What Happened on January 19th

Many events happen in our everyday life. Some of those turn out to be significant whereas some are not. We want to remind our readers of those events that came to be historical as time reels.

Events

1966 — Indira Gandhi

On this day, Indira Gandhi became the head of the Congress Party and thus the prime minister of India. She was India's first female head of government.

1983 — Apple Lisa

On this day, Apple announces "The Apple Lisa", the first commercial personal computer to have a graphical user interface GUI and a computer mouse.

Births

James Watt — a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist — was born on this day in 1736 (OS). His improvements in steam engine technology drove the Industrial Revolution.

Auguste Comte — a French philosopher and writer — was born on this day in 1798. He is considered the father of Sociology often regarded as the first philosopher of science.

Edgar Allan Poe — an American writer, poet, and literary critic — was born on this day in 1809. He is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is the inventor of the detective fiction genre.

Ziaur Rahman — a freedom fighter and former President of Bangladesh — was born on this day in 1936. He founded Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and is arguably the original broadcaster of Bangladesh’s declaration of independence on 27 March.

Janis Joplin — an American singer-songwriter — was born on this day in 1943. She is one of the most successful and widely known rockstars of her era.

Deaths

On this day in 1547, Henry Howard — an English nobleman, politician, and poet — died. He is known as one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry.

On this day in 1865, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon — a French libertarian socialist, journalist, and philosopher — died. He was the first person to declare himself an anarchist and is widely regarded as one of the ideology's most influential theorists.

On this day in 1905, Debendranath Tagore — a Bengali philosopher and religious scholar (Father of Rabindranath Tagore) — died. He was the founder of the Brahmo religion.

On this day in 1982, Marya Zaturenska — a Ukraine-American poet — died. She is mostly known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning book of poetry "Cold Morning Sky".

On this day in 1990, Myles Horton — an American educator and socialist — died. He influenced most of the Civil Rights Movement leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

On this day in 2008, John Stewart — an American singer-songwriter — died. He is known for his contributions to the American folk music movement of the 1960s.