January 19

Events - Wars & Conflicts

649day.year

Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surrender after a forty-day siege led by Tang dynasty general Ashina She'er, establishing Tang control over the northern Tarim Basin in Xinjiang.

Tang general Ashina She'er captures Kucha after a forty-day siege, cementing Tang control over the northern Tarim Basin.
In 649, during the Tang dynasty's expansion into Central Asia, General Ashina She'er laid siege to the oasis kingdom of Kucha for forty days. The city's surrender ended local resistance and solidified Tang influence across the northern Tarim Basin. Control of this strategic region secured vital Silk Road trade routes and facilitated economic and cultural exchanges. The Tang established military garrisons and administrative offices to govern the newly acquired territory. Buddhism and local art forms from Kucha merged with Chinese traditions, enriching the Tang cultural landscape. This conquest exemplified the dynasty's ambition to dominate Central Asian commerce and diplomacy.
649 Conquest of Kucha siege Tang dynasty Tarim Basin Xinjiang
1419day.year

Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England, completing his reconquest of Normandy.

Rouen surrenders to Henry V, finalizing his reconquest of Normandy during the Hundred Years' War.
On January 19, 1419, after a protracted siege, the city of Rouen capitulated to King Henry V of England. This surrender marked the culmination of Henry's campaign to reclaim Normandy from French control. The defenders, weakened by famine and disease, were compelled to open their gates to the English forces. Henry V solidified his claims under the Treaty of Troyes, asserting his right to the French crown. The fall of Rouen dealt a severe blow to French morale and strategic positioning. English governance was promptly established, with garrisons and administrative reforms. Although Normandy would later see reversals, this event stood as a high-water mark of English power in France.
1419 Hundred Years' War Rouen Henry V of England Normandy
1520day.year

Sten Sture the Younger, the Regent of Sweden, is mortally wounded at the Battle of Bogesund and dies on February 3.

Sten Sture the Younger is mortally wounded at the Battle of Bogesund, a pivotal moment in Swedish resistance against Danish rule.
On January 19, 1520, Swedish Regent Sten Sture the Younger led his troops against invading Danish forces at Bogesund. During the fierce encounter, Sture suffered severe wounds from enemy artillery, tipping the battle in Denmark's favor. His injury demoralized Swedish defenders and hastened their retreat. Over the next two weeks, Sture's health deteriorated, and he succumbed to his wounds on February 3. His death sparked a power vacuum that allowed King Christian II of Denmark to assert control over Sweden. The battle and its aftermath ignited Swedish nationalist sentiment, eventually paving the way for Gustav Vasa's uprising. Sture's legacy endures in Sweden's struggle for independence and the dissolution of the Kalmar Union.
1520 Sten Sture the Younger Regent of Sweden Battle of Bogesund
1817day.year

An army of 5,423 soldiers, led by General José de San Martín, crosses the Andes from Argentina to liberate Chile and then Peru.

In 1817, General José de San Martín led an army of over 5,000 men across the Andes to surprise royalist forces and liberate Chile, beginning the campaign for Peruvian independence.
In 1817, General José de San Martín led an army of 5,423 soldiers on a daring crossing of the Andes from Argentina to Chile. The expedition faced extreme mountain conditions, including high altitudes and frigid temperatures. San Martín’s strategic maneuver aimed to surprise Spanish royalist forces in Chile by attacking from an unexpected direction. The successful crossing opened the path for the liberation of Chile at the Battle of Chacabuco, paving the way for Peruvian independence. This campaign is celebrated as one of the most impressive military feats in the history of Latin American independence.
1817 José de San Martín crosses the Andes Argentina Chile Peru
1839day.year

The British East India Company captures Aden.

In 1839, the British East India Company seized the strategic port of Aden, securing a key coaling station on the route to India.
In 1839, the British East India Company captured the port of Aden on the Arabian Peninsula. The seizure aimed to secure a strategic coaling station and protect maritime routes to India following the opening of the Suez route. British forces landed with minimal resistance and established control over the vital harbor at the mouth of the Red Sea. The capture of Aden enabled the Company to dominate regional trade and project naval power in the Gulf. Aden remained under British administration for over a century, becoming a key outpost on the route to British India.
1839 British East India Company Aden
1861day.year

American Civil War: Georgia joins South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama in declaring secession from the United States.

On January 19, 1861, Georgia declared its secession from the Union, joining other Southern states in forming the Confederacy.
On January 19, 1861, Georgia declared its secession from the United States, joining South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana in forming the Confederate States. The decision came amid escalating tensions over states’ rights and slavery following Abraham Lincoln’s election. Georgia’s secession deepened the national crisis and moved the nation closer to civil war. The state’s leaders cited perceived threats to their economic and social order as justification for leaving the Union. Georgia’s entry into the Confederacy played a significant role in the ensuing American Civil War, which would reshape the nation.
1861 American Civil War Georgia South Carolina Florida Mississippi Alabama secession
1862day.year

American Civil War: Battle of Mill Springs: The Confederacy suffers its first significant defeat in the conflict.

