January 26, 1904

Sean MacBride, a sometimes controversial figure in the history of Ireland, was born on this day in 1904 to Irish parents in France. Spending a small portion of his childhood there, he returned to Ireland following his father’s execution after the Easter Rising of 1916. MacBride would go on to be an active member of IRA, imprisoned for his actions several times. Later in his life, MacBride worked for human rights in Ireland, Budapest and South Africa. For his work, he was award the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974. He died in Dublin in 1988.