April 12

The Scottish National Party gained their first electoral victory

April 12, 1945

Madeleine Smith, found not proven for murder in 1857, died peacefully in New York.

April 12, 1928

Flyweight boxing champion Benny Lynch born.

April 12, 1913

Patrick McGilligan, pro-Treaty nationalist and politician, is born in Coleraine, Co. Derry-Londonderry

April 12, 1889

The American Civil War begins; 150,000 Irishmen will serve with the Union forces, and 40,000 with the Confederacy

April 12, 1861

The American relief ship, Jamestown, lands supplies in Cork for famine victims

April 12, 1847

Patrick Ford, journalist in the USA, fund-raiser for Irish causes, born in Galway

April 12, 1837

An Act establishes free trade in manufactured articles between Britain and Ireland

April 12, 1824

Sir Charles Gavan Duffy is born in Co. Monaghan

April 12, 1816

Abandonment of Scotlands only New World Colony, Caledonia, at Darien, Isthmus of Panama

April 12, 1700

The Ordinance of Union comes into effect, uniting Ireland and Scotland with England

April 12, 1654

Union flag adopted as the flag of England, Wales and Scotland.

April 12, 1606