William Butler Yeats, Ireland's most famous poet and one of the leading literary figures of the 20th century, was born in Sandyhurst, Co. Dublin on this day in 1865 to an upper class Protestant family. He spent much of his childhood in Co. Sligo, which heavily influenced Yeats's natural themes, and he read classics like Shakespeare, Donne, Alighieri and Shelley. With Lady … [Read more...] about June 13, 1865
Today In History
December 29, 1864
The National Association of Ireland is founded in Dublin on this day in 1864. The group was heavily supported by the Catholic clergy, priests and bishops. The intention of the association was to foster cooperation with English radicals and to further promote the disestablishment of the Anglican Church of Ireland. … [Read more...] about December 29, 1864
May 6, 1863
The Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, which began on April 30, ended on this day. Union General Hooker suffered defeat and retreated as a result of Lee's brilliant tactics. Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded by his own soldiers. Union losses were 17,000 killed, wounded and missing out of 130,000. The Confederates lost 13,000 out of 60,000. Lee's forces … [Read more...] about May 6, 1863
June 28, 1861
Australian explorer Robert O'Hara Burke, born in Co. Galway, died on this day in 1861. Burke, who had migrated to Australia in 1853 after a short military and police career, and was appointed to lead the Victorian Exploring Expedition in 1860. He partnered with William John Wills as surveyor and the party set out with the goal of discovering a south to north route through … [Read more...] about June 28, 1861
April 12, 1861
On this day in 1861, the first official shots of the American Civil War were fired. The short battle, which took place at Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, marked the beginning of the war, though it was not the first unofficial battle to occur. The skirmish lasted for 34 hours and resulted in U.S. Major Robert Anderson’s surrender of the fort to Confederate … [Read more...] about April 12, 1861