1491 B. C. The Israelites arrived at the wilderness of Sin, on the 15th
of Jiar, just a month after their departure from Ramasses.
43 B. C. First battle of Mutina, the modern Modena, in which Marc Antony
was repulsed by the two consuls Hirtius and Pansa, assisted by Octavius
Cæsar. Pansa died of the wounds he received in this conflict, and
Hirtius was slain after he had achieved a second and more decisive
victory.
1053. GODWIN, earl of Kent, died. He was a powerful Saxon baron, who
distinguished himself under Canute in the war with Sweden.
1205. BALDWIN I, emperor of Constantinople, defeated by Joannices, king
of the Bulgarians, and taken prisoner.
1415. EMANUEL CHRYSOLORAS, a learned Greek, died. He was employed by
John Palæologus as ambassador to different courts of Europe, where he
acquitted himself with honor.
1513. The English fleet under sir Edward Howard defeated off Brest by
the French.
1521. The faculty of divines of the university of Paris, after many
meetings held in the Sorbonne, drew up a _censure_ of the heresies of
Luther, which was solemnly proclaimed in a general assembly on this day.
1558. A volcano burst out near a spring in the isle of Palma, one of the
Canaries.
1570. WILLIAM ALLEY, bishop of Exeter, died. During the reign of Mary he
retired, and kept a school and practiced physic, in order to avoid
persecution; but on the accession of Elizabeth he was promoted. He wrote
the _Poor Man's Library_, and other works.
1611. RICHARD MULCASTER, a celebrated scholar and English writer, died
at Stanford Rivers, where he was rector.
1632. GEORGE CALVERT, lord Baltimore, died. He was a learned, amiable
and accomplished man, who resigned his offices under James I on
embracing the catholic faith. The king, however, raised him to the Irish
peerage of Baltimore. He obtained a grant for a plantation in
Newfoundland; but the invasions of the French obliged him to abandon
it, after he had spent £25,000 in its settlement. In the place of it, he
received a territory on the continent, now known as the state of
Maryland.
1642. Battle of Killrush in Ireland, in which the Roman catholic army
was signally defeated by the duke of Ormond.
1659. SIMON DACH, a German poet, died. He lived in a humble condition
until he was appointed professor of poetry in the university of
Konigsberg. His secular songs are said to be lively and natural; his
sacred songs distinguished for deep and quiet feeling.
1670. JOHN DAILLIE, a distinguished French protestant divine, died. His
works evince great learning and judgment, and excited much interest.
1697. CHARLES XI of Sweden died. He was successful in war, and respected
as a just prince.
1702. The proprietaries of East and West Jersey surrendered the
government to queen Anne, after which it continued under one government,
called New Jersey.
1715. The Yamasses, a powerful tribe of Indians in South Carolina,
having meditated the extirpation of the English settlements in that
state, fell upon Pocataligo and the neighboring plantations, and
massacred all who fell into their hands.
1719. FRANCES D'AUBIGNE, madame de Maintenon, a celebrated French lady,
died. From a state of want and dependence she rose to be the wife of the
king of France, though not publicly married. Her exemplary life and
extensive charity after that event, made amends for many errors
committed in reaching the height of her ambition.
1720. LUKE MELBOURNE, an English divine, died. He was a prose and
poetical writer of considerable ability, and his name is frequently
introduced by Dryden and Pope in their works.
1754. The first theatre opened in Philadelphia, at the west corner of
Cedar and Vernon streets, with the _Fair Penitent_ and _Miss in her
Teens_.
1755. The counters of the bank of England were broken down by the crowd
in their eagerness to obtain lottery tickets.
1756. JAMES CASSINI, a French astronomer, died. He succeeded his father
as astronomer royal, and made many important discoveries.
1758. The strong fortress of Schweidnitz, in Prussia, taken by assault,
by the Prussians, and count Theirhaimb with 5,000 Austrians surrendered.
1761. JAMES CAWTHORNE, an English poet, died. His poems were collected
and published quarto, in 1771.
1761. WILLIAM OLDYS, a famous English antiquary, died. He was well
versed in English antiquities, a correct writer and a good historian.
1764. JANE ANTOINETTE POISSON, marchioness de Pompadour, died. She was
the favorite of the licentious Louis XV. The patronage she extended to
literature and the arts in some degree atoned for the follies she
committed.
1764. ARCHIBALD LAIDLIE, having accepted a call from the reformed
protestant Dutch church in New York, preached the first English sermon
before that congregation.
