456 B. C. HERODOTUS recited his celebrated _History_ at Athens, during
the Olympic games, in his 29th year, on the 12 Hecatombæon. He had
traveled with his work from Caria. Thucydides was then a boy; Æschylus
died in that year; Cimon was recalled from exile, and the Athenians
completed their long walls.
455. MARCUS CLODIUS PUPIENUS MAXIMUS, emperor of Rome, murdered by the
soldiery, after a reign of 15 months. He was of humble birth, but rose
by his merits to the most eminent posts of the state, and was raised to
the imperial dignity on the death of Gordian. He made salutary laws and
reformed abuses.
1099. The army of crusaders who had encamped before Jerusalem, made a
furious attack on this city, and amid a storm of arrows and fire balls,
burst the first barrier, and strove to surmount the walls by escalade.
The want of proper instruments rendered the assault abortive, and the
followers of the cross were driven back with shame and slaughter to
their camp. This defeat was followed by suffering and privations, from
the scarcity of provisions and water.
1211. Battle of Tolosa, in Spain, between the Christians and Moors.
Mohammed Abu Abdallah, at the head of a powerful army, one of the five
divisions of which, according to the Arabic and Spanish historians,
amounted to 160,000 men, made a descent from Africa, with the design of
conquering the whole Spanish peninsula. Such was the terror which this
vast armament inspired among the Christians, that Innocent III,
proclaimed a crusade, and several bishops went from town to town to
rouse the Christian princes. The kings of Castile, Arragon and Navarre,
with a numerous body of foreign volunteers, advanced to stop the
progress of the Moslems. The two armies met in Las Navas de Tolosa,
between Castile and Andalusia. The result of the engagement was so
complete a victory over the Africans, that Mohammed had a narrow escape,
and left no less than 170,000 men in the field; the rest fled for
safety.
1268. BILBARS, the sultan of Syria, took possession of Antioch. The
Latin principality was extinguished, and the whole existence of the
Franks was now confined to the city of Ptolemais.
1402. Battle of Melienydd, in Radnorshire, Wales, in which Owen
Glendour, the last of the native Welsh princes, defeated and captured
sir Edmund Mortimer.
1418. Massacre at Paris, at night, by the direction, if not under the
eye of John, duke of Burgundy, called the fearless. In the course of
three days, 3500 persons were sacrificed.
1488. JAMES III, king of Scotland, killed. He put his brother John to
death, and attempted the life of his other brother, Alexander; he
escaped, however, and levied war against the tyrant, who had rendered
himself odious by his cruelties. James was defeated in battle, and put
to death in a mill, by the daggers of his own subjects.
1565. ADRIAN TURNEBUS, a French critic, died. Great encomiums have been
passed upon his genius and learning, as well as the amiability of his
private character.
1630. JOHN WINTHROP, the first governor of Massachusetts, arrived at
Salem, with the charter of the colony. He settled at Shawmut, which was
finally determined upon for the metropolis, and named Boston.
1647. THOMAS FARNABY, an English grammarian, died. His works display
great erudition.
1660. WILLIAM OUGHTRED, an English divine and mathematician, died. He
was disturbed in his retirement by the partisans of Cromwell, and
escaped sequestration only by the interference of influential friends.
His works were small, but of great value to subsequent mathematicians.
1665. The city of New York incorporated by governor Nichols; a mayor, 5
aldermen and a sheriff were appointed. Prior to this, it had been
governed by a schout, burgomasters and schepens.
1672. The French under Louis XIV, crossed the Rhine. The prince de Conde
was wounded for the first and only time during all his campaigns; but
the young duke de Longueville was killed.
1672. The government of England issued a proclamation to restrain the
spread of false news and licentious talking of matters of state and
government.
1676. Attack on Hadley by the Indians, to the number of 700, who were
resolved on a grand effort to carry this post. The attack was commenced
at day-light, with great spirit; they gained possession of a house, and
fired a barn; but were in a short time driven back with loss. The attack
was renewed on other points, the enemy appearing to be determined on
carrying the place; but the discharge of a piece of ordnance cooled
their ardor, and they drew off; and on assistance coming from
Northampton, the foe was driven into the woods, with a loss of two or
three of the English. It is supposed to have been on this occasion that
general Goffe, one of the judges of Charles I, who was at that time
concealed with the minister at Hadley, made his appearance in so
mysterious a manner. At a moment when the people were in the greatest
consternation, there appeared a man of venerable aspect, differing from
them in his apparel, who assumed the command, put them in order for
defence, and by advice and example animated them throughout the attack.
