Today is Sunday, Jan. 19, the 19th day of 2025. There are 346 days left in the year.
Today in history
On Jan. 19, 1937, Howard Hughes set a transcontinental air speed record in his H-1 Racer aircraft, flying from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J., 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, N.C., killing 251 people; 71 survived.
In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower held the first televised presidential news conference.
In 1966, Indira Gandhi was elected to her first term as prime minister of India.
In 1987, H. Guy Hunt became Alabama’s first Republican governor since 1874 as he was sworn into office, succeeding 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.
Fun fact
Butterflies don’t use their mouths to taste — they use their feet. When a butterfly lands on a plant, it tastes the leaves to determine if it’s a suitable place to lay its eggs. They can even detect chemicals with their feet.
Certain species of frogs, like the polka-dot tree frog, can glow under ultraviolet light. This bioluminescence helps them communicate and possibly even ward off predators. It’s like having their own built-in nightlight.
Jupiter is the fastest-spinning planet in our solar system, completing one rotation in just about 10 hours. That means if you lived on Jupiter, your day would only be 10 hours long instead of 24. Imagine how many more sunrises and sunsets you’d see.
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. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is 43. Film director Damien Chazelle is 40. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Shawn Johnson is 33.
The Edge is compiled by Katie Clohessy. She can be contacted at kclohessy@lmtribune.com.
