1870 Michael Balfe (62), composer who wrote several operas for performance at Drury Lane, most famously The Bohemian Girl (1843), died.
1999 Jack Lynch, outstanding Gaelic footballer and hurler, leader of Fianna Fáil (1966–79) and taoiseach (1966–73, 1977–9), died.
1986 General Michael J. Costello, colonel commandant in the National Army during the Civil War (1922–3) at the age of eighteen, assistant chief-of-staff (1937–9) and latterly general manager of the Irish Sugar Company (1945–66), died.
1964 Herbert Hoover, 31st president of the United States (1929–33), died.
1917 W.B. Yeats, poet and dramatist (52), married Georgie Hyde-Lees (25).
1910 The Olympic, sister ship of the Titanic, built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, for the White Star Line, was launched. At 45,324 gross tons it was the biggest ship ever launched.
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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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