1277. JOHN XXI, pope, killed by the fall of a building. He was a
Portuguese, and wrote on philosophy, medicine, &c.
1525. THOMAS MUNZER, a Saxon divine, executed. In conjunction with
Stork, he pulled down all the images in the churches which Luther had
left standing, and finally at the head of 40,000 men, commenced leveler
of all ranks and distinctions, as usurpations on the rights of mankind.
He was at length defeated in battle, when 7,000 of his followers were
slain and himself captured.
1568. MARY, queen of Scots, crossed the frith of Solway, the _irremeable
stream_, and landed in England.
1681. Female dancers first introduced on the Parisian stage, in a court
opera, called _Le Triumphe de l'Amour_.
1691. LEISLER and MILBOURNE hung as the cause of the Schenectady
massacre.
1710. THOMAS SMITH died; a learned English writer on the manners and
religion of the Turks, &c.
1725. PAUL DE RAPIN DE THOYRAS, an eminent French historical writer,
died. He served in the English army, and devoted 17 years to a _History
of England_, which was published in 10 vols. quarto.
1747. M. BUFFON, the celebrated naturalist, communicated to the Academy
of sciences the results of some experiments on burning glasses,
asserting the account of Archimedes burning the Roman ships at Syracuse,
were neither absurd nor false.
1770. LOUIS XVI of France espoused Maria Antoinette, archduchess of
Austria. A violent tempest on that day was regarded as an omen of future
misfortunes.
1776. The French navigator, DE PAGES, passed the 81st degree of north
latitude, in an attempt to reach the pole.
1776. JOHN HOADLEY, an English poet and dramatic writer, died. He was
the son of bishop Hoadley, took orders and was loaded with preferments.
1782. DANIEL CHARLES SOLANDER, a celebrated Swedish naturalist, died. He
was the pupil of Linnæus; visited England, and went with Cook on his
voyage round the world.
1793. EDMUND C. GENET, the French minister, arrived at Philadelphia. He
was received with much enthusiasm by the citizens. (See July 14.)
1795. The Batavian republic formed, by the aid of the French, in
imitation of France; being governed by a legislature and a directory of
five.
1796. Earthquake in Syria; Lataka, the ancient Laodicea, was laid in
ruins, and more than 3,000 persons buried under the fallen mass. The
village of Gibel was totally destroyed, and many houses in Tripoli were
tumbled down.
1801. Battle of Heliopolis; the French under Belliard defeated by the
Turks under the grand vizier.
1806. Blockade of the Elbe and of Brest, a coast of 1000 miles, with no
place invested by land, and before many of the ports no blockading
ships.
1809. The rear guard of the French army attacked at Salamonde in
Portugal, and compelled to retreat before superior forces, with the loss
of their artillery and baggage; having lost about 8,000 men, 2,000 of
whom were slaughtered by the Portuguese. The army was a fortnight
without clothing, shoes, provisions, &c., excepting those procured by
marauding, and they must all have been destroyed but for the great
military talents of Soult.
1811. Battle of Albuera, in Spain; the allies defeated by the French
under Soult; about 20,000 men fell in this battle.
1811. Action between the United States frigate President, Rogers, and
British ship Little-Belt, which was captured.
1813. Battle of Mignano, Italy, and defeat of the French.
1828. WILLIAM CONGREVE, a British officer, died; inventor of the
Congreve rocket, a hydro-pneumatic canal lock, and a new method of
manufacturing gun powder, &c.
1830. The bill to remove the civil disabilities of the Jews rejected in
the British parliament by a vote of 288 to 165.
1830. Great eruption of mount Ætna; seven new craters were formed, and
eight villages were destroyed, to which the lava had never before
extended.
1835. FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS, a celebrated English poetess, died. Her
poems were extremely popular during her lifetime, and have been
published in 2 vols.
1838. New York state banks resumed specie payment.
1841. A constitution of the republic of Yucatan decreed by the
legislature and published at Merida, the capital; Yucatan having
declared its absolute independence of the republic of Mexico.
1842. Count DE LAS CASAS, author of the _Memoirs of Napoleon_, died near
Paris.
1849. The city of Bologna capitulated to the Austrians after a conflict
of eight days.
1850. WILLIAM HENDRICKS, for some time governor of Indiana, died at
Madison, aged 67.
1854. Tornadoes occurred in Alabama, Missouri and Illinois, accompanied
with extensive damage to property.
1855. General CANROBERT resigned the command of the French troops in the
Crimea, and was succeeded by general Pelissier.