1768. The populace at Peterborough, England, demolished a house that had
been opened for the inoculation for small pox. The pretence was to
prevent the spreading of a new disease.
1776. JAMES GRANGER, a learned and ingenious English divine, died. He is
the author of a valuable _Biographical History of England_, 4 vols,
quarto.
1777. A party of 100 Indians attacked the settlement of Boonesborough,
in Kentucky, and killed 4 of colonel Boone's men.
1777. Congress resolved that no distinction be made between the troops,
and that the titles of Congress's Own Regiment, Washington's Life
Guards, &c., be abolished.
1777. British picket near Bonumtown, N. J., stormed by a detachment
under captain Patterson.
1786. ANDREW WILSON executed at Edinburgh. This execution occasioned the
subsequent Porteous mob.
1788. MARY DELANY, an ingenious Irish lady, died, aged 88. She
corresponded with some of the learned men of the day; but is chiefly
known by an ingenious _Flora_ which she commenced at the age of 74, and
labored at with taste and assiduity nearly ten years, when her sight
began to fail her. It was constructed of paper, cut and painted to
resemble nature, with great accuracy of form and color.
1791. The first corner stone in the district of Columbia was laid at
Jones's point, near Alexandria, with the imposing masonic ceremonies of
the time, and a quaint address by Rev. James Muir. By the retrocession
of Alexandria, a little more than fifty years after, the corner stone
was no longer within the district.
1793. FORSTER POWELL, the celebrated English pedestrian, died, aged 59.
His favorite walk was from the monument in London to the cathedral in
York and back again, a distance of 340 miles, in less than six days.
1793. PHILIBERT FRANCIS ROUXELLE DE BLANCHELANDE executed; distinguished
in the American war, and at the taking of Tobago.
1796. Second battle of Dego, Italy. The Austrians under Beaulieu
surprised the French and carried the village. Massena, who attempted to
stop their progress, was repulsed; Bonaparte with Victor and Lannes
finally succeeded in driving them out.
1813. ALEXANDER MURRAY, a Scottish linguist, died. His _History of
European Languages_, which was published after his death, is a work of
great research and merit. His application hastened his death, which took
place at the early age of 37.
1816. A brick-red snow fell on Tonal and other mountains in Italy.
1817. The memorable law upon which the system of internal improvement of
the state of New York is based, passed the legislature.
1820. JOHN BELL, an eminent surgeon of Edinburgh, died at Rome. He is
well known for his valuable works on surgery and anatomy.
1825. HENRY FUSELI, a Swiss painter, died. He was induced to visit
England, where he distinguished himself.
1828. MICHOFSKY, a Russian farmer, died at Pleskow, in the government of
Novogorod, aged 165. He led a very sober life, though occasionally he
partook of ardent spirits. He never ate meat more than twice a week. At
120 he still labored in the field. His mother lived to the age of 117,
and one of his sisters 112, but his father died at 52.
1834. AYLET HAWES, a distinguished philanthropist, died in Culpepper
county, Virginia. He manumitted his slaves, 110 in number, and provided
for their removal to Liberia.
1840. JAMES BROWNE, a Scottish author, died at Edinburgh; a man
distinguished for his learning and research, for several years editor of
the _Caledonian Mercury_, and a writer of valuable articles in the
_Encyclopedia Britannica_, particularly on grammar, history, biography,
&c.
1843. CHARLES BULFINCH, an eminent American architect, died in Boston,
Mass. The state house at Boston and the capitol at Washington were built
after his designs.
1846. At an eruption of mount Hecla the pillars of fire rose from a new
crater to the height of 14,000 feet. The ice and snow which had covered
the mountain for many centuries were wholly melted, and pieces of scoriæ
weighing 200 pounds were thrown a league and a half.
1852. ALEXANDER MACKAY, an English political economist and reformer,
died, aged 33. He was many years connected with the _Morning Chronicle_
newspaper; traveled in the United States in 1846-7, and published his
observations in three volumes, under the title of _Western World_.
1854. JAMES MOORE died at Metrechin, N. J., aged 100. His death was
occasioned by a fall, before which he was accustomed to walk 12 miles a
day.
1854. The steam boat Secretary, while crossing San Pablo bay, from San
Francisco to Petaluma, burst her boiler, by which the boat was blown to
pieces, and more than 50 persons perished.
1856. An affray occurred at Panama between the passengers of the
American transit company and the natives, in which 30 passengers were
killed and 20 wounded.