526. Earthquake at Antioch, by which 250,000 persons are said to have
perished.
1499. ALONZO DE OJEDA sailed from Cadiz on a western voyage of
discovery, accompanied by Amerigo Vespucci. It is uncertain in what
station Amerigo sailed, but he appears to have had a chief share in
directing the voyage, and on his return published an amusing account of
the country they visited; which having a rapid circulation, he was
supposed to be the discoverer, and it came gradually to be called by his
name.
1506. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, the discoverer of the new world, died at
Valladolid in Spain, aged about 70. He had devoted his whole life to the
study and accomplishment of his grand enterprise, and its complete
success embittered the remainder of his days by exciting the perfidy and
ingratitude of a base and treacherous nation.
1521. CORTEZ mustered his army in the great market place of Tezcuco, to
make a division of it, appoint commanders, assign to each the station
where they were to form their camps, in order to invest the city of
Mexico. (See May 30.)
1610. NICHOLAS SERARIUS, a French Jesuit, died. His works, 16 vols.
folio, display great labor and extensive erudition.
1618. King JAMES publicly declared his pleasure, "that after the end of
divine service, the people should not be letted from any lawful
recreation on Sundays, such as dancing, archery, vaulting, May-games,
Whitsun-ales, morris-dances, and the setting up of May-poles, and other
sports therewith used."
1690. JOHN ELIOT, the apostle of the Indians, died, aged 86. He was the
first protestant clergyman who preached the gospel to the North American
Indians.
1713. THOMAS SPRAT, an English prelate and poet, died; he was
distinguished as a writer, and rewarded with preferments.
1726. NICHOLAS BRADY died; an Irish divine of good ability and learning,
translated Virgil and wrote a new version of the Psalms in conjunction
with Tate.
1728. JAMES LE QUIEN DE LA NEUFVILLE, a French historian, died; author
of an excellent history of Portugal, &c.
1732. THOMAS BOSTON, a Scottish divine, died; author of the well known
book, _Human Nature in its Fourfold State_.
1735. The Turks defeated by the Prussians, and more than 60,000 killed
and wounded.
1736. The body of one Samuel Baldwin, of England, in compliance with his
will, immersed in the sea at Lymington. His motive for this
extraordinary mode of interment was to prevent his wife from dancing
over his grave, which she had threatened to do in case she survived him.
1756. Naval action at Fort Philip, Minorca, between the French fleet, 12
ships 5 frigates, and the British, 13 ships 5 frigates. Admiral Byng was
afterwards shot in England, on an unjust charge of cowardice in this
affair.
1758. The scenery and wardrobe of the Bath theatre burned by the wagons
taking fire on which it was being transported over Salisbury plain.
1774. British parliament passed an act for transporting Americans to
England for trial.
1775. Articles of confederation and union agreed on by the American
colonies.
1776. Major SHERBURNE, with 140 Americans, marching to relieve the post
at the Cedars, in Canada, was attacked by 500 Indians, and after an
obstinate battle, the party surrendered. The Indians having lost a chief
and 21 warriors, massacred as many prisoners.
1778. Gen. GRANT with 7000 British, made an attempt to surprise La
Fayette, then posted at Barren-hill, Pa., with 2500 men. The latter
escaped by a masterly retreat.
1783. WILLIAM ROBERTSON, the Scottish divine, died.
1789. The French clergy renounced their privileges.
1793. CHARLES BONNET, a noted Swiss naturalist, died at Geneva.
1796. BONAPARTE passed the river Po; MARCEAU and CHAMPIONNET drove the
Austrians from Hunsruch; they were also defeated on the Sieg, with the
loss of 2400.
1799. BONAPARTE raised the siege of St. Jean d'Acre; it had lasted 60
days.
1799. JOSEPH TOWERS died; a printer, bookseller, and afterwards a
preacher with the title of LL. D. He wrote _British Biography_, 7 vols.
and other works of merit.
1800. BONAPARTE passed mount St. Bernard, among the Alps, after
astonishing efforts.
1813. Battle of Bautzen, between Russians and Prussians under Barclay de
Tolly, and French under Bonaparte.
1813. American frigate Congress, capt. Smith, captured British brig
Jean, 10 guns, took out 40 tons copper and sunk her.
1815. MURAT, king of Naples, left the city in disguise, while his queen
sought the security which had been promised her on board a British man
of war.
1820. CHARLES LOUIS SAND executed; the murderer of Kotzebue.
1840. JOSEPH BLANCO WHITE, an English preacher and controversial writer,
died, aged 67. He was the author of various works, and distinguished
himself by the zeal and ability with which he opposed the catholic
religion.
1841. WILLIAM P. DEWEES, a distinguished medical writer, died at
Philadelphia.
1848. A treaty of peace made with the Navajo Indians and the United
States.
1855. The king of Hanover issued an ordinance annulling the constitution
settled in 1848, and the provincial electoral law of 1850.
1856. JAMES KING, editor of the _Evening Mirror_, at San Francisco,
California, died of a pistol wound inflicted in the street a few days
before by Casey, editor of the _Sunday Times_. Casey was arrested and
conveyed to jail under great popular excitement. Subsequently the
vigilance committee, numbering 3000 men, proceeded to the jail, and took
Casey and another murderer to the committee rooms, where they were
tried, and soon after hung.