1242. Battle of lake Peipus, in Russia; the Russians under Alexander
Jaroslawitz gained a decisive victory over the Swedes under Eric XI. The
battle was fought on the ice; 400 Teutonic knights were slain, and 50
made prisoners. The German knights were pardoned, but the Esthonians
were ordered to be hung as Russian rebels.
1470. An instrument similar to a warranty deed given to William
Tourneville, bishop of Angers, with a copy of Faust and Schoeffer's
Bible for the sum of 40 crowns, bears this date.
1605. JOHN STOW, an English antiquary and historian, died, aged 80. He
was born in London, 1525, and initiated by his father into all the
mysteries of tailoring as practiced at that period. But he discovered a
penchant for musty relics and antiquarian lumber, and finally quitted
his business to compose a history of England. He at length got together
such a medley of antique and diabolical books and parchments, that he
became suspected of some heretical designs against religion, so that the
bishop of London ordered an investigation of his library. He published
_A Summarie of the Englyshe Chronicles_, and in 1598 a _Survey of
London_, on which he was long employed, and which has been often
reprinted. He was reduced to live by charity, and at length fell a
victim to poverty and disease. His labors formed a rich legacy to future
historians.
1621. JOHN CARVER, first governor of Massachusetts, died. He conducted
the colonists over from Leyden, and managed the affairs of the
settlement with great prudence and address.
1676. JOHN WINTHROP, first governor of Connecticut, died. He was the
eldest son of the governor of Massachusetts, and a man of great learning
and talents. He was one of the founders of the Royal society,
distinguished as one of the greatest chemists and physicians of the day,
and one of the most noted men in New England. In 1635 he came over to
settle a plantation on Connecticut river, and began the town of Saybrook
at the mouth of that river.
1677. Cambray, a fortified city of France, surrendered to Louis XIV, who
commanded in person.
1684. WILLIAM BROUNCKER, an English mathematician, died. He is
celebrated for his attachment to the royal cause during the civil wars.
On the institution of the Royal society, he was the first president, and
adorned the office by his polite manners and extensive erudition.
1707. Battle of Almanza, in Spain; the allied British, Dutch, and
Portuguese army defeated with the loss of 1000, attributed to the bad
conduct of the Portuguese troops.
1725. BENJAMIN IBBOT, an eloquent English divine, died. A selection of
his sermons was published after his death by his friend Dr. Samuel
Clarke.
1735. WILLIAM DERHAM, an able English philosopher and divine, died. He
accomplished much in the advancement of science by a long life of
industry; his publications amounting to not less than 40, mostly on
philosophical subjects.
1746. THOMAS HANMER, an English statesman, died. He was for 30 years a
distinguished member of Parliament, from which he retired to devote
himself to literary pursuits.
1748. Unsuccessful attempt by the British under admiral Knowles on St.
Jago de Cuba.
1753. Parliament passed an act to raise £20,000 by lottery to purchase
the library of Sir Hanse Sloane, of his daughters, for the public use.
It formed the basis of the British museum.
1758. The first number of Johnson's _Idler_ appeared.
1762. Granada surrendered to the British.
1776. GRAINGER, vicar of Shiplake and author of the _Biographical
History of England_, died suddenly while administering the sacrament.
1779. The refugees plundered Nantucket and carried off with them two
loaded brigs, and several other vessels.
1780. ALEXIS HUBERT JAILLOT, a French geographer, and sculptor to the
king, died.
1790. ELIZABETH WELSH died at New York, aged 104.
1794. GEORGE JAMES DANTON, a French Revolutionary Leader, guillotined.
Robespierre, dreading the dauntless intrepidity of Danton, Fabre
d'Eglantine, Bazire, Chabot, and others of the most noted of his fellow
desperadoes in the convention, caused them to be arrested as
conspirators against the republic, and after a summary trial, they were
executed by the guillotine on this day. The government of France was
now almost entirely vested in one man, under whose sanguinary
administration the prisons of Paris contained at one time more than
seven thousand persons, and a day seldom passed without sixty or eighty
executions by the revolutionary axe.
