Today in History: January 19, Indira Gandhi becomes first prime minister of an independent India
Today is Monday, Jan. 19, the 19th day of 2026. There are 346 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Jan. 19, 1966, Indira Gandhi was elected to her first term as prime minister of India.
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 1937, Howard Hughes set a new transcontinental speed record in his H-1 Racer aircraft, flying from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in seven hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.
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 press conference.
In 1987, H. Guy Hunt became Alabama’s first Republican governor since 1874 as he was sworn into office, succeeding Democrat George C. Wallace.
In 2012, Rupert Murdoch’s media empire apologized and agreed to cash payouts to 37 people whose telephones had been hacked by its tabloid press.
In 2024, Japan became the fifth country to reach the moon when its unmanned spacecraft touched down on the lunar surface with a pinpoint landing. The milestone put Japan in a club previously occupied by the United States, the Soviet Union, India and China.
Today’s birthdays:
- Actor Tippi Hedren is 96.
- Actor-singer Michael Crawford is 84.
- Actor Shelley Fabares (fab-RAY’) is 82.
- Country musician Dolly Parton is 80.
- Actor Katey Sagal is 72.
- Comedian Paul Rodriguez is 71.
- Basketball coach and commentator Jeff Van Gundy is 64.
- Tennis Hall of Famer Stefan Edberg is 60.
- Actor Shawn Wayans is 55.
- Actor Drea (DRAY-uh’) de Matteo is 54.
- Football Hall of Famer Walter Jones is 52.
- Comedian-impressionist Frank Caliendo is 52.
- Actor Jodie Sweetin is 44.
- Film director Damien Chazelle is 41.
- Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Shawn Johnson is 34.
- Race car driver Bianca Bustamante is 21.
- Actor Jackson Dollinger is 19.