Today in History

William "W.T." Cosgrave, the first President of the Executive Council or prime minister of the Irish Free State, was born on this day in 1880. After attending the first Sinn Fein convention in 1905, Cosgrave became politically active. He joined the Irish volunteers in 1913 and took part in the Easter Rising of 1916. He was arrested for his role and chose to serve a penal … [Read more...] about June 6, 1880

Charles Parnell, founder of the Irish Parliament Party and one of Ireland's most important nationalist leaders of the 19th century, became the first Irishman to address the United States Congress on this day in 1880. On a visit to the US with fellow Irish nationalist John Dillon, Parnell was able to raise £60,000 for the Land League, an organization which the two men helped … [Read more...] about February 2, 1880

Sara Allgood, film and stage actress, was born on this day in 1879 in Dublin. It is unclear whether her exact birth date was October 31 or October 15. Allgood was considered one of the best character actresses of her time. Her crowning achievement was when she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Mrs. Morgan in John Ford's "How Green Was My Valley," … [Read more...] about October 31, 1879

Irish immigrant Catherine Coll arrived in New York aboard the SS Nevada on this day in 1879. Coll later met and married Juan Vivion de Valera, a Cuban settler and sculptor. The couple reportedly married on September 18, 1881 at St. Patrick's Church in Jersey City. Kate Coll would later give birth to Eamon on October 14, 1882 in New York. With Juan Vivion de Valera deceased, … [Read more...] about October 2, 1879

Famous for claiming to be born on the 4th of July, George M. Cohan was actually born on July 3, 1878 in Providence, Rhode Island. A theater legend, Cohan was born to parents of Irish Catholic descent who were travelling vaudevillians. From a young age, he and his sister appeared in several of his parents's shows and sketches and they eventually became known as "The Four … [Read more...] about July 3, 1878