Trial of Marquess of Queensberry begins, leading to the imprisonment of Oscar Wilde

Trial of Marquess of Queensberry begins, leading to the imprisonment of Oscar Wilde

April 2, 2010 04:00:00 am

On April 2, 1895, the libel trial of the Marquess of Queensberry began on allegations that he called Oscar Wilde a “posing somdomite [sic]”. The trial led to the disclosure of details of Wilde’s personal life that eventually resulted in his imprisonment for homosexuality.

Read about the trials of Oscar Wilde.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt born

Carrie Chapman Catt, suffragist, womens' rights advocate and co-founder of the League of Women Voters, was born on January 9, 1859.

Visit the Carrie Chapman Catt Childhood Home.

Great Britain's first income tax introduced

On January 9, 1799, British Prime Minister William Pitt introduced Great Britain's first income tax. The tax was announced the previous December as a means of raising money for war against Napoleon. Pitt's successor, Henry Addington, repealed the tax when hostilities subsided in 1802. Addington then reinstated the tax during the following year when fighting was renewed. The Addington tax model later became the model for the modern British income tax. Learn about the history of income taxation in Great Britain from Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.