1461. Battle of Mortimer's Cross, in which Edward, duke of York
(afterwards Edward IV), revenged his father's death by a signal victory
over the royalists, commanded by Jasper, earl of Pembroke.
1642. EDWARD FINCH died. He was vicar of Christ church, London, from
which he was expelled for preaching in a surplice and associating with
women.
1681. JOHN EDWARD NIDHARD, an Austrian jesuit, died. He was appointed
inquisitor-general and minister of Spain.
1684. ROBERT LEIGHTON, a Scotch prelate, died. He for a number of years
employed his talents and influence in a vain endeavor to bring about a
reconciliation between the presbyterians and episcopalians. As a
preacher he was admired beyond all his contemporaries, and his works
have not yet lost their popularity.
1686. FRANCIS BLONDEL died; eminent for his knowledge of geometry and
belles-lettres; was professor of mathematics and architecture, and tutor
to the dauphin of France.
1702. Marshal VILLEROY, general of the French and Spanish armies in
Italy, surprised in his bed at Cremona, and taken prisoner by the
imperialists under Prince Eugene.
1708. Captain ROGERS discovered Alexander Selkirk on the island of Juan
Fernandez, where he had lived alone four years and four months.
1718. DANIEL FRANCIS VOISIN, chancellor of France, died. He was eminent
for his talents, integrity and virtue.
1733. FREDERICK AUGUSTUS, elector of Saxony and king of Poland, died.
His court was one of the most splendid and polished in Europe, and he
filled with dignity his station among the European powers. In his
character generous ideas were united with despotic feelings; a taste for
pleasure with the cares of ambition; and the restlessness of a warlike
spirit with the effeminacy of a luxurious life. Instances of his
prodigious strength are recorded, which appear almost incredible.
1775. The new congress of Massachusetts met at Cambridge and chose John
Hancock their president.
1781. Lord CORNWALLIS with the British army, passed the Catawba at
M'Cowan's ford. His passage was disputed by Wm. Davidson, lieut. col.,
commandant of the North Carolina line, and brigadier general of militia,
with 300 militia. Davidson was overpowered, and killed by a ball in the
breast. Cornwallis had his horse killed under him.
1789. The first president of the United States elected.
1793. War declared against England and Holland by the French.
1796. A stone was thrown at the carriage of George III, king of England,
as he was returning from Drury lane theatre. It hit the queen in the
face.
1800. Battle between the United States frigate Constellation, Capt.
Truxton, and the French frigate La Vengeance of 54 guns. The action
lasted from 8 o'clock in the morning until after noon, when the
Vengeance was completely silenced; but taking advantage of a squall made
her escape to Curacao, where she arrived in a shattered condition,
having lost 160 men killed and wounded.
1801. DANIEL NICHOLAS CHODOWIECKI, a German painter and engraver, died.
He practiced miniature painting with great assiduity to support his
mother. His first trials at engraving excited the astonishment of
connoisseurs; and at length scarce a book appeared in Prussia for which
he did not engrave at least a vignette. He was universally esteemed for
his integrity.
1804. J. PACKER died at Spinningfield, England, aged 33, weighing 29
stone.
1813. American privateer schooner Hazard, Capt. Le Chartier, of 3 guns
and 38 men, captured the British merchant ship Albion of 12 guns and 15
men; on the 23d she was re-captured by the British cutter Caledonia of 8
guns and 38 men; on the 26th the Hazard fell in with and took both of
them; but succeeded in bringing the Albion only into St. Mary's. The
Hazard had her first lieutenant and 6 men wounded, but she was much
shattered. Great part of the Caledonia's crew were killed or wounded.
1814. BONAPARTE defeated by the allied army near Chaumenil.
1814. A destructive eruption of Albay in Luconia, one of the
Phillipines.
1815. Eruption of the volcano of Albay, in the province of Camarines, on
the southern part of one of the Phillipine islands, in the Indian ocean;
by this awful catastrophe five populous towns were entirely destroyed
and more than 1200 of the inhabitants perished.
1824. HENRY BATE DUDLEY died. He was born in England 1745, educated for
the pulpit, and succeeded to his father's benefice. He established the
_Morning Post_, and subsequently several other papers, and manifested
his literary abilities by the production of several successful comedies.
He obtained a baronetcy, and at the time of his decease was a magistrate
for eleven counties.
1824. JOHN LEMPRIERE died, author of the _Biographical Dictionary_. He
was an English prelate, and an excellent classical scholar.
1833. ELIZABETH MOORE died, in Pitt county, North Carolina, aged 101.
1837. A memorial was presented to congress, signed by 56 authors of
Great Britain, praying that body to secure to them the exclusive right
to their respective writings in the United States.
1837. EDWARD DONOVAN died, near London, a celebrated author on natural
history.
1837. SIMPSON, in the service of the Hudson Bay company, reached
Athabasca, having completed since the first of December a journey of
1277 statute miles, the _preliminary_ step of the expedition.
1845. SAMUEL MCGWINN, known as the _Caithness Veteran_, died at Andover,
New-Hampshire, aged 110.
1851. MARY WOLSTONECRAFT, widow of Percy Bysshe Shelley, died, aged 53;
known in authorship by her _Travels_ and _Frankenstein_.
1852. Ohio state house burnt, and a large mass of valuable papers
perished with it.
1854. SILVIO PELLICO died near Turin in Italy. In 1820 he was seized by
the Austrians as a carbonaro, while employed as a tutor, and confined in
the fortress of Spielberg ten years. On his release he was employed as
librarian by the Marchesa Barolo until his death.
1854. The splendid Parliament house at Quebec, with the government
library and philosophical apparatus, were destroyed by fire.
1855. The United States surveying steamer Water Witch, ascending the
Paraguay in violation of the ordinance that no man of war should enter
that river, was fired at from the fort, and one man killed. The Water
Witch returned the fire and backed down the stream.
1856. IVAN FEDOROWITCH PASKIEWITSCH, vice-roy of Poland, died, aged 74.
He distinguished himself in all the wars of the Russian empire,
beginning with that of the invasion of 1812.