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"Views of Four Presidencies (1938-1975)" - exhibition of the records of the Office of the Secretary to the President

Timeline 1910 - 1974

Year	Date	Event

1910	6 May	Death of Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (the UK). He is succeeded�by his son, King George V.� ��

1914	28 June	Assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and his wife at Sarajevo, Bosnia, a catalyst in the outbreak of the First World War. Austria-Hungary�declares war on Serbia on 28 July, Germany declares war�on France on 3 August and invades Belgium on 4 August�and Britain declares war on Germany on 4 August. ��

1916	24 April	Easter Rising in Ireland, which begins with the seizure of the General Post Office and other buildings in Dublin by the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army and the proclamation of the Irish Republic.� The Rising ends in unconditional surrender to the British Army on 29 April.

1918	11 November	Armistice between Germany and the Allies (principally France, Britain and the USA), which brings the First World War to an end.� ��

1919	21 January	Meeting in Dublin of the Sinn F�in Members of the British Parliament at Westminster, who had been elected at the British General Election of December 1918. They�unanimously adopt the provisional constitution of D�il��ireann ("Irish parliament").� ��

1919	21 January	Ambush by members of the Irish Volunteers at Soloheadbeg, county Tipperary, which is afterwards regarded as the beginning of Ireland's War of Independence.� ��

1919	1 April	Election of �amonn de Valera as President of D�il �ireann.��

1921	9 July	Truce is signed by representatives of the British Army in Ireland and the Irish Republican Army.��

1921	6 December	Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed by representatives of the British Government and D�il �ireann, which led to the formal�establishment of the Irish Free State exactly a year later.��

1922	7 January	D�il �ireann approves the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64 votes to 57. �amonn de Valera opposes the Treaty and�resigns as President of D�il �ireann on 9 January.�Over�time the Sinn F�in party splits into factions and the Pro-Treaty faction forms the Cumann na nGaedheal party.��

1922	16 January	Transfer of power in Ireland (excluding the 6 counties of�Northern Ireland) from the British Government to the Pro-Treaty Provisional Government.��

1922	28 June	Outbreak of the Irish Civil War which begins when Pro-Treaty military forces attack the headquarters of the�Anti-Treaty forces at the Four Courts in Dublin.��

1922	25 October	D�il �ireann approves the Constitution of the Irish Free�State. The Constitution and the articles of the Anglo-Irish Treaty are ratified by an act of the British Parliament�on 5 December.��

1922	6 December	D�il �ireann approves the nominations to the first� Executive Council of the Irish Free State, including WT Cosgrave of Cumann na nGaedheal as the first President�of the Executive Council (equivalent to Prime Minister).�TM Healy takes up office as the first Governor General (the representative of the King in Ireland).�Cumann na nGaedheal and Cosgrave win a number of subsequent�General Elections and retain power until 1932.��

1923	24 May	End of the Civil War when de Valera orders the Anti-Treaty forces to call off the armed struggle.��

1923	10 September	The Irish Free State becomes a member of the League of�Nations.��

1926	16 May	Launch by �amonn de Valera of the Fianna F�il party - he had resigned from Sinn F�in two months earlier.��

1932	16 February	General Election, at which the Fianna F�il party led by��amonn de Valera is returned as the largest party and following which de Valera is elected President of the� Executive Council.�Fianna F�il and de Valera win a number of subsequent General Elections and retain�power until 1948.��

1932	26 November	Domhnall Ua Buachalla takes up office as the last�Governor General of the Irish Free State.��

1936	20 January	Death of King George V. He is succeeded by his son King Edward VIII.��

1936	11 December	Abdication of King Edward VIII.�He is succeeded by�his brother King George VI.�On the same day, D�il� �ireann passes legislation removing from the Irish Free State Constitution all references to the King, the Crown and the Governor General.��

1937	1 July	Referendum at which the new Irish Constitution is�approved by the people.��

1937	29 December	The new Constitution comes into effect, the titles "Executive Council" and "President of the Executive�Council" are changed to "Government" and "Taoiseach"�respectively (the title "Taoiseach" being equivalent to�Prime Minister) and the office of President comes into�existence.��

1938	25 June	Douglas Hyde takes up office as the first President of Ireland.�Not a member of a political party, he is elected unopposed.��

1939	1 September	Germany invades Poland triggering the outbreak of the Second World War. Ireland remains�neutral throughout the war.��

1941	22 June	Germany invades Russia.��

1941	7 December	Japan attacks Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. On the following day, 8 December, the USA and Britain declare war on�Japan and on 11 December, Germany and Italy declare war on the USA.

1945	8 May	"VE Day"�- surrender of Germany and the end of the war in Europe.��

1945	16 June	Presidential election at which Se�n T. O'Kelly of Fianna�F�il is elected President - he takes up office on 25�June.�

1945	14 August	Surrender of Japan� -� the end of the Second World War.��

1948	4 February	General Election, as a result of which Fianna F�il and de�Valera lose power.�John A. Costello of Fine Gael is elected Taoiseach on 18 February as head of Ireland's�first coalition government, which include members�of the Fine Gael, Labour, National Labour, Clann na�Poblachta and Clann na Talmhan parties.��

1949	18 April	Ireland (excluding the 6 counties of Northern Ireland) formally becomes a republic and leaves the British�Commonwealth.�

1949	12 July	Death of Douglas Hyde, President from 1938 to 1945.��

1951	30 May	General Election as a result of which Fianna F�il and de Valera are returned to power.��

1952	6 February	Death of King George VI - he is succeeded by his�daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.��

1952	25 June	Se�n T. O'Kelly takes up office as President for the second�time, having been re-elected unopposed.��

1954	18 May	General Election, as a result of which Fianna F�il and de�Valera lose power.�John A. Costello is re-elected Taoiseach on 2 June as head of a coalition government, comprising members of the Fine Gael and Labour parties.��

1955	14 December	Ireland becomes a member of the United Nations.��

1957	5 March	General Election, as a result of which Fianna F�il and de Valera are�returned to power.��

1959	17 June	Presidential election at which �amonn de Valera is�elected President of Ireland and takes up office on 25 June.��

1959	23 June	D�il �ireann elects S�an Lemass of Fianna F�il as Taoiseach, in succession to de Valera.�Fianna F�il and�Lemass win a number of subsequent General Elections and Fianna F�il retain power until 1973.��

1966	1 June	Presidential election at which �amonn de Valera is re-elected President.��

1966	10 November	D�il �ireann elects Jack Lynch of Fianna F�il as�Taoiseach in succession to S�an Lemass who had�announced his intention to retire two days earlier.��

1966	23 November	Death of Se�n T. O'Kelly, President from 1945 to 1959.��

1969	18 June	General Election at which Fianna F�il and Lynch are�returned to power.

1973	1 January	Ireland becomes a member of the European Economic Community.��

1973	28 February	General Election as a result of which Fianna F�il and�Lynch lose power. D�il �ireann elects Liam Cosgrave of�Fine Gael as Taoiseach on 14 March as head of a�coalition government between the Fine Gael and Labour�parties.��

1973	30 May	Presidential election at which Erskine Childers of Fianna�F�il is elected President of Ireland - he takes up office on 25 June.��

1974	17 November	Death of President Childers.��

1974	3 December	Cearbhall � D�laigh takes up office as President - previously Chief Justice, he was not a member of a political party�and is elected unopposed.