69. MARCUS SALVIUS OTHO, emperor of Rome, died. He ascended the throne
after the murder of Galba and Piso, and three months after, being
defeated by Vitellus, killed himself, rather than fall into the hands of
the conqueror.
332. Battle of Mæsia, in which Constantine defeated the Goths under
Alaric, and compelled them to recross the Danube.
1314. CLEMENT V (Bertrand de Goth), pope of Rome, died. He was a
Frenchman, bishop of Bordeaux, elected pope, 1305; was accused of
licentiousness and extravagance.
1534. ELIZABETH BARTON (_the Holy Maid of Kent_), and several other
persons, hanged at Tyburn, and their heads set up in several parts of
London, for practicing an imposture.
1558 (or 9). JOHN BUGENHAGEN, a learned coadjutor of Martin Luther in
translating the scriptures, and author of commentaries thereon, died.
1566. JOHN MASON, an English statesman, died. He rose from obscurity to
places of honor under Henry VIII, and maintained his influence at court
under Edward, Mary and Elizabeth.
1579. A man named Hammond was burnt in a ditch at Norwich, England, for
the crime of obstinate heresy, as charged by the bishop of Norwich.
1626. St. Salvadore, capital of Brazil, surrendered by the Dutch to the
Portuguese.
1657. Naval battle in the harbor of St. Cruz, Teneriffe, in which
Admiral Blake attacked and destroyed the Spanish fleet of 16 ships,
under the protection of the batteries on shore. This was his last and
greatest achievement.
1708. DAMARIS MASHAM, a learned English lady, died. She was an
authoress, and deservedly respected, not only for her learning, but for
every virtue.
1718. JAMES PETIVER, an English botanist, died. He collected a valuable
museum, and wrote several works on botany.
1743. French seigniories on Lake Champlain.
1750. JOHN LEWIS PETIT, a celebrated French surgeon, died. He was
invited to visit the king of Poland, and afterwards went to Spain to
attend on Ferdinand. He invented some valuable surgical instruments, and
published several works on surgery.
1775. General PUTNAM joined the patriot band at Concord, having rode his
horse about 100 miles in 18 hours.
1777. First constitution of New York state adopted.
1792. French declared war against Francis I, as king of Hungary and
Bohemia.
1795. Treaty between the French convention and the Chouans.
1798. JENKINS, known in London as the _tall clerk_, died. His outer
coffin measured 8 feet. He was buried under the floors of the banking
house which covered a part of St. Christopher's burying ground. £200 had
been offered for his body.
1798. Engagement between the British ship Mars, 74 guns, Capt. A. Hood,
and French ship L'Hercule, 74 guns, and 700 men. The British captured
the Frenchman, but with the loss of Capt. Hood killed.
1809. Battle of Abensburgh; the Austrian army defeated by Napoleon, who
took about 10,000 prisoners and 40 cannon. This defeat broke the lines
of the Austrians, and exposed them to farther misfortunes.
1810. Great fire at Constantinople, 8,000 houses burnt.
1812. GEORGE CLINTON, vice-president of the United States, died. He was
a member of the colonial assembly at the breaking out of the revolution,
when he received the appointment of brigadier-general. He was selected
governor of New York five times.
1813. The advance of the British and Indians appeared before Fort Meigs.
1821. FREDERICK CHARLES ACHARD, a Prussian naturalist and chemist, died.
He is principally known as the inventor of a process of manufacturing
sugar from beets, which has since been brought to great perfection.
1835. SAMUEL SLATER, "father of the cotton manufacturing business in the
United States," died. The first cotton manufactory in this country was
built by him at Pawtucket, R. I.; it was standing and in operation at
the time of his death.
1838. A meteoric shower observed at Knoxville, Tenn.; 154 meteors being
counted by two observers between the hours of 10 at night and 4 in the
morning.
GEORGE NUGENT, general and field-marshal, died in England at the age of
ninety-two. He was the oldest field officer in service, having entered
it in 1773. He served throughout the American revolutionary war, and was
employed in the expedition up the Hudson for the relief of Burgoyne's
army. He was also present at the capture of Forts Clinton and
Montgomery.
1842. BERTRAND CASSEL, who for a time was a resident of the United
States, and during that period was sentenced to death by the French
government, died at Toulouse.
1845. WILLIAM READ, a member of Gen. Washington's staff, died at
Charleston, S. C., aged 91.
1847. Battle of Cherubusco.
1854. An offensive and defensive alliance was signed between Austria and
Prussia.
1854. The bill of Miss Dix, the philanthropist, granting ten millions of
acres of the public lands to be distributed among the states, to
ameliorate the condition of the indigent insane, was vetoed by the
president.
1856. ROBERT L. STEVENS died at Hoboken, N. J., aged 68. He devoted much
time to the improvement of steam machinery and steam boat models; was
one of the projectors of the Camden and Amboy rail road, and at the time
of his death was engaged by government in building an immense steam
battery for harbor defence.