1413. THOMAS ARUNDEL, archbishop of Canterbury, died. He was consecrated
bishop of Ely at the age of 21, and became infamous by the severity of
his conduct towards the reformers.
1437. JAMES I, of Scotland, murdered, at the age of 44. He fell a martyr
to his attempts to abolish the anarchy and disorder which prevailed
throughout his kingdom. He was the first of the Stuarts, and stands on
the catalogue of royal authors. (Is also dated 21st.)
1494. MATTEO MARIE BOIARDO, count of Scandiano, died. In his _Orlando
Innamorato_ he immortalized his own peasants and the charms of the
scenery at Scandiano in the persons of his heroes and the beauties of
nature.
1571. LEWIS CASTELVETRO, an Italian critic, died. He was famous for his
parts, but more famous for spleen and ill nature. He distinguished
himself chiefly by his _Commentary upon Aristotle's Poetics_, where,
Rapin assures us, he always made it a rule to find something to except
against in the text.
1579. NICHOLAS BACON, an English statesman, died. He was appointed lord
keeper of the great seal on the accession of Elizabeth, and was an able
and judicious counsellor of that queen during 20 years.
1579. DRAKE, after many profitable captures in the Pacific, arrived at
Lima, where he plundered all the ships in the harbor, in one of which
was found a chest full of reals of silver, and a good store of silks and
linen cloth.
1648. THOMAS DAMME buried at Minshull, England, "being of the age of
seven score and fourteen" (154 years).
1725. A party of 40 New Hampshire volunteers on an excursion for hunting
Indians, discovered a party of ten encamped for the night round a fire.
Advancing cautiously at midnight, the enemy were found asleep and the
whole shot. They were marching from Canada well furnished with new guns
and ammunition, and a number of spare blankets, moccasins and snow
shoes, for the accommodation of the prisoners they expected to take, and
were within two miles of the frontiers. The party entered Dover in
triumph, with the ten scalps stretched on hoops and elevated on poles;
and received a bounty of £100 for each scalp, at Boston, out of the
public treasury.
1736. A bill was introduced into the British parliament, placing a duty
of 20 shillings a gallon on spirituous liquors, and £50 license for
selling them, in order to prevent their excessive use; but was defeated
so far as to tolerate punch at a low rate, the merchants of Bristol and
Liverpool fearing the lessening of consumption on rum and other things
distilled from molasses.
1737. ELIZABETH ROWE died; an English lady distinguished for her piety
and literary talents.
1745. British ship Chester, Capt. Geary, captured the French ship
Elephant with $24,000 on board.
1749. USHER GAHAGAN, executed at Tyburn. He was a gentleman by birth,
and a scholar; he edited a beautiful edition of the classics, and
translated Pope's _Messiah_ and _Temple of Fame_ into Latin verse. His
crime was that of clipping coin!
1762. TOBIAS MAYER, a distinguished mathematician, died at Gottingen.
His lunar and solar tables, as well as his original suggestions on the
repeating circle are of much value.
1771. JOHN JAMES DE MAIRAN, a French philosopher, died. He succeeded
Fontenelle as secretary to the academy of sciences, and is the author of
a _Treatise on Phosphoric Light_, &c.
1772. The royal marriage act of England was passed. This was another of
those attempts to perpetuate regal domination.
1778. LAURA BASSI died; she was honored with the degree of doctor of
philosophy, for the great mental acquirements displayed in her lectures
on that subject, and was distinguished as possessing every amiable
virtue.
1780. British under General Clinton invaded South Carolina.
1781. ROBERT MORRIS appointed by congress superintendent of finance.
1790. JOSEPH II, emperor of Germany, died. He was an able and benevolent
monarch, who devoted his attention closely to the affairs of the
kingdom, and introduced many useful institutions.
1790. At Blackwall, England, while excavations were being made for a wet
dock several hazel trees, with nuts, were found deeply imbedded below
several strata of sand and clay.
1797. Treaty of Tolentino between Bonaparte and the pope.
1799. El Arish, and subsequently Gaza, with most towns in western
Palestine, were taken by the French.
1799. LEOPOLD II, died; grand duke of Tuscany 25 years, and elected
emperor of Germany, 1790. He evinced great abilities.
1802. JOHN MOORE, a distinguished Scottish physician, and popular
author, died. He wrote on the society and manners of different countries
in Europe, which his acute discernment and lively imagination enabled
him to describe with great accuracy and pleasantry.
1803. British evacuated Egypt.
1808. GERARD LAKE died. He was made a peer of Great Britain for his
successes as a general in India.
1809. RICHARD GOUGH, a learned and eminent English antiquary, died.
1809. Saragossa surrendered to the French. The garrison was reduced to
12,000 men, who, when they marched out of the city, had more the
appearance of spectres than of human beings. During this second siege
54,000 perished, of whom one fourth were soldiers.
1810. ANDREW HOFER, the leader of the Tyrolese insurrection, executed.
He was a brave patriot, and met his fate with heroic firmness.
1811. Battle of San Christoval in Spain, in which general Mendizabal was
defeated with the loss of about 12,000 killed and prisoners, by the
French under Soult, whose loss was stated at 400 only.
1811. FRANCIS II, of Germany, issued an edict, fixing the current value
of bank paper at one fifth of its nominal value.
1817. SAMUEL MEREDITH died at his seat in Wayne county, Pa.; first
treasurer of the United States under the federal constitution, which
office he resigned in 1801.
1820. ARTHUR YOUNG died; a distinguished English author on agriculture.
1822. JOHN STEWART, commonly called _walking John_, died in London; to
gratify the "amor videndi," he had perambulated much of the globe.
1835. A tremendous earthquake in Chili. The city of Conception,
containing 25,000 inhabitants, was reduced to a heap of ruins, not a
single house left standing; many other towns and villages were
demolished. At first the sea retired and left the vessels in the harbor
aground; but it soon rushed violently back 30 feet above its level.
1836. MARY CRAWFORD, died at Castine, Me., aged 100 years and six
months; widow of Dr. Wm. Crawford, chaplain and surgeon at Fort Point
during the revolution.
1841. JAMES G. BROOKS died; known in early life as an American poet, and
later as an editor of several newspapers.
1843. PETER AUGUSTUS JAY, well known in the state of New York as a
statesman and historian, died.
1846. The first legislature of Texas under the U. S. met at Austin. Gen.
Henderson was elected the first governor.
1849. NEWTON M. CURTISS, author of a number of popular novels, died at
Charlton, N. Y., aged 34.
1854. ELLIOTT CRESSON, president of the Pennsylvania colonization
society, died, leaving $127,000 to charitable institutions.
1854. The most violent snow storm that had occurred since 1831,
commenced at Washington, and extended over the Middle and New England
states.
1855. JOSEPH HUME, the English statesman died, aged 78. He was a member
of the house of commons 37 years.