Irish American presidential candidate John F. Kennedy clashed with republican candidate Richard Nixon in the first-ever televised presidential debate. This debate, which more than 60 million Americans tuned in for, vastly changed American politics. Kennedy was regarded as the outright winner of the debate, not because of his politics and opinions, but because Kennedy appeared … [Read more...] about September 26, 1960
June 26, 1970
Riots broke out in Londonderry after mid-Ulster MP Bernadette Devlin was arrested. Devlin, who participated in the Bogside riots of 1969, was sentenced to six months in jail. She had previously applied for an appeal, which was rejected by the Northern Ireland Court of Appeals. When police attempted to arrest Devlin at a roadblock in Londonderry, violence quickly escalated with … [Read more...] about June 26, 1970
June 25, 1970
The ban restricting Catholics from attending Trinity College Dublin is finally lifted on this day in 1970. Through the help of the then Archbishop of Dublin John McQuaid, the Roman Catholic church removes its policy of disapproval or even excommunication for Catholics who enrolled at Trinity College without the proper permission. Authorities at the school also allow for a … [Read more...] about June 25, 1970
October 23, 1969
On this day in 1969, Irish playwright Samuel Beckett won the Nobel Peace Prize for literature. Waiting for Godot is his best known work, and perhaps one the most widely read theatrical plays. Beckett was born in Foxrock, Dublin on April 13, 1906. He studied French, Italian and English at Trinity College Dublin and excelled, allowing him to move to Paris to teach English. It was … [Read more...] about October 23, 1969
July 21, 1969
Although he never got to see it, President John F. Kennedy's goal of, "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth," as stated in 1961, was achieved on this day in 1969 when the Apollo 11 made its historic lunar landing. After taking off from the Kennedy Space Center on July 16, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are the first men to walk on the moon on … [Read more...] about July 21, 1969