June 17, 1959 marked the fourth presidential election in Ireland, during which Eamon de Valera was elected. Former Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader de Valera defeated Fine Gael's candidate Sean Mac Eoin. De Valera was formally inaugurated on June 25, 1959. … [Read more...] about June 17, 1959
March 8, 1959
On this day in 1959, actor Aidan Quinn was born in Chicago to Irish immigrant parents. A leading actor of both the stage and film, he spent his childhood living in United States and Ireland. He moved to Dublin in his late teens, trying his hand at the local theatre scene. He made his New York debut in an off-Broadway staging of Sam Shepherd's "Fool for Love." He began receiving … [Read more...] about March 8, 1959
May 2, 1957
Sen. Joe McCarthy died at the age of 48. The Republican from Wisconsin was the leading anti-communist figure for whom the phrase McCarthyism was coined. He was the chairman of Investigations of the Committee on Government Operations (now the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs) and led investigations into Americans who were deemed communists. … [Read more...] about May 2, 1957
April 19, 1956
On this day in 1956, Irish-American actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco and became Princess Grace of Monaco. The two met while Kelly was filming Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief in the French Riviera. As Princess of Monaco, Kelly retired from acting and founded AMADE Mondiale, a Monaco-based non-profit organization eventually recognized by the UN as a … [Read more...] about April 19, 1956
November 12, 1954
Ellis Island, New York's main point of immigration entrance, was closed on this day in 1954. Since its opening in 1892, Ellis Island admitted 15 million people into America. Ellis Island was purchased from the state of New York by the US government for $10,000 in the early 19th century. It was originally used for arms storage, but became an immigration centre where 5,000 people … [Read more...] about November 12, 1954