Feast of Supercalia at Rome, in honor of the god Pan, the
defender from wolves.
1564. Birthday of GALILEO GALILEI, at Pisa, in Italy.
1600. JOSEPH D'ACOSTA, the Spanish historian, died. He was born in Leon,
1539, and became remarkably efficient in literature and science at an
early age. In 1571 he was despatched as a missionary to South America,
where he remained till 1588. During his residence at Peru he wrote the
_Historia Natural y Moral de las Indias_, which has been translated into
nearly all the European languages, and is valuable for its information
on the early condition of the continent.
1632. DUDLEY CARLETON, an English statesman and political writer, died.
1664. JOHN TWYNNE was convicted of high treason and executed. His
offence was printing the matter called libelous written by Milton and
others.
1682. CLAUDE DE LA COLOMBIERE, a famous Jesuit, died. He became very
popular as a preacher before James II, of England, and was the inventor
of "The Solemnity of the Heart of Jesus."
1694. BRADFORD paid for printing the first book in the city of New York.
1708. JOHN PHILLIPS, an elegant English poet, died, aged 32.
1730. THOMAS BRAY, an English divine, died. He made himself eminent by
his unwearied attention to the practice of benevolence; many charitable
societies and good designs in London are formed on plans which he
projected.
1732. FRANCIS ATTERBURY died. He was the son of a parish rector,
educated for the ministry, and made himself conspicuous by his eloquence
as a preacher. His ambition was gratified by preferments, honors and
emoluments, till, in the reign of Anne, 1713, he reached the seat of the
bishop of Rochester, the acme of his greatness. On the accession of
George I, his prospects began to wane; and being suspected of some
treasonable acts, he was condemned to perpetual exile. He settled in
Paris, and died there. His literary fame rests on his sermons, and his
correspondence with Pope.
1763. Peace of Hubertsburg concluded at the electoral palace of that
name, which concluded the seven years' war between Austria, Prussia and
Poland.
1765. CHARLES ANDREW VANLOO, a highly distinguished French painter,
died.
1766. JOHN HELLOT, a French philosophical writer, and distinguished
chemist, died.
1781. GOTTHOLD EPHRAIM LESSING, one of the most distinguished German
authors, died. He contributed more than any other individual to the
regeneration of German literature, and was remarkable for the
versatility of his genius.
1782. Battle off Fort St. George, East Indies, between the British under
Admiral Hughes, and the French under Admiral Suffrein.
1784. SCIPIO BEXON died at Paris. He assisted Buffon in his natural
history, and was also an author in his own name.
1788. GEORGE ANN BELLAMY, an English actress of the time of Garrick,
died at Edinburgh, aged 55. She drew the attention of the town for a
number of seasons, particularly when she played Juliet with Garrick at
Drury-Lane, against Mrs. Cibber and Barry at Covent Garden. She
published her own memoirs in 6 vols.
1794. JOHN FENN, a learned antiquary, died. He greatly distinguished
himself by his application to the study of natural history and
antiquities; and made a large collection of curious original letters,
written during the fifteenth century, which were published in 4 vols.
quarto.
1796. The British under Admiral Elphinstone, captured Colombo in the
East Indies, which is at present the seat of the British government in
the island of Ceylon.
1798. Rome declared a republic.
1801. Concordat between Bonaparte and Pius VII, for the reestablishment
of religion in France, signed at Paris.
1804. A squadron of the East India company ships under Capt. Dance,
convoying the China fleet, beat off in the China seas, the French ship
Marengo, 80 guns, Admiral Linois, 2 heavy frigates, a corvette of 28
guns, and a Dutch brig of 18 guns.
1806. JOSEPH BONAPARTE entered Naples, upon the capitulation of the
garrison, and was soon after chosen king.
1808. The king of Prussia renounced all connection, political and
commercial, with Great Britain, in compliance with the treaty of Tilsit.
1810. Birthday of LOUIS XV, of France, under whose reign the corruption
of morals and principles spread to an alarming extent among all classes,
and were followed by a general poverty, national humiliation, and ruined
finances, which prepared the way for the explosion that took place under
his unfortunate successor.
1813. Battle of Pietra Nera, on the coast of Calabria, between the
French and the Sicilians.
1814. Battle of Montmirail in France, between the French under Bonaparte
and the Russians under Blucher, in which the former gained a small
advantage after a hard contest.
1815. British sloop of war Barbados, captured the United States letter
of marque brigantine Vidette, 3 guns, 30 men.
1817. Cold day throughout the United States; thermometer 8° below zero
in Philadelphia, and 20° at Salem, Mass. Heavily laden teams crossed
from Boston to Fort Independence.
1817. A wagon loaded with specie for the bank of Pennsylvania,
overturned near Pittsburgh, and Thomas Wilson was killed by a box of
coin falling upon him.
1818. FREDERICK LOUIS, prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, a general in the
Prussian service, died. He acquired distinction in the almost constant
scene of war in Europe, from 1793 to 1806, and contributed greatly by
his superior skill and valor to several important victories.
1820. WILLIAM ELLERY, one of the signers, expired in his chair while
reading Cicero, aged 92. He was born at Newport, R. I.; graduated at
Harvard in his 20th year; and practiced law at Newport until he was sent
to the first congress. His house at Newport was burnt by the British. He
had filled the office of collector of the customs since the term of
Washington.
1826. SCIPIONE BREISLAK, an Italian geologist, died at Milan,
universally regretted, both for his scientific merit and his personal
qualities. His rich collection of minerals passed into the hands of the
Borromeo family.
1832. The legislature of Maryland appropriated $200,000 for the removal
of free blacks over the age of 18; and enacted penalties against the
settlement of colored persons in that state.
1835. NATHAN DANE died at Beverly, Mass., aged 82. He was the framer of
the celebrated ordinance of congress of 1787, for the government of the
territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio river, an admirable
code of constitutional law, by which the principles of free government,
to the exclusion of slavery, were extended to an immense region, and its
political and moral interests secured on a permanent basis.
1836. JOHN GILLIES, historiographer to the king for Scotland, died, aged
90; author of a popular history of Greece, besides many other valuable
works.
1836. MARGARET BURGEOIS died, on Prince Edward Island, aged 110.
1836. FIESCHI and his accomplices, Pepin and Moray, who attempted to
take the life of the French king by the explosion of an infernal
machine, executed at Paris.
1840. HARRIETT CAMPBELL, a Scottish author of distinguished talents,
died at Montrieux in Switzerland, aged 34.
1843. NATHANIEL CHIPMAN, some time justice of the supreme court of
Massachusetts and a senator of the United States, died in the 91st year
of his age. He was a vigorous writer.