Catholicism and Protestantism are kind of a big deal in Ireland
Hee. That's just current events, and not limited to history.

I would instinctively have used the French revolution as a reference point for "something people will definitely have heard of that happened in the 18th century". But I suppose the American revolution is better in the US. : D

I do not foresee any of these people going, "But Hadrian didn't have mistresses!" in a movie theater any time soon. ;)
Heh, probably not!