804. FLACCUS ALCUINUS, an English ecclesiastic, died in France. He may
be considered as one of the learned few whose genius dissipated the
gloom of the 8th century. His writings, most of which are extant, were
published 1617. (See Dec. 1.)
1122. Lincoln in England destroyed by fire.
1217. Battle of Lincoln; the French defeated, and England effectually
secured from the dominion of Lewis the Dauphin, who was then holding his
court within the walls of London.
1218. OTHO IV (_the proud_), emperor of Germany, died. He laid claim to
some of the territories of the pope, by whom he was excommunicated and
deposed.
1242. HENRY III of England embarked for France, taking with him 30 hhds
of silver.
1494. COLUMBUS, proceeding towards Cuba, named the headland Cabo de Cruz
on this day. He now ascertained from the natives that Cuba was an
island, but after coasting it 335 leagues from the eastern point,
renounced the idea; and but for the scarcity of provisions, would have
attempted to return to Europe by way of the Red sea, under the
impression that he was on the coast of India.
1536. ANNE BOLEYN, queen of England, executed. She was crowned at
Westminster 1533 with unparalleled splendor, and in a few weeks after
became the mother of the famous Elizabeth.
1610. THOMAS SANCHEZ, a Spanish Jesuit, died, and was buried with
extraordinary magnificence. His works are ingenious.
1613. King JAMES issued _farthing tokens_ by proclamation.
1622. OSMAN I, sultan of Turkey, strangled by his soldiery. He undertook
an expedition against Poland, in which he lost 80,000 men and 100,000
horses: these misfortunes were attributed to the Janizaries, who
thereupon hurled him from the throne.
1643. Battle of Rocroy, between the French and Spaniards, in which the
French under the duke d'Enghien gained a signal victory.
1651. PETER WRIGHT, chaplain to the marquis of Winchester, executed.
Romanist priests were viewed in the same light as highway robbers.
1656. JOHN HALES died; an English author, so much admired for his wit
and learning, that he is called the _ever memorable_.
1670. FERDINANDO UGHELI, a Florentine monk, died; distinguished for his
learning and his virtues.
1676. JOHN GREENHILL died; an eminent English painter.
1692. Battle of La Hogue; the combined English and Dutch fleets defeated
the French of 50 sail, who lost 20 of their largest men of war, and were
prevented from making a descent on England.
1715. CHARLES MONTAGUE, earl Halifax, died; an eminent English
statesman, orator and poet.
1769. Cardinal GANGANELLI proclaimed pope under the title of Clement
XIV.
1776. Captain MUGFORD having secured his prize (see May 17) and put to
sea again, was attacked by 13 British boats, whom he beat off; but was
himself killed, being the only person injured.
1780. Dark day in New England, occasioned by a thin cloud or vapor. The
people dined by candlelight, and the darkness of the night is
represented as _Egyptian_.
1788. SAMUEL BADCOCK, an English divine and writer, died; admired as a
pulpit orator and a man of literary talent.
1788. Congress ordered two cannon to be named, one John Hancock, and the
other Adams; being one moiety of four cannon which constituted the whole
train of artillery possessed by the colonies at the commencement of the
war. The other two were taken by the British.
1795. JAMES BOSWELL, died, aged 55; a Scottish lawyer, rendered famous
as the friend and biographer of Dr. Johnson, with whom he lived in the
closest intimacy.
1795. JOSIAH BARTLETT, one of the signers, died. He was a delegate from
New Hampshire in the first congress, and his was the first name called
on the vote of the declaration of independence.
1798. BONAPARTE with an immense armament sailed from Toulon for the
conquest of Egypt. The sunrise was splendid and similar phenomena were
called the suns of Napoleon.
1798. Intelligence having been received by the British that a number of
transports fitted out at Flushing were intended to be sent round by the
canals to Ostend and Dunkirk, for the purpose of invading England, an
expedition was despatched to destroy the sluices and basin of the Bruges
canal at Ostend. The direction of the enterprise was entrusted to
general Coote and captain Home Popham, who on this day disembarked their
troops, and in a few hours the sluices were blown up, and several
vessels in the canals destroyed; but on returning to the beach, the wind
and surf were so high, that it was impossible to re-embark; meanwhile
the country being alarmed, the enemy advanced upon them with a superior
force, and the British, after a spirited resistance, were compelled to
capitulate. Of 1000 forces landed more than 100 were killed or wounded,
among whom was general Coote.
1808. Action in the night between British ship Virginia, and Dutch
frigate Gelderland; the latter captured.
1810. Explosion of a powder magazine at New Haswell in Hungary, which
destroyed 300 houses, killed 80 persons, and 300 were dug out of the
ruins alive.
1831. FRANCIS MASERES, an English mathematician, died, aged 93. He was
not only an author, but devoted a part of his income to reprinting such
works as he thought useful either in illustration of mathematical
history or of that of his country. Penny Cyclopedia says 1824, which
agrees with the 93 years from the date of his birth.
1838. THOMAS T. BIDDULPH, an eminent English clergyman, died. He was the
author of various publications, one of which, _Sixteen Short Sermons_,
has been translated into 15 languages.
1850. A body of Americans under gen. Paredez landed on the island of
Cuba, with a view to revolutionize it, and took the town of Cardenas.
1853. The Chinese rebels captured the city of Amoy.
1854. WILLIAM HULME COOPER, a lieutenant in the British navy, died, aged
26, from the effects of exposure and privation during four years arctic
service in search of sir John Franklin. He commanded a cutter in an
expedition from Icy cape to the Mackenzie; for three days he was lost in
a snow storm, and for two winters he and his boat's crew were isolated
near the northern shores of America. The hardships he endured caused the
pulmonary disease of which he died.
1856. JOHN KEATING died at Philadelphia, aged 96. He was a native of
France and in early life was an officer in the service of Louis XVI. He
came to the United States after the death of that monarch, with about
thirty families of the French noblesse and military, and founded the
colony of The Asylum, near Towanda, in Pennsylvania.