48 B. C. Battle of Pharsalia, between Cæsar and Pompey, in which the
latter was defeated, and escaped on foot. This battle forms an important
era in the history of the world.
824. PASCHAL I, pope, died; distinguished for his benevolence and
toleration.
1264. Battle of Lewes and defeat of Henry III by Leicester.
1294. EDWARD I of England met at Norham the states of Scotland, when
they acknowledged his sovereignty, and engaged to deliver up to him
their castles.
1430. The famous JOAN OF ARC, or maid of Orleans, pretended to be sent
from God to save the kingdom of France.
1539. FERDINAND DE SOTO sailed from Havana with ten ships for the
conquest of Florida.
1618. The Calvinists of Bohemia entered the castle of Prague, cast the
leading members of the council from the windows, and took possession of
the capital.
1621. The first marriage in the colony at Plymouth took place, between
Edward Winslow and Susanna White.
1641. THOMAS WENTWORTH, an English statesman under Charles I, beheaded
on a false charge of treason. The king was compelled by the clamors of
the populace to order his execution.
1663. The books of the London stationers company record the names of 59
persons exercising the trade as master printers.
1690. JOHN RUSHWORTH, an English writer, died in the king's bench
prison, where he had been confined 6 years; author of _Historical
Collections_, in 7 vols. folio.
1763. JOHN JACKSON died; an English divine and historian, author of
_Chronological Antiquities_.
1763. JOHN BELL, the distinguished anatomist of Scotland, was born at
Edinburgh.
1771. CHRISTOPHER SMART, an English poet and miscellaneous writer, died;
known by a popular translation of Horace. By some authorities his death
is placed in 1770.
1780. Charleston, S. C., surrendered to the British; 2,500 prisoners and
400 cannon fell into the hands of the enemy.
1781. Fort Motte surrendered by the British to the American generals
Marion and Lee.
1785. Mr. MCGUIRE having ascended from Dublin in a balloon, was carried
with great velocity towards the sea, into which he descended, and was
taken up nearly lifeless.
1791. FRANCIS GROSE died; author of the _Classical Dictionary of the
Vulgar Tongue_, a complete collection of British technicals, vulgarisms,
and billingsgate used by gamblers, ostlers, servants, fishwomen, &c.,
which, though not very popular, or creditable to him, is yet quite a
curiosity. He produced some other works of great merit, which mark him a
profound antiquary.
1795. EZRA STILES, president of Yale college, died. He was eminent as a
divine, and an indefatigable scholar. His publications were few, but he
left 40 vols. in manuscript.
1796. The French under Bonaparte defeated the Austrians with great
slaughter, who were compelled to abandon their guns and baggage, and
take refuge under the cannon of Mantua.
1797. BONAPARTE took possession of Venice, boasting an independence of
fourteen centuries.
1798. SIDNEY SMITH escaped from France after two years imprisonment.
1809. Vienna capitulated to the French, and Napoleon established his
head quarters in the imperial palace of Schoenbrunn. The emperor had
already quitted it, with all his family except his daughter the
archduchess Maria Louisa, afterwards wife of Napoleon, who was confined
to her chamber by sickness--on learning which, Bonaparte ordered that
there should be no firing in that direction.
1809. Lord WELLINGTON took Oporto by assault, and the French under
Soult were compelled to retreat to Amarante.
1809. Alcantara, in Spain, taken by a division of the French under
Victor, together with the British garrison.
1848. ALEXANDER BARING, lord Ashburton, died in England, aged 78. He
passed much of his youth in America, and was British embassador at
Washington, to settle the Maine boundary in 1842. He acquired great
wealth, and was a highly accomplished man.
1848. Posen incorporated with Germany, and the insurgent Poles
disarmed.--Violent earthquake at Sienna, Italy.
1849. A crevasse was made in the levee above New Orleans flooding much
of the city.
1854. The British ship Tiger, 16 guns, was captured near Odessa by the
Russians, with 226 prisoners.
1855. D. J. MCCORD, an American lawyer, died at Columbia, S. C. He
published law reports, and edited the _Statutes at Large_, on the death
of Dr. Cooper, to whom the work was first entrusted.