1559. THOMAS POPE, the founder of Trinity college, Dublin, died.
1597. ANTHONY SHIRLEY, commanding a British squadron, landed at Jamaica,
and marched six miles to the principal town, _which submitted to his
mercy_.
1720. JOHN ADAMS, a celebrated English preacher, died.
1728. Dean Swift's STELLA died at Dublin.
1743. ANDREW HERCULE DE FLEURY, cardinal and prime minister of Louis XV,
died, aged 90. He was 73 years of age when he was placed at the head of
the ministry, at which time the state was in a miserable condition. He
healed the wounds of his country, and without bloodshed or cruelty
established and increased the internal happiness of France, and its
national glory.
1762. From Christmas to this day the weather was severely cold in
England. The ice on the Thames it is said was over five feet thick!
1780. The coldest day for 25 years at Philadelphia.
1812. Desperate attempt by a black man, a negro, to fire the British
privateer Speedwell. He was killed after 7 shots had been fired at him.
1814. Battle of Brienne, in which the French under Napoleon gained an
inconsiderable victory over the allies under Blücher, who narrowly
escaped being taken prisoner. It was at this place that Bonaparte
acquired the rudiments of that skill in the military art with which he
had almost prostrated the world.
1820. GEORGE III died. It was during his reign that the discontents in
America burst into an open flame, and an empire was lost to the British
throne. In 1810 he retired from the government, and the interval which
elapsed from that time until his death was a period of insanity. He died
in the 82d year of his age and the 59th of his reign.
1824. LOUISA MARIA CAROLINE, countess of Albany, died at Florence, aged
72. She was the daughter of a German prince, and married Charles Stuart,
the English pretender, whence she derived the title of countess of
Albany. They resided at Rome, and had a little court, and were addressed
as king and queen. The connection, however, was an unhappy one, and to
escape from the barbarity of her husband she retired to a convent, and
afterwards went to France. On the death of Charles, 1788, she returned
to Italy. She was then secretly married to Alfieri, the poet; the French
court conferred on her an annuity of 60,000 livres. Alfieri confesses
that to her he owed his inspiration, and that without her friendship he
should never have achieved anything excellent. Their ashes repose under
a common monument in the church of Santa Croce, between the tombs of
Machiavelli and Michael Angelo.
1829. PAUL FRANCIS JEAN NICHOLAS DE BARRAS, a French revolutionist,
died. As a member of the national convention, he voted for the king's
death; and subsequently, having offended Robespierre, he headed the
force that captured the tyrant. As commander-in-chief of the troops of
the convention, he entrusted Bonaparte with the post in which he first
distinguished himself, on the 5th Oct., 1795. His political career ended
1799, when he received a passport to his estate from Napoleon, then
first consul.
1829. TIMOTHY PICKERING, an American soldier and statesman, died.
In public life he was distinguished for energy, ability and
disinterestedness; as a soldier he was brave and patriotic; and his
writings bear ample testimony to his talents and information. He was
one of the leaders of the federal party.
1834. Duel at Paris between Gen. Bugeaud and M. Dulong, members of the
chamber of deputies; Dulong was killed.
1855. NICHOLAS ordered the formation of a general militia of the Russian
empire.