1794. MARIE JEAN HERAULT DE SECHELLES, a French statesman, guillotined.
He conducted before the revolution as an able and upright officer; but
as the scene progressed he became identified with the terrorists, and
went to the scaffold with Danton, Desmoulins, (q. v.) and others. The
two conducted with as much levity in their last moments as if they had
been going to a party of pleasure.
1794. BENEDICT CAMILLE DESMOULINS, one of the founders of the Jacobin
club in France, guillotined. He was the friend of Danton, and one of the
most bloody and reckless of the revolutionists. When arraigned by order
of Robespierre, he was asked his age, to which he replied "_33 ans,
l'age du sans culotte Jesus Christ_." His wife, whom he adored, a
beautiful, courageous and spirited woman, desired to share her husband's
fate, which Robespierre seems not to have been slow to grant.
1795. Treaty of peace concluded at Basle, Switzerland, between France
and Prussia.
1795. County of Schoharie, in New York, erected.
1797. The first Turkish ships arrived at London.
1799. The British forces under Gen. Harris, called the Madras army,
arrived at Seringapatam, within Tippoo Saib had retreated after the
defeat of Seedasere.
1799. Battle of Villingen and Rothweil in Germany; the French under
Joubert defeated by the Austrians under the archduke Charles.
1800. British captured Goeree; admiral Duckworth's squadron on the same
day, fell in with and captured two Spanish frigates and eleven
merchantmen from Lima. The admiral's share of the spoil amounted to
£75,000.
1804. ROBERT RAIKES, an English printer and philanthropist, died. He
succeeded his father in the printing business and having realized a good
property, he employed it, with his pen and his influence, in relieving
such objects as stood in need of his benevolent assistance. He is
however best known as the originator of sabbath schools.
1811. HENRY I (Christophe), king of Hayti, created an hereditary
nobility, consisting of 4 princes, 7 dukes, 21 counts, 9 barons and
chevaliers, and appointed persons to those ranks.
1811. JAMES TRAQUAIR died; the first man in America who procured busts
to be carved in American marble. They were likenesses of Washington and
Penn, and executed by an Italian.
1814. BONAPARTE accepted the island of Elba as his residence, and
renounced for himself and heirs the throne of France.
1815. Continued eruption of Tomboro, which began April 3. (See April
12.)
1817. Battle of Maypu, which sealed the independence of Chili. The
patriots under San Martin and Las Heras defeated the royalists, 5000,
under Osorio; 2000 were killed and 2500 taken.
1830. The bill to remove the civil disabilities of the Jews introduced
into the British parliament.
1832. Ratification of the treaties of commerce, navigation and limits,
between the United States and Mexico, exchanged at Washington.
1837. HENRY BATHURST, bishop of Norwich, died in London, aged 93. He was
distinguished for the liberality of his principles, and was exemplary in
the exercise of his duties--the father of 36 children, 22 by his first
wife, 14 by his second.
1842. PATRICK KELLY died at Brighton, England. He is well known for his
valuable writings on science, but his great work the _Universal Cambist_
entitles him to lasting distinction.
1843. VALNIER, a native of St. Domingo, died at Merida, Yucatan, aged
117. He retained his sight until the age of 105, and his intellect was
unimpaired till the time of his death.
1844. JOHN SANDERSON of Philadelphia, who wrote an account of the lives
of the signers of the declaration of American independence, died. He had
some reputation for wit.
1852. FELIX VON SCHWARTZENBERG died at Vienna, aged 52. He represented
the Austrian empire at various courts, at different periods, the
earliest being at the age of 15. In a military capacity he took the
field in 1843 against Charles Albert of Sardinia, and half a year later
succeeded prince Metternich, on his fall, as prime minister of the
empire.
1853. A new planet was discovered by Prof. de Gasparis, at Naples.