What happened on 19 January?

9 events from the Ever-When timeline, ranked by how much they mattered.

1. 1736 Born: James Watt Scottish engineer whose improved steam engine powered the Industrial Revolution.
2. 379 Reign of Theodosius I Last emperor to rule both halves of the empire; makes Nicene Christianity the state religion; bans paganism.
3. 1809 Born: Edgar Allan Poe American writer and poet; pioneer of detective fiction and the gothic short story.
4. 1817 San Martín's army crosses the Andes Rather than fight up the fortified road to Lima, San Martín spends three years building an army at Mendoza — then takes 5,000 men, guns and mules over passes higher than Mont Blanc
5. 1943 Born: Janis Joplin American singer; 27 Club.
6. 1813 Born: Henry Bessemer Inventor of the Bessemer process; received 129 patents over his career.
7. 1918 The Constituent Assembly lasts one day Russia's first freely elected parliament — in which the Bolsheviks won under a quarter of the seats — meets for thirteen hours before Red Guards lock the doors and Lenin dissolves
8. 1839 Born: Paul Cézanne French painter whose still lifes and landscapes paved the way for Cubism.
9. 1160 Taira-Minamoto conflict begins Heiji rebellion; Taira clan eliminates Minamoto rivals at court; sets stage for the Genpei War 20 years later.