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Today is Sunday, January 19, the 19th day of 2025. There are 346 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On January 19, 1937, Howard Hughes set a new transcontinental airspeed record in his H-1 Racer aircraft, flying from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in seven hours, 28 minutes, and 25 seconds.
Also 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; it would join the Confederacy the following month.
In 1942, a German submarine sank the Canadian liner RMS Lady Hawkins off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, killing 251 people; 71 survived.
In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower held the first televised presidential news conference.
In 1966, Indira Gandhi was elected for her first term as Prime Minister of India.
In 1987, H. Guy Hunt became the first Republican governor of Alabama since 1874 when he was sworn in, succeeding George C. Wallace.
In 2012, Rupert Murdoch’s media empire apologized and agreed to make payouts to 37 people whose phones were hacked by the tabloid press.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Actor Tippi Hedren is 95.
- Actor-singer Michael Crawford is 83.
- Actor Shelley Fabares (fab-RAY’) is 81.
- Country musician Dolly Parton is 79.
- Actor Katey Sagal is 71.
- Comedian Paul Rodriguez is 70.
- Basketball coach and commentator Jeff Van Gundy is 63.
- Tennis hall of Famer Stefan Edberg is 59.
- Actor Shawn Wayans is 54.
- Actor Drea (DRAY-uh’) de Matteo is 53.
- Football Hall of Famer Walter Jones is 51.
- Comedian-impressionist Frank Caliendo is 51.
- Actor Jodie Sweetin is 43.
- US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is 43.
- Film director Damien Chazelle is 40.
- Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Shawn Johnson is 33.