January 19

What happened on January 19 in history

3 events fall on January 19, from 1809 to 1983. Read them below, then try to place a historical scene yourself — guess where in the world it happened and in what year.

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Events on January 19

  1. 1809

    Edgar Allan Poe is born

    The writer who invents the detective story is born to travelling actors in Boston.

    Play the 19th century round

  2. 1915

    Georges Claude patents neon lighting

    The glowing tube that will letter a century of shopfronts is protected in the US.

    Play the 20th century round

  3. 1983

    Klaus Barbie is arrested in Bolivia

    The Gestapo chief of Lyon is finally detained and later extradited to France.

    Play the 20th century round