Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was born Peter John Sheen in El Paso, Illinois, on this day in 1895. The Archbishop, who is often referred to as the first televangelist, was known for his preaching especially on radio. For 20 years he hosted The Catholic Hour on radio (1930-1950), which drew over four million listeners. In 1951 he moved to television presenting "Life is Worth … [Read more...] about May 8, 1895
April 6, 1895
On April 6th, 1895, the great writer, wit and dramatist Oscar Wilde was arrested after losing a libel case against the Marquess of Queensburry. Wilde, who had been intimately involved with the Marquess' son Alfred Douglas, had sued the Marquess for libel after he had publicly accused Wilde of homosexuality, which was then considered a crime. After losing the suit, Wilde was … [Read more...] about April 6, 1895
August 4, 1892
Andrew and Abbey Borden are found dead on the morning of August 4, 1892. Infamous for the nature of the murders and the acquittal of suspect Lizzie Borden, the only other witness in the house when the murders were committed was Cork-born maid Bridget Sullivan. Sullivan provided the main testimony for the trial, claiming that after lying down after cleaning the windows, Lizzie … [Read more...] about August 4, 1892
October 6, 1891
Charles Stewart Parnell, often referred to as the "Uncrowned King of Ireland" prior to his downfall, died on this day in 1891 after returning to Dublin from exile. Parnell died at the age of only 45 years from a heart attack at his home at 10 Walsingham Terrace, Hove, Dublin. Around 20,000 people attended his funeral service at Glasnevin Cemetery. Parnell was the founder of the … [Read more...] about October 6, 1891
December 24, 1889
Captain William O'Shea files for divorce, citing Parnell as his wife Kitty's lover, which in turn caused the loss of Parnell's political power. O'Shea, who had known about the Parnell and Kitty's affair, only filed for divorce after his wife's inheritance was lost. O'Shea, an MP for Galway, had also been swayed to the side of Gladstone who wanted to bring down Parnell's … [Read more...] about December 24, 1889