18 April-Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a physicist who developed the general theory of relativity. A native of Germany he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Einstein is generally regarded as the most influential physicist of the 20th century. When asked to explain the theory of relativity he is reported to have said: ‘When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity’.

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany on March 14th 1879. His family moved to Munich when he was just six weeks old. Einstein grew and went to school there until he was 16 years of age. He qualified as a teacher of mathematics and physics from Zurich Polytechnic, Switzerland in 1900. Following qualification Einstein failed to find work as a teacher. He was eventually employed by the patent office in Bern, Switzerland.

In 1905 Einstein was awarded a PhD by the University of Zürich. In that same year he deduced the equation E=mc2, the origins of the development of nuclear power, in his paper on matter and energy. He became well known as a physicist and went on to work first at the University of Zurich in 1908, University of Bern 1909, and Prague in 1911. In 1914 he was appointed professor at the University of Berlin where he remained until 1933. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.

In 1933 Albert Einstein renounced his German citizenship and moved to the United States to avoid persecution by the Nazis. He was appointed to a position at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, New Jersey and became a United States citizen. In 1939 he signed a letter to the President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt alerting him to the possibility that the Nazis could be developing a nuclear bomb. It is thought that this letter led the American Government to establish a secret military project to produce the first US nuclear weapon. The project which was established in 1942 was known as the Manhattan Project. Einstein remained at Princeton until he retired in 1945. He died in Princeton New Jersey at the age of 76.

Albert Einstein, physicist who developed the general theory of relativity, died in Princeton New jersey in the year 1955 On This Day.

 

17 April-Bay of Pigs Invasion

The Bay of Pigs is an inlet located on the southern coast of Cuba. In 1961 it was the scene of a failed military invasion of Cuba by a military group of Cuban exiles supported by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States. The aim of the invasion was to overthrow the communist government of Fidel Castro.

Fidel Castro had come to power in Cuba in 1959 when he overthrew the American backed President Fulgencio Batista. Following the overthrow he assumed military and political power. He began to nationalise American economic assets and forge closer links with the Soviet Union. In response The United States Government made several attempts, without success, to remove Castro from office.

One of those attempts was the Bay of Pigs Invasion. In March 1960 President Eisenhower authorised the CIA to arm and train Cuban exiles for an attack on Cuba. The invasion took place shortly after Eisenhower’s successor, John F Kennedy became President. A force of almost 1,400 paramilitaries landed at the Bay of Pigs but were quickly defeated by the Cuban forces led by General Castro

The Bay of Pigs Invasion, a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by a paramilitary force of Cuban Exiles who were supported by the American Central Intelligence Agency, took place in the year 1961 On This Day.

Bay of Pigs area

Bay of Pigs landing site

 

16 April-Lord Lucan

George Charles Bingham, who lived from 1800 to 1888, was the 3rd Earl of Lucan. He was also known as Lord Lucan of Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland. He was one of the most dreaded landlords in Ireland. Lord Lucan was also a British Army Officer who ordered the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava in 1854 during the Crimean War.

George Charles Bingham was born in London, England in 1800. He was a descendant of Patrick Sarsfield who led the Flight of the Wild Geese from Ireland following the signing of the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. Sarsfield was the 1st Earl of Lucan. The 3rd Earl of Lucan was educated in England and joined the British Army at the age of 16.

Lucan retired from the army in 1837. He moved to Mayo to manage the family estates which extended to over 60,000 acres. In the late 1840’s during the Great Famine in Ireland he carried out wholesale evictions of his tenants. His activities led to him becoming known in Mayo as ‘the exterminator’.

Lucan was given command of a cavalry division at the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854. His actions during the Battle of Balaclava led to him being recalled to London. Though he remained in the army he had no further active military commands. He died in London on November 10th 1888.

George Charles Bingham, the 3rd Earl of Lucan, who was also known as Lord Lucan of Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland was born in the year 1800 On This Day.

George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan.png

3rd Earl of Lucan

Engraving by D J Pound after a photograph by John Watkins

 

 

 

 

15 April-Hillsborough Disaster

The Hillsborough Disaster occurred during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The disaster occurred at the Hillsborough football stadium in Sheffield, England. A human crush at the stadium led to 96 people dying and 766 being injured. It was Britain’s worst sporting disaster.

The match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest began as scheduled at 3:00 pm. Fans were still entering the stadium at kick-off. In an attempt to ease overcrowding at an entrance to the stadium an exit gate was opened. This however, allowed fans into an already overcrowded section of the stadium. The resulting human crush led to what has become known as the Hillsborough Disaster.

The referee, Ray Lewis, stopped the match at 3:05:30. Both teams were ushered to their dressing rooms. They were told the match would be postponed for 30 minutes. In the event the match was abandoned. It was played three weeks later at Old Trafford in Manchester. The game which was attended by 38,000 fans resulted in a 3 – 1 victory for Liverpool. Liverpool went on to win the 1989 FA Cup.

The Hillsborough Disaster, in which 96 people lost their lives and 766 were injured, occurred during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the year 1989 On This Day.

Hillsborough Memorial

 

 

 

14 April-Irish Tricolour

The Irish tricolour is the national flag of Ireland. It is a vertical tricolour of green white and orange. The flag symbolises the inclusion of the people of different traditions on the island of Ireland. Though first unveiled in 1848 the Irish tricolour was only formally adopted as the national flag of Ireland in 1937.

The flag of Ireland was first unveiled at a meeting in Waterford City on March 7th 1848. It was brought to Ireland from France by the Young Irelander Thomas Francis Meagher. Meagher had gone to France with other members of the Young Ireland movement to study revolutionary activities. During his time there he was presented with the tricolour by a group of French women who were sympathetic to the Irish cause.

Following the unveiling in Waterford Meagher formally presented the flag to the citizens of Ireland at a meeting in Dublin in April 1848. At the presentation he stated: ‘The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the orange and the green’. The tricolour was raised over the General Post Office in Dublin during the Easter Rising of 1916. It was adopted as the flag of Ireland by the Government following independence in 1922 and was given constitutional status in 1937.

The Irish tricolour, the national flag of Ireland, was presented to the citizens of Ireland at a meeting in Dublin in the year 1848 On This Day.

Irish Tricolour

The statue of Meagher at the Mall in Waterford, Ireland