Margaret's immediate relatives including parents, siblings, partnerships and children in the Downard family tree.

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Margaret's Family

Scully John Downard

Margaret Courhig Downard

Margaret Annie Downard

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Scully John Downard

Unknown - Unknown

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Margaret Courhig Downard

Unknown - Unknown

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Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Margaret's lifetime.

In 1880, in the year that Margaret Annie Downard was born, on August 14th Cologne Cathedral, in Germany, was finally completed. Construction began in 1248, was halted in 1473, and then begun again in the 1800's - completed after 632 years.

In 1891, Margaret was just 11 years old when on March 14th, a lynch mob stormed the Old Parish Prison. The mob lynched 11 of the 19 Italians who were arrested for - but found to be innocent of - the murder of New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessy.

In 1919, when she was 39 years old, in January, Nebraska was the 36th state to ratify the 18th Amendment, making it the law of the land. The 18th Amendment established Prohibition - a law against the production, transport, and sale of alcohol. Private consumption and possession were not prohibited. Several months later, the Volstead Act was passed, creating laws to enforce the Amendment. Bootlegging and bathtub gin followed.

In 1920, Margaret was 40 years old when speakeasies replaced saloons as the center of social activity. After the 18th Amendment was ratified and selling alcohol became illegal, saloons closed and speakeasies took their place. Speakeasies, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, were "so called because of the practice of speaking quietly about such a place in public, or when inside it, so as not to alert the police or neighbors". There were a lot of them and they were very popular. And where saloons often prohibited women, they were encouraged at speakeasies because of the added profits.

In 1961, in the year of Margaret Annie Downard's passing, on April 17th, about 1,000 CIA trained Cuban exiles invaded Cuba with the intention of igniting a rebellion and overthrowing Castro. They were defeated within three days. Although the operation began under Eisenhower, Kennedy approved it and the operation, named the Bay of Pigs for the beach where they landed, was a humiliation for the United States.