Today in History

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

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

George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin on this day in 1856. Shaw, Ireland's famous playwright and most well known for his works like "Pygmalion," is amongst the four Irishmen who have received the Nobel Peace Prize for literature. In 1925, he was awarded the prize, just two years after William Butler Yeats won the award. Shaw was also well known for being a Socialist, writing … [Read more...] about July 26, 1856

Born on February 14, 1856 in Galway as James Thomas Harris, Frank Harris would later become a world renowned author and editor and friend to famous authors of his time. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1869 and studying at University of Kansas, Harris returned to England and began a journalistic career, befriending George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells and Oscar Wilde. After returning … [Read more...] about February 14, 1856

One of Ireland's most famous playwrights and novelists, Oscar Wilde was born on this day in Dublin in 1854. Wilde was born to a wealthy family. His father was an eminent Dublin surgeon and his mother was a talented poet, where Wilde likely inherited his passion for writing from. He attended Trinity College Dublin and then went on to study at Magdalen College Oxford. His works, … [Read more...] about October 16, 1854