364. FLAVIUS CLAUD JOVIANUS, the Roman emperor, died at Dadastana, aged
33. He was elected by the army, on the death of Julian, and accepted the
throne upon the assurance that the soldiers would embrace Christianity.
He was suffocated in his bed by the fumes of a fire which had been made
to dry the chamber, after a reign of only eight months.
1461. Battle of St. Albans, 21 miles from London, between the
Lancastrians headed by the queen, Margaret, and the Yorkists under the
earl of Warwick. The latter were defeated.
1564. MICHAEL ANGELO BUONAROTTI, the painter and architect, died at
Rome, aged 89. He was of an illustrious family; studied painting and
sculpture; and for a great number of years was employed by the popes in
decorating the most superb edifices of Rome. At the age of 60 he was
induced to attempt the _Last Judgment_, which is his master-piece. In
architecture, St. Peter's and the Capitol are monuments of his ability.
As a sculptor and poet also he is entitled to no mean place in the niche
of fame. He was one of those favorites of nature, who combine in their
single persons the excellence of many highly gifted men.
1571. An earthquake in Herefordshire, England, removed a hill containing
26 acres to a considerable distance, overturning every thing before it
and continuing in motion several days.
1600. GIORDANO BRUNO, an Italian philosopher, burnt at Rome. He entered
the order of the Dominicans, but his satires upon the lives of the monks
drew upon him their persecutions, and he fled to the Calvinists. These
in turn were excited against him by his paradoxes. After visiting Paris,
London and Wurtemberg, he returned again to Italy, and fell into the
hands of the inquisition, by whom he was condemned to be burnt, and
suffered death, which he might have averted by a recantation, with the
greatest fortitude. His philosophical writings, which have become very
rare, display a classical cultivation of mind, a deep insight into the
spirit of ancient philosophy, wit and satire, as well as a profound
knowledge of mathematics and natural philosophy. With all his talent and
erudition he was a pantheist.
1621. The Plymouth colonists met for the purpose of settling military
affairs, and chose Miles Standish their captain.
1673. JEAN BAPTISTE POQUELIN DE MOLIERE died. At Narbonne, where the
French theatre at that time began to flourish, through the talents of
the great Corneille, he imbibed a strong passion for the stage. He
became a distinguished comedian and dramatic writer, and died within
four hours after personating a character in his play of the
_Hypochondriac_.
1680. DENZIL, Lord Hollis, an eminent English patriot, died. He nobly
maintained and defended the rights and privileges of the house of
commons, of which he was a member, against the arbitrary measures of
Charles I and his favorites. He was also a political writer.
1710. GEORGE BULL, an eminent English writer and preacher, died.
1720. JOHN HUGHES, an English poet and dramatist, died. He was a
contributor to the _Tatler_, _Spectator_ and _Guardian_. His last
production, the _Siege of Damascus_, was performed with splendid success
on the very night the author died suddenly. He was eulogized by Pope.
1735. NICOLO FORTIGUERRA died, an Italian prelate, and one of their best
poets of the early part of the last century.
1739. GEORGE WHITFIELD, the celebrated Methodist, preached from a field
pulpit to coalliers in Kingswood, near Bristol.
1758. JOHN WATKINS died at Bristol, England, aged 78. He was heir to a
considerable estate, which being denied possession of, he made a vow
never to shave till he enjoyed it; and kept his promise to the day of
his death. He went by the name of Black John; after his death there was
found upwards of 200 weight of half pence and silver, besides a quantity
of gold, which he had amassed as a public beggar.
1759. THOMAS SIDDAL, a gardener at Chester, England, dug up a potatoe
weighing 17 lbs. 4 oz., measuring 38 inches in circumference, and 47½
in length.
1772. Convention between Frederick II of Prussia and Catharine II of
Russia signed, for the partition of Poland. This was afterwards acceded
to by Austria, and ratified by the Polish diet.
1773. An appearance similar to the aurora borealis first witnessed in
the southern hemisphere, by Mr. Forster, who accompanied Capt. Cook.
1782. Action between the British fleet, Admiral Hughes, and the French
fleet, M. de Suffrein, in which the British suffered severely.
1794. Fornelli in Corsica attacked and carried by the British under Lord
Hood.
1796. JAMES MACPHERSON, the Scottish poet, died; distinguished for his
translations and imitations of Gaelic poems, the principal of which is
Fingal.
1797. The Spanish Admiral APODACA compelled to burn several large battle
ships in the gulf of Paria, to prevent their falling into the hands of
the British fleet under Harvey.
1804. Gen. MOREAU arrested at Paris, on an accusation of being concerned
in the conspiracy of Pichegru and Georges.
1805. Action between the British frigate Cleopatra, 32 guns, and the
French frigate Ville de Milan, pierced for 52 but mounting 26 guns. The
Cleopatra was captured, with the loss of 20 killed and 38 wounded.
1810. Amboyna, the capital of the Moluccas, surrendered to the British,
together with 49 merchant vessels in the harbor. It was not the first
time it had fallen into the hands of the British.
1810. Rome annexed to France; the city to rank as the second in the
French empire.
1814. Battle of Nangis, between Napoleon and the Russians under Count
Witgenstein; same day, the Russians under Pahlen attacked the French at
Marmont under Georges.
1814. The castle of Jaca in Arragon capitulated to the Spanish chief
Francisco Espoz y Mina, who took 84 brass cannon.
1818. HENRY OBOOKIAH, a Sandwich islander, died at Cornwall, Ct., aged
26. He was a member of the foreign mission school and has been made the
subject of a memoir.
1827. JOHN HENRY PESTALOZZI, one of the most distinguished men of modern
times for his efforts in the cause of education, died at Brugg. He was
born at Zurich, in Switzerland; and devoted his life and property to the
education of poor children. His system is not the best in use.
1828. HENRY GOTTLOB TSCHIRNER died, aged 50; an eminent German
theologian.
1835. Five volcanoes burst forth simultaneously in Central-America,
attended with tremendous earthquakes, which sunk three large towns,
besides many villages. The air was so obscure with smoke, that the
inhabitants were obliged to grope their way with torches for eight days.
The lava in some places ran the distance of 60 leagues, destroying every
thing in its course. In Alancho they thought the day of judgment had
come, and more than 300 marriages took place among people who had
previously lived in a state of concubinage.
1836. CORNPLANTER, (_Garyan-wah-gah_,) a celebrated Indian chief, died
at the Seneca Reservation, aged about 100. At an early period of the
revolutionary war he took an active part on the side of the Americans,
and ever after manifested great friendship for the whites. He and his
associate Red-Jacket, were for many years the counsellors and protectors
of the interests of their nation.
1839. WILLIAM ADAM, a Scottish statesman, died. As member of parliament
he opposed conciliatory measures with the refractory American colonies.
1840. JOSEPH CHITTY, a very eminent special pleader and author of many
laborious and learned works in the profession of the law, died in
London, aged 65.
1843. In British India 2,800 British troops defeated 22,000 Beloochees.
1862. WILLIAM THOMPSON, a distinguished naturalist, died, aged 46. He
published the _Birds of Ireland_, and had undertaken to write the
natural history of that country.
1852. Eruption of Mount Loa, Sandwich islands, which continued a long
time undiminished.
1855. The Russians under Osten Sacken attacked Eupatoria, defended by
the Turks under Omar Pasha, and were repulsed with loss.
1856. JOHN BRAHAM, a celebrated English vocalist, died, aged 82. He was
the son of a German Jew, and his proper name was Abraham. He made his
first appearance at Covent garden in 1787.