275. LUCIUS DOMITIUS AURELIANUS, emperor of Rome, assassinated. He was
the son of a peasant; his mother a priestess of the Temple of the Sun.
He enlisted as a common soldier, and rose from that humble station to
the highest military offices during the reigns of Valerian and Claudius,
the latter of whom, on his death bed, recommended Aurelian to the choice
of the troops. He delivered Italy from the barbarians, and conquered the
famous Zenobia queen of Palmyra. He had planned an expedition against
Persia, and was waiting in Thrace for an opportunity to cross the
straits when he fell a victim to a conspiracy.
1327. EDWARD II of England, then a prisoner in Kenilworth castle,
compelled to resign his crown in favor of his son, Edward III.
1533. HENRY VIII privately married to Ann Boleyn in a garret at
Whitehall.
1640. ROBERT BURTON, an English divine, died. He is known principally by
his _Anatomy of Melancholy_, a rare book, which it is said he wrote to
divert his own thoughts from that feeling.
1692. The Indians, accompanied by some French, attacked the town of York
in Maine, killed 50 and carried away 100 of the inhabitants, and
destroyed the town.
1717. The episcopal clergy of Scotland, who had before been fined for
not praying for King George by name were forced to abscond or fly their
country.
1726. WILLIAM DE LISLE, a distinguished geographer, died at Paris. His
maps are still of great authority.
1730. A fire which broke out in the archduchess's apartments at
Brussels, consumed the palace, with the national records and state
papers.
1745. Action in the Straits of Banca, (Sumatra) between the British
ships Debtford and Preston, Com. Barnet, and three French company ships,
in which the latter were captured.
1759. Birthday of ROBERT BURNS.
1782. DE GRASSE attacked the van of the British fleet under Admiral
Hood. The French were drawn from their anchorage ground, and by a
masterly manœuvre the British succeeded in obtaining it.
1786. CHARLES PRICE, one of the most successful counterfeiters ever
known, committed suicide in prison, London. He had continued to practice
forgeries on the Bank of England to an incredible amount during six
years, contriving all the while to elude the most cunning devices of the
police to detect him, although the notes were traced in every quarter to
have proceeded from one man, always disguised and always inaccessible.
1787. Battle with the insurgents under Shays, at Springfield, Mass., who
retreated with the loss of 3 killed.
1791. GEORGE SELWYN, a noted English wit, died, aged 72.
1804. JEAN JACQUES DESSALINES declared emperor of Hayti.
1807. Battle at Mohringen, in Prussian Poland, in which Bernadotte
defeated the Russians under Pahlin and Salitzin, who lost 1200 killed
and 300 prisoners.
1813. Concordat signed at Versailles, by which Napoleon allowed the pope
to exercise the pontificate in France and Italy, in the same manner as
his predecessors.
1834. Castle of St. Louis at Quebec, the residence of the British
governor-general, destroyed by fire.
1836. General PAEZ gained a victory over the rebels at Venezuela near
Porto Cabello.
1838. Earthquake in the eastern part of Europe. Seven severe shocks
occurred during a few days, by which 300 houses were thrown down in the
city of Bucharest, and 60 persons killed.
1841. The shock of an earthquake was felt in the city of New York and
vicinity to such a degree as to excite considerable alarm.
1843. EDWARD DRUMMUND, private secretary to Sir Robert Peel, was
assassinated in the streets of London. For nearly 20 years he discharged
duties second to those of a cabinet minister, because less conspicuous.
1845. ABIGAIL LEONARD died at Raynham, Mass., 101 years old. She was the
fifth in descent from John Alden, who first landed from the Mayflower on
the Plymouth rock.
1849. The usual convention of the two houses of congress declared that
the people had elected Zachary Taylor their president and Millard
Fillmore vice-president.