On this day in 1622, Hugh "Buye" MacGahagan of Castletown, Co. Westmeath, died. His funeral entry names his wife, children and father-in-law. See more 17th-century funeral entries in the Journals: https://bit.ly/mcgah1622
O'Hart's Irish Pedigrees shows Hugh Buidhe MacGeoghagan's purported descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages: https://bit.ly/macgeoghagan
#OTD 9 June 1885 The Treaty of Tientsin is signed to end the Sino-French War, with China eventually giving up Tonkin and Annam – most of present-day Vietnam – to France.
On this day in 1771, Daniel O Boyle died aged 63. See this and other gravestone inscriptions from Creevelea Abbey, Co. Leitrim, in the Journals: https://tinyurl.com/oboy1771
Italian mathematician, astronomer and engineer Giovanni Domenico Cassini was born #OTD in 1625.
His observations & calculations helped to confirm & refine Kepler’s laws of planetary motion. He formulated Cassini’s Law, describing the rotational behavior of the Moon, which was crucial for understanding the Moon's synchronous rotation with the Earth. He was involved in measuring the meridian arc of Paris, contributing to the accurate determination of the shape of the Earth.
On this day in 1747, Elizabeth Archer, daughter of Henry, was baptised at Wexford. See more transcripts of this parish register in the Journals: https://bit.ly/archer1747
#OnThisDay, 8 Jun 1953, Mary Terrell wins her Supreme Court case and desegregates Washington DC's restaurants. She's 93, and celebrates with lunch in the very restaurant that she'd taken to court.
#OnThisDay, 8 Jun 1944, Violette Szabo returns to occupied France by parachute for her second posting with the British Special Operations Executive.
She is captured two days later, after a gun battle. She's tortured and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. She is killed in Jan 1945. Her daughter Tania received the George Cross on her behalf in 1947.
Violette Szabo's story was filmed as Carve Her Name With Pride (1958).
English mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing died #OTD in 1954.
During World War II, he played a crucial role in deciphering the Enigma code used by the German military, significantly contributing to the Allied war effort. In his paper "Computing Machinery and Intelligence," he proposed the famous Turing Test as a criterion for determining whether a machine can exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human.
On this day in 1837, Mary Burke Power died aged 70. See this and other gravestone inscriptions from the ruined monastery of Stradbally, Co. Waterford, in the Journals: https://bit.ly/power1837
'i hope i die warmed by the life i tried to live.' #art#history: please accept this quick scribbled birthday tribute to preeminent poet, essayist & activist, nikki giovanni (born #otd in 1943). as a member of the black arts movement, she became a leading light amongst the black power poets & at least one of her peers proclaimed her the 'poet of the black revolution'. she's also one of the only people i've seen leave james baldwin utterly tongue-tied. #nikkiGiovanni#literature#illustration
On 6 June 2023 russia destroyed the Nova Kakhovka dam.
Hundreds of square kilometres were flooded, homes destroyed, untold numbers of people died (many under russian occupation were simply dumped in mass graves). Priceless artwork destroyed - the final attached image is how the house of Polina Rayko looked before it was destroyed. Natural habitats ruined, very many animals died.
On this day in 1864, Nicholas Wrixon died in Cork. See this and other inscriptions on tablets at Castlemagner Church, Co. Cork, in the Journals: https://bit.ly/wrixon1864
#OtD 5 Jun 1993 EMT Breonna Taylor, recently killed by police, was born in Grand Rapids, MI. Taylor, an unarmed Black woman, was shot 8 times and killed in her home by officers with a drugs warrant. No drugs were found https://t.co/wc1K52LTw2
Venetian scholar Elena Cornaro Piscopia was born #OTD in 1646.
She was the first woman in the world to receive a doctoral degree. On June 25, 1678, Elena became the first woman to be awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Her doctoral examination was held in the cathedral of Padua to accommodate the large audience, including prominent scholars and nobles. The next female doctorate was granted by the University of Bologna in 1732 to Laura Bassi.
On this day in 1799, Frances Maria Edgeworth Wilson was born. Although she was buried in London, there is a memorial for her at Mostrim, Co. Longford. See more inscriptions from Mostrim in the Journals: https://bit.ly/edge1799
On this day in 1634, Alice Harpole Bowen died. Her funeral entry details her father, husband, children and their spouses. See more 17th-century funeral entries in the Journals: https://tinyurl.com/bowen1634
#OnThisDay, 4 Jun 1972, civil rights activist Angela Davis is acquitted in a trial over her alleged involvement in the 1970 Marin County Civic Centre attack.
Davis had been prosecuted for three capital felonies, including conspiracy to murder, after guns she owned were used in the attack. The all-white jury cleared her of all charges.