After the Fenians had failed to win independence by revolutionary method, agitation moved in the direction of the ballot box. Political life in Ireland in the last quarter of the nineteenth century was dominated by the Land League and Home Rule movements.
The American singer and actor Fred Astaire is widely regarded as the most influential dancer in the history of films. Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1899, Fred’s parents and his sister Adele moved to New York in 1905. Both Fred and Adele trained as dancers. Soon they broke into the vaudeville circuit as a “brother and sister” dancing act. The Astaires made their debut on Broadway in 1917 and this was followed by huge successes in many shows.
