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Explore the significant events that shaped January 19th with host Michael Thomas on Old News Daily. In today’s episode:
- The Batavian Republic is proclaimed in the Netherlands in 1795, ending the Dutch Republic and introducing revolutionary reforms under French influence.
- The Iran Hostage Crisis concludes in 1981 with a deal securing the release of 52 American hostages after 444 tense days of captivity.
Other stories include:
- John Wilkes is expelled from the British House of Commons for seditious libel in 1764, sparking a fight for free speech.
- The first electric lighting system using overhead wires begins service in Roselle, New Jersey, in 1883.
- General MacArthur establishes the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo in 1946 to prosecute Japanese war crimes.
- President Gerald Ford pardons “Tokyo Rose,” Iva Toguri D’Aquino, in 1977, acknowledging the injustices of her treason conviction.
- Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink is assassinated in 2007, a tragic loss for the cause of reconciliation and free speech.
Plus, celebrate the birthdays of:
- Robert E. Lee (1807) – Controversial Confederate general.
- Edgar Allan Poe (1809) – Master of gothic literature and poetry.
- Dolly Parton (1946) – Country music legend and cultural icon.
Join us as we delve into the stories, milestones, and legacies of January 19th on Old News Daily.