Guy Hunt became Alabama’s first Republican governor since 1874 as he was sworn into office, succeeding George C. Wallace.
In 2005, the American Cancer Society reported that cancer had passed heart disease as the top killer of Americans age 85 and younger.
In 2006, Vice President Dick Cheney defended the administration’s domestic surveillance program, calling it an essential tool in monitoring al- Qaida and other terrorist organizations.
In 2009, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal restoring natural gas shipments to Ukraine and paving the way for an end to the nearly two- week cutoff of most Russian gas to a freezing Europe.
In 2020, health officials in central China reported that 17 more people had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, which had killed two patients and placed other countries on alert.
Ten years ago: Six U. S. Marines were killed in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan. Texas Gov. Rick Perry abruptly quit the Republican presidential race. One of the world’s most popular file- sharing sites, Megaupload. com, was shut down as its founder and several company officials were accused of facilitating millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content. Rupert Murdoch’s media empire apologized and agreed to cash payouts to 37 people who’d been harassed and phonehacked by its tabloid press.
Five years ago: With fireworks heralding his big moment, Donald Trump swept into Washington on the eve of his presidential inauguration and pledged to unify a nation sorely divided and clamoring for change. Actor Miguel Ferrer died at his Los Angeles home at age 61.