1360. The treaty called the _great peace_ signed at Bretigni, by which
Edward III renounced all his claims to the French crown and its
territories.
1429. The siege of Orleans was abandoned. At dawn, the English army was
discovered at a small distance from the walls, drawn up in battle array,
and braving the enemy to fight in the open field. After waiting for some
hours, the signal was given; the long line of forts, the fruit of 7
months' labor, was instantly in flames and the soldiers, with mingled
feelings of shame and regret, turned their backs to the enemy. This was
one of the inexplicable feats of Joan d'Arc.
1493. FERDINAND and ISABELLA confirmed, at Barcelona, the appointment of
Columbus, on his return from the new world. "The office of admiral of
the said ocean, _which is ours_, commences by a line, which we have
ordered to be marked, passing from the Azores to the cape de Verd
islands, from the north to the south, from pole to pole; so that all
which is beyond the aforesaid line to the west is ours, and belongs to
us; and of all this we create our admiral, you and your children."
1532. FRANCIS ALVAREZ PAEZ died; a Portuguese divine of the order of the
Cordeliers, and an author.
1535. HENRY VIII of England had his _head shaved_, and commanded all
about his court to follow his example.
1538. EDWARD FOX, an English prelate and statesman, died. He was the
principal pillar of the reformation in England.
1572. Dame DOROTHY PACKINGTON sent the trusty and well beloved Thos.
Lichfield and George Borden to be her burgess in parliament, informing
the queen that whatever they might do in her service in parliament
should receive her (Dorothy's) approval.
1638. CORNELIUS JANSENIUS died; founder of the Jansenists, who gave the
pope and the Jesuits much trouble in Europe.
1655. EDWARD WINSLOW died; one of the first settlers of Plymouth colony,
Mass., and afterwards its governor. He joined the fleet sent over by
Cromwell to attack St. Domingo, the only place of strength which the
Spaniards had in Hispaniola, and died at sea, aged 60. His marriage was
the first that was celebrated in the colony.
1657. CROMWELL refused the title of king of England.
1659. A remnant of the long parliament assembled during the anarchy, and
has been termed the _rump_.
1662. PETER HEYLIN, an English historian, died. He was an able and
indefatigable writer, principally known by his _Description of the great
World_, and _History of the Reformation_.
1676. Bridgewater, Mass., invaded by the Indian enemy, and 17 buildings
laid in ashes.
1703. VINCENT ALSOP died; a presbyterian clergyman, who attacked Dr.
Sherlock with great wit and some seriousness.
1725. Capt. JOHN LOVEWELL, with a party of 36 men, encouraged by his
former success against the Indians (see Feb. 20), undertook an
expedition against Pigwacket, on Saco river, was ambuscaded, and himself
and a great part of his men killed. They made a brave resistance,
determined to die rather than yield, and by their well directed fire
thinned the number of the savages so that their cries became fainter,
and they finally left the field, carrying off their dead.
1729. WILLIAM KING, archbishop of Dublin, died; author of a celebrated
treatise on the origin of evil.
1744. GILES JACOB died; an English law writer, biographer, and
lexicographer.
1758. BENEDICT XIV (Prosper Lambertini), pope, died. His character was
that of a learned, liberal-minded and benevolent man. His works fill 16
vols. folio.
1775. The great tunnel at Norwood hill, through which the Chesterfield
and Trent canal was to pass, was opened; its length nearly 1¾ miles.
1779. CHARLES HARDY, an English admiral, died. He was two years governor
of New York, and was appointed commander in chief of the western
squadron, 1779.
1782. SEBASTIAN JOSEPH CARVALLO DE POMBAL, a Portuguese statesman, died.
He displayed great wisdom and abilities in the offices to which he was
promoted; and under his munificence and patriotism the city of Lisbon
rose from her ruins by the earthquake, in new splendor and increased
magnificence.
1793. Battle of Vicogne, the French defeated by the Austrians under
Clairfait, after an obstinate action and great carnage.
1793. JAS. RIDGWAY and H. D. SYMONDS, booksellers in London, severely
fined and sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for selling the books of
Thomas Payne.
1794. ANTHONY LAWRENCE LAVOISIER, a French chemist, guillotined. His
philosophical researches were of great service to science, and of
practical utility to his country; he was condemned on the most frivolous
pretexts.
1799. BONAPARTE made an unsuccessful attempt to carry St. Jean d'Acre by
assault.
1806. ROBERT MORRIS, one of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence, died. He was one of the most extensive merchants in
America, and in 1781 was appointed to the control of the government
finances, where the services he rendered the country were of the utmost
importance. The army was frequently supplied by his own personal credit.
It is painful to add, that the latter years of his life were passed in
prison, where he was confined for debt.
1813. The Americans evacuated York, Upper Canada, after burning the
blockhouses, barracks and king's stores.
1815. DAVID RAMSAY, an American physician and historian, died. By
unwearied industry and economy of time he was enabled, amidst an
extensive practice, to publish several important histories, and left
others in manuscript.
1815. Saxony dismembered, and a great part of the kingdom given to
Prussia.
1816. The United States ship Washington, 74 guns, put to sea, being the
first American ship of the line afloat.
1822. JOHN STARK, a major general in the revolutionary army, died, aged
93. By his skill and intrepidity the first step was achieved towards the
capture of Burgoyne, by the defeat of colonel Baum in the battle of
Bennington.
1829. CHARLES ABBOT, lord Colchester, died; a British statesman.
1842. More than 70 lives lost by a rail road accident between Versailles
and Paris among whom were the celebrated navigator, admiral Dumont
d'Urville and his wife and children.
1846. Battle of Palo Alto. The Americans, 2,000, under Gen. Taylor, were
attacked on their return from Point Isabel, by 5,000 Mexicans. The
former fought their way through the Mexican lines, dispersing the enemy,
capturing their baggage and artillery, and several of their superior
officers.
1848. Great hail storm at Charleston, S. C.; some of the stones that
fell were 7½ inches in circumference.
1852. The emperor of Russia visited the emperor of Austria at Vienna,
and two days afterwards reviewed the Austrian troops, consisting of
20,000 infantry and 10,000 artillery and cavalry.
1853. JOHN FARRAR, a distinguished American mathematician, died, aged
54. He gave the active portion of his life to the service of Harvard
college, to which he brought great natural tastes and aptitudes, habits
of persevering labor, and deep conscientiousness.
1854. The sultan of Turkey gave a grand banquet in honor of Napoleon.
1855. JANE DAVY, widow of sir Humphrey Davy, died in London; conspicuous
in literary circles for her accomplishments, unwearied conversation and
physical activity.