At the Battle of Mill Springs on January 19, 1862, Union forces secured their first significant victory of the American Civil War in Kentucky.
During the Battle of Mill Springs on January 19, 1862, Union forces achieved their first significant victory of the American Civil War. Fought along the southern border of Kentucky, the battle pitted Brigadier General George H. Thomas’s Union troops against Confederate General Felix Zollicoffer’s forces. Despite harsh winter conditions and difficult terrain, Union artillery and infantry advances broke Confederate lines. The defeat forced the Confederates to retreat and boosted Northern morale at a critical early stage of the war. The victory at Mill Springs helped secure Kentucky for the Union and set the stage for further advances in the Western Theater.
1862 Battle of Mill Springs Confederacy
1871day.year

Franco-Prussian War: In the Siege of Paris, Prussia wins the Battle of St. Quentin. Meanwhile, the French attempt to break the siege in the Battle of Buzenval will end unsuccessfully the following day.

On January 19, 1871, Prussian forces won the Battle of St. Quentin during the Siege of Paris in the Franco-Prussian War.
On January 19, 1871, during the Franco-Prussian War’s Siege of Paris, Prussian forces won a decisive victory at the Battle of St. Quentin. The triumph solidified Prussian control of northern France and increased pressure on the besieged French capital. Meanwhile, French forces prepared a sortie at Buzenval, which would ultimately fail the following day. The siege had begun in September 1870 and by January brought Paris to the brink of surrender due to dwindling supplies. The outcomes of these engagements hastened the fall of the Second French Empire and the proclamation of the German Empire later that year.
1871 Franco-Prussian War Siege of Paris Prussia Battle of St. Quentin Battle of Buzenval
1915day.year

German strategic bombing during World War I: German zeppelins bomb the towns of Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn in the United Kingdom killing at least 20 people, in the first major aerial bombardment of a civilian target.

On January 19, 1915, German zeppelins carried out the first major aerial bombardment on civilian targets in Britain, striking Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn.
During World War I on January 19, 1915, the German Navy deployed zeppelin airships to bomb the coastal towns of Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn. This marked the first large-scale aerial attack on civilian populations in the United Kingdom. The raids targeted docks, factories, and residential areas, resulting in at least 20 civilian fatalities. The bombings ignited widespread fear and demonstrated the emerging threat of strategic air warfare. British defenses struggled to counter the high-altitude airships, which operated beyond the range of most anti-aircraft guns. The events prompted the development of improved air defenses and anti-zeppelin tactics. The raids foreshadowed the intensified bombing campaigns that would characterize later conflicts.
German strategic bombing during World War I Great Yarmouth King's Lynn
1941day.year

World War II: HMS Greyhound and other escorts of convoy AS-12 sink Italian submarine Neghelli with all hands 64 kilometres (40 mi) northeast of Falkonera.

On January 19, 1941, HMS Greyhound and its escorts sank the Italian submarine Neghelli northeast of Falkonera, eliminating her entire crew.
Amid the Battle of the Mediterranean on January 19, 1941, British destroyer HMS Greyhound and escort vessels encountered the Italian submarine Neghelli northeast of Falkonera. Using depth charges and coordinated tactics, the escorts forced the submarine to the surface and sank it. All hands aboard Neghelli were lost in the action. The engagement demonstrated the Royal Navy’s growing anti-submarine capabilities in contested waters. It disrupted Italian supply lines and contributed to Allied naval dominance in the region. The loss of Neghelli underscored the peril faced by Axis submarines against improved Allied detection and escort strategies. The action formed part of the wider struggle for control of Mediterranean sea routes during World War II.
1941 World War II HMS Greyhound Neghelli Falkonera
1942day.year

World War II: The Japanese conquest of Burma begins.

On January 19, 1942, Japanese forces launched their invasion of Burma, initiating a critical campaign in the Southeast Asian theatre of World War II.
Following rapid advances through Malaya and Thailand, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Burma on January 19, 1942. The operation aimed to secure overland routes to India and cut off Allied supplies to China. Japanese divisions advanced along multiple axes, encountering British, Indian, and Chinese defenders under difficult jungle conditions. The campaign tested both sides’ logistics, air support, and jungle warfare tactics. Despite initial resistance, Allied forces were gradually pushed back, leading to a protracted conflict in Burma. The conquest opened the Burma–Thailand railway project and influenced Allied strategic planning in the region. The early stages of the campaign foreshadowed the long and grueling Burma Campaign that would follow.
1942 Japanese conquest of Burma
1945day.year

World War II: Soviet forces liberate the Łódź Ghetto. Of more than 200,000 inhabitants in 1940, fewer than 900 had survived the Nazi occupation.

On January 19, 1945, Soviet troops liberated the Łódź Ghetto in Poland, finding fewer than 900 survivors of the more than 200,000 Jews confined there.
After four years of brutal Nazi occupation, the Red Army liberated the Łódź Ghetto on January 19, 1945. Established in 1940, the ghetto had become a center of forced labor and starvation, with its Jewish inhabitants subjected to deportation and extermination. By the time of liberation, only a few hundred of the original 200,000 residents remained alive. The survivors endured extreme deprivation, disease, and the trauma of losing loved ones. Liberation revealed the extent of Nazi atrocities and the ghetto’s role in the Holocaust. Soviet forces provided immediate aid, but the survivors faced uncertain futures amid the shifting postwar landscape. The event is remembered as both a moment of relief and a somber testament to the human cost of genocide.
1945 Soviet Łódź Ghetto Nazi