1966 Walt Disney (65), film producer and pioneer of film animation, died of lung cancer.
1918 General election (to 28/12). Lloyd George returned as head of a coalition government. Sinn Féin secured 73 of Ireland’s 105 seats.
1911 The Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his five-man team, using dog sleds, became the first to reach the South Pole, 35 days ahead of their British rivals, led by Captain Scott.
1831 In Carrickshock, Co. Kilkenny, a large crowd clashed with armed police guarding a hired agent delivering summonses to tithe defaulters. Seventeen died, including thirteen policemen.
1955 The Republic of Ireland was admitted to the United Nations.
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Personal Histories
Personal Histories is an initiative by History Ireland,
which aims to capture the individual histories of Irish
people both in Ireland and around the world. It is hoped
to build an extensive database reflecting Irish lives,
giving them a chance to be heard, remembered and to
add their voice to the historical record.
Click Here to go to the Personal Histories page
1920 Recruitment began, mainly from among demobilised British Army officers, into a new force—the ‘Auxiliary Division’—to augment the RIC.
1939 Michael Longley, poet, notable for ‘Gorse Fires’ (1991), ‘The Weather in Japan’ (2000) and ‘The Stairwell’ (2014), born in Belfast of English parents.
2004 Bob Tisdall (96), Olympic gold medal-winner in the 400m hurdles (Los Angeles, 1932) in a world record time of 51.7 seconds—which was not recognised under the rules at the time because he had hit a hurdle—died.
1866 The SS Great Eastern completed the laying of a transatlantic telegraph cable between Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, and Heart’s Content, Newfoundland.
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