855. LEO IV, pope, died. He was a wise and courageous pontiff, who, when
the Saracens approached Rome to pillage it, boldly marched out to meet
them, unsupported by the emperors of the east or the west. The Saracens
were defeated with great slaughter, and the captives employed to adorn
and fortify the city they had come to destroy. The famous pope Joan
succeeded for a few days to the papal chair.
1085. ROBERT GUISCARD, duke of Apulia, died at Corfu. He was a famous
Norman knight, who assisted in the conquest of Naples from the Saracens.
1429. CHARLES VII, of France, crowned at Rheims. Joan of Arc, his
supporter, was seated on horseback, helmeted, at his right side, with
her triumphal banner unfurled.
1453. JOHN TALBOT, earl of Shrewsbury, killed. He distinguished himself
in the reduction of Ireland, of which he was made governor by Henry V.
This brave warrior, who was the terror of the French, and acquired the
title of the English Achilles, accompanied the English army to France,
and took several towns; but was finally killed in battle, near
Castillon.
1525. An act of the English parliament was passed prohibiting the
importation of any of Luther's books into England.
1530. TINDAL'S translation of the _Pentateuch_ was published at
Marlborow (Marburg), in the land of Hesse. The violence of the times
rendered concealment necessary.
1652. EDWARD SACKVILLE, earl Dorset, an English statesman, died. He was
also sent with an army into Bohemia, and fought at the battle of Prague
1620.
1755. The British East India ship Doddington lost, and only 23 out of
273 persons saved.
1656. Battle of Valenciennes; the prince of Conde and don John of
Austria, defeated the French under Turenne and La Ferte; the latter was
captured. The French army was saved by the masterly manœuvres of
Turenne.
1679. JAMES DUPORT, an English divine, died, whose great erudition as a
classical scholar is evinced in the learned works which he published.
1786. Thirteen elm trees removed by a storm in Devonshire, Eng., 200
yards where they afterwards took root.
1791. The first bank in Albany began to discount, being the present bank
of Albany.
1793. MARIE JOSEPH CHALIER, a French revolutionist, guillotined. He was
an admirer of the sanguinary character of Marat, whom he determined to
imitate at Lyons, where he was a merchant. He erected a guillotine, and
had already marked 900 victims for sacrifice, when he fell into the
snare himself.
1793. MARIE ANNE CHARLOTTE CORDAY D'ARMANS, the assassin of Marat,
executed. She gained admittance to him while bathing, and when he
declared some of his bloody designs, she plunged a dagger to his heart.
She was 24 years of age, possessed rare charms of person, united with
great courage, and was actuated by a sense of duty in ridding the world
of a monster, at the expense of her own life.
1793. The crown revenue of Poland sequestered by order of the Russian
ambassador.
1796. JOHN CHRISTIAN HARTWICK, a Lutheran divine, died at Clermont, N.
Y., aged about 90. He was eminent for his classical knowledge and
literary abilities, and spent 62 years in the gospel ministry. He left a
large estate for the promotion of religious purposes.
1796. JOHN BAPTIST SECONDAT DE MONTESQUIEU, died. He was a son of the
celebrated Montesquieu, and devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. He
published several agricultural and scientific works.
1806. RICHARD JOSEPH SULLIVAN, an English writer, died. His works
consist of travels, history, &c., &c.
1812. American privateer schooner Dolphin, 2 guns, captain Endicott,
captured a British ship of 14 guns. She took six other prizes.
1812. _Fort Michilimackinac_ with a garrison of 57 United States troops,
capitulated to the British, 306 men, 715 Indians.
1812. United States frigate _Constitution_ fell in with a British
squadron, from which she effected her escape by the masterly seamanship
of captain Hull, after a chase of 60 hours.
1813. A small number of volunteers with 40 soldiers from fort George, in
two row-boats, captured at the head of the river St. Lawrence, a British
gun-boat, mounting a 24 pounder, and 14 bateaux laden with 230 barrels
of pork, and 200 bags of bread, and took 4 officers and 61 men.
1813. British and Indians made an attack on an outwork of the garrison
at fort George, but were repulsed.
1832. JOHN CARR, an English tourist, died at London; well known as a
writer of tours and travels.
1853. An exhibition of relics was made at Aix-la-Chapelle, when more
than 60,000 pilgrims entered the city to see them.
1854. The first party sent out under the auspices of the Massachusetts
emigrant aid society, left Boston for the territory of Kansas.
1854. The American steamer Franklin, from Cowes for New York, went
ashore on Long island beach, and was lost; the mails and passengers were
safely landed.
1854. GEORGE C. WASHINGTON, a nephew of general Washington, died at
Georgetown. He had been twice a member of congress, from his district in
Maryland, was president of the Ohio and Chesapeake canal, and
commissioner for the settlement of Indian claims. All his duties were
performed with faithful attention and marked ability.
1854. An insurrection broke out at Madrid, and barriers were erected by
the people in all parts of the city.
1856. A collision occurred on the North Pennsylvania rail road, near
Philadelphia, when a Sunday school excursion on one of the trains had 60
killed and 78 wounded.
1856. The steam boat Northern Indiana was burnt on lake Erie, and over
30 persons lost.
1856. While a fire was raging at Salonica, Turkey, a terrific explosion
of gunpowder occurred, killing and wounding 700 persons, among whom were
the Dutch, Russian and Sardinian consuls.