United States

Death of Henry Ford, automobile production pioneer and son of Irish immigrants

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist and business magnate. As founder of the Ford Motor Company, he is credited as a pioneer in making automobiles affordable for middle-class Americans through the Fordism system.

Broadway musical Brigadoon opened at the Ziegfeld in New York

The Broadway musical “Brigadoon” opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York on March 13, 1947. With music by Frederick Loewe and book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, “Brigadoon” is a fantasy set in a Scottish village that appears for only one day every hundred years. The story follows two American tourists, Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas, who stumble upon Brigadoon on the day of its centennial awakening. Tommy falls in love with Fiona MacLaren, a resident of Brigadoon, setting the stage for a conflict between love and the reality of returning to his life in New York.

Mary Clarke, a Maryknoll Nun and martyr, born

Mary Clarke, also known as Sister Mary Angelus, was an American Maryknoll missionary and is recognized as a martyr. She was born in New York City in 1931 and dedicated her life to religious service. Sister Mary Angelus was known for her commitment to serving others and her selfless devotion to her faith.

David Dunbar Buick, founder of the Buick Manufacturing Company, died

David Dunbar Buick (September 17, 1854 – March 5, 1929) was a Scottish-born American inventor, widely known for founding the Buick Motor Company. He headed this company and its predecessor from 1899–1906 thereby helping to create one of the most successful nameplates in United States motor vehicle history.

Spencer Tracy, the son of an Irish father, is born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actor, from nine nominations. During his career, he appeared in 75 films and developed a reputation among his peers as one of the screen’s greatest actors. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Tracy as the 9th greatest male star of Classic Hollywood Cinema.

Raymond Chandler, born

Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Great Depression. His first short story, “Blackmailers Don’t Shoot”, was published in 1933 in Black Mask, a popular pulp magazine.

Hugh O'Brien is sworn in as Bostons first Irish mayor

Hugh O’Brien, commonly known as Hugh O’Brien, was sworn in as Boston’s first Irish mayor on January 04, 1885. He was a prominent figure in Boston’s political history and a member of the Democratic Party. Hugh O’Brien’s election as mayor was a significant milestone for the Irish community in Boston, which had faced discrimination and challenges in American society.

Black Thursday

On a day that will long be remembered as Black Thursday, four members of the Molly Maguires — Alexander Campbell, John Donohue, Michael Doyle, and Edward Kelly — shackled with chains, walk to the gallows specially constructed to accommodate four people; their execution sends shockwaves through Irish-American communities.

John O'Mahony, founder of the Fenian Brotherhood in US, dies in New York

John Francis O’Mahony (1815 – 7 February 1877) was a Gaelic scholar and the founding member of the Fenian Brotherhood in the United States, sister organisation to the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Despite coming from a reasonably wealthy family and being well educated, the primary pursuit of O’Mahoney’s life was that of Irish Independence from the United Kingdom, a calling that ultimately left him in poverty. O’Mahony fought in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848 as well as the US Civil War, and was involved organisationally in the Fenian Rising of 1867 in Ireland and the Fenian Raids on Canada.

Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone (Patent 174461)