928. JOHN X, pope of Rome, suffocated in prison. Better fitted for
heading an army than governing the church, he was victorious over the
Turks in battle.
936. HENRY I (_the fowler_), of Germany, died. He was successful in his
wars, strengthened his empire, and promoted harmony and union among the
German princes.
1296. JOHN BALIOL subscribed his abdication at Kincardin. For three
years he had the tower of London and a circuit round the walls for
twenty miles for his possession; and in 1299 was permitted to retire
into Normandy, where he died forgotten six years afterwards.
1491. Madeira, an island in the Atlantic, covered with wood (whence its
name), discovered by John Gonzales Zarco, in the service of Portugal. It
was the next year colonized, and planted with the Cyprian vine and sugar
cane of Sicily.
1492. ADOLPHUS, emperor of Germany, killed. He was a poor count, elected
partly through intrigue, and his reign was a series of intrigues to
maintain himself in power. The throne was finally given to Albert of
Austria, and when the two emperors met in battle, they fought hand to
hand, and Adolphus was killed by the lance of his rival. His abilities
were inadequate to his station.
1566. MICHAEL NOSTRODAMUS died; an able French physician and celebrated
astrologer.
1609. HUDSON on his first voyage, after various vicissitudes, through
storm and ice, loss of foremast and sails, arrived off the banks of
Newfoundland, and refreshed his men by a heavy _catch_ of cod.
1644. Battle of Marston Moor; the parliament army under Cromwell and
Fairfax, defeated the royalists under prince Rupert, who lost the whole
of his artillery and left the northern counties in the hands of the
confederates.
1692. ADRIAN DE VALOIS (or Valesius) died; a learned French historian
and critic.
1704. Battle of Donauworth, in Bavaria; the French and Bavarians
defeated by the duke of Marlborough. Loss about 6,000 on each side.
1730. LAURENCE CORSINI was elected pope by the conclave, after it had
sat four months. He took the name of Clement XII.
1740. THOMAS BAKER, a learned and ingenious English antiquary, died. He
wrote with great purity of style.
1741. THOMAS MORECROFT died; the person who figures in the _Spectator_
as _Will Wimble_.
1775. WASHINGTON arrived at Cambridge, and took command of the American
army, then consisting of 14,500 men.
1776. The memorable resolution, declaring the North American colonies
independent, passed by congress, without one dissenting colony. It was
proclaimed on the 4th, and hence that day is celebrated, instead of
this, which is, perhaps, better entitled to the honor.
1778. A fanatic calling herself queen Beck, assaulted king George III as
he was alighting from his carriage.
1778. JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU died at Paris. He was the son of a
watchmaker at Geneva, and strayed to Paris while young, where he became
one of the most celebrated authors of the day. His works are collected
in 33 vols.
1782. DIONYSIUS DIDEROT, a noted French philosopher, died. He was the
son of a cutler, educated by the Jesuits. Rejecting the ecclesiastical
profession for literature, he became an author, and conceived the
stupendous design of the _Dictionnaire Encyclopédique_, on which he
labored 20 years. He was a Jacobin, and contributed his full share to
the revolution.
1800. Bill for the union of Great Britain and Ireland signed by order of
the king, George III.
1802. Colonel BARRE, so noted in the British parliament as an opponent
to the American war, died. He had been blind for many years.
1805. PATRICK RUSSELL, a British physician, died at London; author of a
valuable treatise on the plague, and several estimable works on natural
history.
1807. JEFFERSON issued his proclamation forbidding all intercourse with
British ships of war, and ordering all those within the American waters
to withdraw therefrom. (See June 22.)
1812. American embargo expired by its own limitation. On the same day
the frigate Essex, captain Porter, sailed from New York on a cruise
against the British, on which occasion he hoisted a white flag, bearing
the motto, "Free trade and sailor's rights."
1812. PETER GANSEVOORT, a distinguished American officer, died at
Albany, aged 63.
1816. BENJAMIN THOMPSON died; formerly a timber merchant, translator of
the _German Theatre_, and author of several other productions. His death
was caused by extreme sensitiveness at the manner in which his play of
_Oberon's Oath_ was received. It was hissed on the first representation,
at which he was extremely dejected; at its second representation it was
received with universal applause, which elated him so much that he died
of the excitement.
1830. Battle near Milliduse between the Turks and Russians. The Turks
were defeated with considerable loss, and their general, Hadki pasha,
taken prisoner.
1840. The port of Canton, in China, blockaded by the British under
commodore Bremer.
1849. The city of Rome surrendered to the French.
1851. CAROLINE AMELIA HALSTED, an English authoress, died. Of three or
four works which she published the principal one is a _Life of Richard
III_, in 2 volumes, octavo.
1851. WILLIAM BERRY, an English author, died at Bristol, aged 77; author
of various works on genealogy and heraldry.
1853. The Russian troops under prince Gortschakoff crossed the Pruth and
invaded Turkey.
1853. A controversy having arisen between the consuls of Austria and
America at Smyrna about Martin Koszta, an Austrian refugee, captain
Ingraham of the American sloop of war St. Louis, hearing of a design to
convey him to Trieste, demanded the surrender of Koszta before 4
o'clock, and brought his guns to bear on the Austrian brig. An
engagement was prevented by the compromise that Koszta be delivered to
the French consul at Smyrna for safe keeping.
1855. The legislature of Kansas met at Pawnee and organized; Thomas
Johnson, president of the council, and John H. Stringfellow, speaker of
the house.
1855. THOMAS WEAVER, an eminent English geologist, died at Pimlico, aged
82.
1855. CHARLES ELKINS, a British admiral of the red, died, aged 87. He
published a review of the naval battles from 1744 to 1814.
1856. ROWLAND STEPHENSON, for many years a London banker, and also a
member of parliament, died at Bristol, Pa., aged 83. He had resided in
this country about thirty years.