This Day in History is DUE’s daily dose of trivia for all the history buffs out there. So sit back and take a ride of all the fascinating things that happened today on 19 January!
People are trapped in history, and history is trapped in people, and hence, every day has been a significant one in the foibles of history. Now, let’s take a tour of “This Day in History – 19 January”.
1809 – Edgar Allan Poe’s Birthday
One of the key Romantic poets of the 19th century, Edgar Allan Poe, was born on this day. He was a writer, poet and literary critic, among other things and is known for his works like The Raven, The Black Cat and The Bells. His contribution to literature is believed to have inspired modern detective stories, science fiction and even French Symbolism.
1966 – India elects her First Female PM
Indira Gandhi was elected as the first female Prime Minister in India. Interestingly, she has been the country’s only female PM to date. One of her most controversial legacies is known as ‘The Emergency’, where India would see a 21-month period during which civil liberties are believed to have been suspended.
1969 – Self-immolation by Jan Palach
Jan Palach, a student at Charles University in Prague, died from the injuries he attained after setting himself on fire to protest against the Soviet Union’s invasion of Czechoslovakia. Thousands of people attended his funeral, and his memorial is permanently located in Prague even today. Allegedly, there were attempts to remove his act of self-immolation from historical records, but he continues to be remembered for his strong political message.
2000 – The WWF Restaurant was launched
A WWF restaurant, later known as WWE, was opened in New York. It was a professional wrestling-themed restaurant.
2006 – NASA launches New Horizons
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft was launched to investigate the dwarf planet Pluto. It is the first spacecraft to explore Pluto and its Moons, as well as a second Kuiper Belt Object up close. Its mission has been extended through 2021.
