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From: "Mary" <>
Subject: [FOLKLORE] Today in History - Jan 19th
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 08:20:05 -0500


Today is Wednesday, January 19th, the 19th day of 2000.
There are 347 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:
On January 19th, 1807, Robert E. Lee, the commander-in-chief of the
Confederate armies, was born in Stratford, Virginia.

On this date:
In 1736, James Watt, inventor of the steam engine, was born in
Scotland.

In 1809, author Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston.

In 1853, Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" premiered in Rome.

In 1861, Georgia seceded from the Union.

In 1944, the federal government relinquished control of the nation's
railroads following settlement of a wage dispute.

In 1955, a presidential news conference was filmed for television for
the first time, with permission from President Eisenhower.

In 1966, Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister of India.

In 1970, President Nixon nominated G. Harrold Carswell to the Supreme
Court; however, the nomination was defeated because of controversy
over Carswell's past racial views.

In 1977, in one of his last acts of office, President Ford pardoned
Iva Toguri D'Aquino, an American who'd made wartime broadcasts for
Japan.

In 1981, the United States and Iran signed an agreement paving the way
for the release of 52 Americans held hostage for more than 14 months.

Ten years ago: Arthur J. Goldberg, former Supreme Court justice, labor
secretary and US Ambassador to the United Nations, was found dead in
his Washington apartment at age 81.

Five years ago: Russian troops regained control of the presidential
palace in Grozny, the capital of the breakaway republic of Chechnya.

One year ago: President Clinton delivered his State of the Union
address, in which he proposed to protect Social Security by using huge
budget surpluses and announced the government would sue the tobacco
industry for smokers' health costs. Hours earlier, at the president's
impeachment trial in the Senate, White House Counsel Charles Ruff
opened the defense with ringing statements of Clinton's innocence.

Today's Birthdays:
Actor-singer John Raitt is 83.
Actress Jean Stapleton is 77.
Actor Fritz Weaver is 74.
Former P-B-S newsman Robert MacNeil is 69.
Movie director Richard Lester is 68.
Singer Phil Everly is 61.
Actor-singer Michael Crawford is 58.
Actress Shelley Fabares is 56.
Country singer Dolly Parton is 54.
ABC newswoman Ann Compton is 53.
Singer Robert Palmer is 51.
Singer Harry McGilberry (Temptations) is 49.
Actor Desi Arnaz Junior is 47.
Actress Katey Sagal is 44.
Reggae musician Mickey Virtue (UB40) is 43.
Actor Paul McCrane is 39.
Actor William Ragsdale is 39.
Tennis player Stefan Edberg is 34.
Singer Trey Lorenz is 31.
Actor Shawn Wayans is 29.
Rock singer-musician John Wozniak (Marcy Playground) is 29.
Actress Jodie Sweetin is 18.

Thought for Today:

"To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already
three parts dead."
-- Bertrand Russell, British philosopher (1872-1970).


(Copyright 2000 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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