When the scene was over, on looking about for the stranger, he had
disappeared, and was seen no more--leaving the inhabitants to form the
strangest conjectures.
1683. The Rye house plot discovered. It was headed by Monmouth, Essex,
and lord John Russell, and their object seems to have been to oppose
the succession of the duke of York. Russell and many others suffered on
the scaffold, Essex was found with his throat cut in prison, and
Monmouth was in a short time reconciled to the king.
1734. JAMES, duke of Berwick, killed by a cannon shot at the siege of
Phillipsburgh, in Germany, while standing between his two sons. No
general of his time excelled him in the art of war, except his uncle,
the duke of Marlboro'.
1759. WILLIAM COLLINS, an English poet, died. He was entirely neglected,
and his _Odes_, which possessed great merit, failed to attract any
attention during his life time.
1775. General GAGE, issued a proclamation at Boston, offering the king's
pardon to all who would lay down their arms and return to their
peaceable occupations, excepting Samuel Adams and John Hancock, and at
the same time he proclaimed martial law.
1778. PHILIP LIVINGSTON, a signer and a strenuous advocate for the
declaration of independence, died. He was a New York merchant, and
became a prominent character in that city before the revolution.
1788. Settlement made at Sierra Leone by blacks from England. The town
lots were drawn for and apportioned this day.
1794. Couthon reported, and the French convention decreed, the
organization of the revolutionary tribunal, consisting of a president, 3
vice-presidents, a public accuser, 4 deputies, 12 judges and 50 jurors.
1796. Battle between the Chinese and Eleuths, in a desert which the
Chinese had attempted to penetrate in pursuit of the retreating army.
The Tartars under Kaldan, taking advantage of the exhausted state of
their enemy, gave them battle; but were defeated and totally routed,
with the loss of 2000 killed, and all their women, children, baggage and
cattle, taken by the Chinese.
1798. The French troops took possession of the fortifications of Malta,
and the fleet anchored in the ports. They found two line of battle ships
belonging to the Maltese, a frigate, three galleys, two galliots, and
several guard boats; 1500 pieces of artillery, 35,000 stand of small
arms, 12,000 barrels of powder, and a large quantity of shot and shell.
The order of knights from this day became virtually extinct; from a
position of political importance it fell to the level of an obscure
association, and such, as far as human foresight goes, it is destined to
remain.
1798. The Irish rebels defeated with great slaughter at Ballynahinch by
general Nugent. This quelled the insurrection in the north.
1799. A division of the French army, under Olivier, took Modena, and
drove the Austrians beyond the river Po.
1805. American ship Atahualpa, captain Porter, treacherously attacked by
the Indians while bartering for skins in Sturgis's cove. Captain Porter
and 8 of the crew were killed, and 11 wounded.
1812. Putnam county in New York erected.
1813. Major CHAPIN and other American prisoners taken at the head of the
lake, and sent in boats for Kingston, when arrived near York rose upon
the guard, and after a short struggle took the boats and returned to
Niagara.
1816. PIERRE FRANCOIS CHARLES AUGEREAU, duke of Castiglione and marshal
of France, died. He was the son of a fruit merchant, and served as a
carabineer in the French army. He first distinguished himself in 1794,
after which his career for a number of years was brilliant, and full of
honor and glory.
1829. A large body of Turkish cavalry and infantry defeated near
Kuganoff, and 600 killed.
1843. HENRY R. CLEVELAND, aged 34, died at St. Louis, Mo. He was an
elegant and graceful writer, and the author of the well written life of
Henry Hudson, in Sparks' Biography.
1843. SAMUEL KIDD, professor of oriental and Chinese literature in
University college, London, died, aged 42.
1846. More than 6000 persons driven from their houses by a disastrous
fire in St. Johns, Newfoundland.
1848. GEORGE POZER, a wealthy merchant of Quebec, died, aged 95.
1848. Insurrection at Prague; the princess of Windichgratz shot by the
insurgents.