814. CHARLEMAGNE, or Charles I of France, died. He was an illustrious
sovereign, as well in the cabinet as in the field; and though he could
not write his name, was the patron of men of letters and the restorer of
learning. He wanted the virtue of humanity.
1547. HENRY VIII of England having grown so unwieldy and corpulent that
he was raised up and let down the stairs by a machine, after an illness
of some weeks, sank under his disease, and died in the 38th year of his
reign, and the 56th of his age. He repudiated his first wife 20 years
after marriage, and in the course of about ten years espoused five
others. Henry's reign was one of the most remarkable in the annals of
the kingdom. He made himself so much feared, that no English king had
fewer checks to his power. No hand less strong than his could have
snapped the chain which bound the nation to papacy, and have resisted
successfully the power and influence of the pope.
1588. THOMAS CARN died in London, aged 207; an instance of longevity
exceeding any other on modern record, but well authenticated in the
parish register of St. Leonard, Shoreditch. An old man died at
Ekaterinoslaf, Russia, in 1813, between 200 and 205 years of age; and
Don John Taveira de Lima died in Portugal, 1738, aged 198.
1596. FRANCIS DRAKE, the first Englishman that circumnavigated the
world, died on board his own ship. (See Jan. 9.)
1612. THOMAS BODLEY died. He was actively employed during the last
fifteen years of his life in collecting manuscripts and books for the
library at Oxford which bears his name, and which by his perseverance
came to be one of the most celebrated in Europe.
1687. JOHN HEVELIUS died, an eminent German astronomer.
1725. PETER the Great, of Russia, died, aged 53. He devoted his life
time to civilize his subjects, and raise the nation from barbarism and
ignorance, to politeness, knowledge and power. He spared no pains or
fatigue to obtain knowledge which he thought would be beneficial to his
subjects.
1732. The protestants of Saltzburg being driven out of their country,
settled by invitation of the king of Prussia in Brandenburg.
1738. The first stone of Westminster bridge over the Thames laid.
1782. JOHN BAPTISTE BOURGUIGNON D'ANVILLE, the French geographer, died.
He was esteemed as well for the gentleness and simplicity of his
manners, as for his extensive knowledge. He labored at his maps fifteen
hours a day for fifty years.
1782. JAMES MURRAY, a very eminent historical writer, and pastor, died
at New Castle upon Tyne, England.
1790. The Jews of Spain, Portugal and Avignon admitted to the privileges
of French citizens.
1794. JOHN GOTTLOB IMMANUEL BREITKOPF died at Leipsic. He acquired great
celebrity as a printer and type founder. His foundry contained punches
and matrices for 400 alphabets. He improved the printing press, and
discovered a new method for facilitating the process of melting and
casting. From his foundry types were sent to Russia, Sweden, Poland, and
even America. With the interruption of only five or six hours for sleep,
his whole life was devoted to study and useful employment.
1796. Prince of Wales, regent of England, attacked in his carriage by
the populace.
1797. Battle of Unroomster, in India; Zemaun Shah attacked the Seicks at
8 o'clock in the morning, by opening his _shutah renauls_, or wall
pieces mounted on camels, and a heavy fire was kept up until 2 o'clock,
when the Seicks gave a signal for a general charge, and agreeable to
their mode in close combat, flung away their turbans, let loose their
hair, put their beards in their mouths, and dashed into the midst of the
Huddalah army. The two armies continued engaged in close combat four
hours, when Zemaun's troops gave way, and were pursued to the very gates
of Lahore. The loss of the Seicks was 15,000; that of the Shah 20,000
killed.
1803. Madame CLAIRON, a French actress, died. She evinced when very
young a predilection for the stage, and adopting the theatrical
profession, soon became the first tragic performer of her age, and long
remained without a rival. She published _Mémoires et Réflexions sur la
Déclamation Théatrale_.
1804. JOSEPH NICHOLAS D'AZARA, a Spanish diplomatist, died, aged 73. He
became acquainted with Napoleon in 1796, who conceived great admiration
of him. He was an ardent admirer of the arts and sciences, and collected
an elegant library and a rich collection of paintings and antiques,
which however he lost in the political changes of the times.
1816. RICHARD JOACHIM HENRY VON MOELLENDORF, a Prussian general, died.
He commanded the Prussian troops employed in 1793 in the disgraceful
dismemberment of Poland, on which occasion he did every thing consistent
with his commission to alleviate the misfortunes of the Poles.
1818. NATHAN BIRDSEYE died at Stratford, Conn., aged 103. His funeral
was attended by 100 of his descendants; the whole number of which was
258.
1836. WILLIAM SCOTT, Baron Stowell, died. He filled the office of judge
of the court of admiralty in England, thirty years with distinguished
ability. He is represented to have been the charm and ornament of every
society of which he formed a part; and his unbounded charities acquired
for him universal regard and esteem.
1841. WILLIAM HOGG died at Brownsville, Pa., aged 86, leaving an estate
of one million dollars to his heirs. Fifty years previous to his death,
he crossed the Alleganies with a pack of goods on his back, which was
his whole property, and opened a small store soon after at Brownsville,
the first in that region of country.
1842. The first stone of the Anglican cathedral at Jerusalem laid, at a
depth of 35 feet from the surface. It stands upon mount Zion, and the
state of the rubbish which had accumulated since the time of David,
rendered it necessary to excavate to the depth of 42 feet to the natural
rock.
1854. LEWIS W. CHAMBERLAYNE, a Virginia physician, died; one of the
founders of the Richmond medical college, of which he was a
distinguished professor.
1854. A ball-cartridge manufactory at Ravenswood, L. I., blew up killing
20 workmen and destroying 50,000 ball-cartridges.
1854. The steamer Georgia, from Montgomery, Ala., having 200 passengers
and 1000 bales of cotton on board, took fire at New Orleans, and 60
passengers lost their lives.
1855. The Panama railroad being completed, the first train passed over
it this day.