February 16

May 03

• 1921 The Government of Ireland Act (1920) came into effect, creating the jurisdictions of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
• 1469 Machiavelli, Renaissance writer, playwright and poet, author notably of The Prince (1513), born in Florence.
• 1968 The ‘May ’68’ civil unrest in France began with a series of student protests against capitalism, consumerism, American imperialism and conservative values.
• 1916 Patrick Pearse (36), Tom Clarke (59) and Thomas MacDonagh (38) executed.
  Augustine Birrell, Chief Secretary for Ireland since 1907, resigned.
• 1916 Patrick Henry Pearse, aged 34, poet, writer, founder of Scoil Eanna (St Enda’s) in 1908 and commander-in-chief of the forces of the Irish Republic during the Easter Rising, was executed in Kilmainham Jail.
• 1814 Louis XVIII became king of France following 22 years of revolution and conquest under Napoleon Bonaparte.
• 1933 The Constitution (Removal of Oath) Act removed the oath of allegiance from the constitution of the Irish Free State.