TODAY IN HISTORY

Saturday, January  19, 2013 AP Highlight in History:  On Jan. 19, 1966, Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister of India.   AP Photo
On this date in: 1736 James Watt, inventor of the steam engine, was born in Scotland. 1807 Robert E. Lee, the commander-in-chief of the Confederate armies, was born in Stratford, Va. 1809 Author Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston. AP Photo 1861 Georgia seceded from the Union. 1943 Rock singer Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas. 1944 The federal government relinquished control of the nation's railroads after settling a wage dispute. 1955 A presidential news conference was filmed for TV for the first time, with the permission of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. 1979 Former Attorney General John Mitchell was released on parole after serving 19 months in federal prison for Watergate-related crimes. 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. 2001 In a deal sparing himself possible indictment, President Bill Clinton acknowledged for the first time making false statements under oath about Monica Lewinsky; he also surrendered his law license for five years. 2006 An unmanned NASA spacecraft blasted off on a 3 billion-mile journey to Pluto. 2010 In a major upset, Republican Scott Brown captured the U.S. Senate seat held by liberal champion Edward Kennedy for nearly half a century as he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election.		Video HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS DAY IN HISTORY Today's Birthdays: Country singer-actress Dolly Parton turns 67 years old today. AP Photo/Charles Sykes Name Profession Age Jean Stapleton Actress ("All in the Family") 90 Fritz Weaver Actor 87 Tippi Hedren Actress ("The Birds") 83 Robert MacNeil Journalist 82 Phil Everly Singer (The Everly Brothers) 74 Michael Crawford Actor, singer 71 Dan Reeves Football coach 69 Ann Compton Broadcast journalist 66 Paula Deen TV chef 66 Desi Arnaz Jr. Actor 60 Paul Rodriguez Comedian 58 Stefan Edberg Tennis Hall of Famer 47 Trey Lorenz R&B singer 44 Drea de Matteo Actress ("The Sopranos") 41 Frank Caliendo Comedian, impressionist 39 Jodie Sweetin Actress ("Full House") 31 Shawn Johnson Gymnast 21 Actress Katey Sagal turns 59 years old today. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill