2348 B. C. NOAH, the Xisuthrus of Berosus, opened the windows of the ark
and sent forth a dove and a raven, 40 days after the appearance of the
mountains.
388. MAGNUS MAXIMUS, emperor of Rome, beheaded. He was a Spaniard,
proclaimed emperor by his troops in Britain. On arriving at Aquelia, on
his way to Rome, he was defeated by Theodosius I, and beheaded.
450. THEODOSIUS (_the younger_), emperor of Rome, died. He was
successful in war against the Persians, who were defeated near their own
dominions; but the Huns compelled him to sue for peace on terms not the
most advantageous to the Romans. He was succeeded by his sister
Pulcheria, and the empire for the first time submitted to a female
reign.
1402. Battle of Angora near Constantinople, between the Tartars under
Tamerlane and the Turks under Bajazet. It was an obstinate engagement,
and continued three days. The Turks were defeated and Bajazet taken
prisoner.
1492. INNOCENT VIII (_John Baptist Cibo_), pope, died. He was a Genoese
nobleman of Greek descent; employed his influence to reconcile the
quarrels of the Christian princes with one another, and left behind him
the character of a high minded and benevolent man.
1540. THOMAS CROMWELL, earl of Essex, beheaded. He rose from the
purlieus of a blacksmith's shop to those of the palace; from the pursuit
of a humble calling to the dignity of lord chamberlain of England. But
he fell a victim to the caprice of Henry VIII.
1541. The diet of Ratisbone closed its sittings.
1592. WILLIAM HACKET, an English fanatic of the reign of Elizabeth, hung
and quartered for blasphemy.
1609. Sir GEORGE SOMERS, governor of Virginia, with his crew, who were
wrecked on the 24th, landed on Bermudas. They found "a huge and curious
sort of fish," and having remained there about nine months, and built
two cedar barks they quitted the _isle of Devils_ on the 10th May
following. (See May 23.)
1629. JOHN SPEED died; an English chronologist, historian and antiquary.
1635. RICHARD CORBET, an English bishop, died. He also wrote a volume of
ingenious poems, which were published under the title of _Poetica
Stromata_.
1667. ABRAHAM COWLEY, an eminent English poet, died. Addison observed of
him, that no author ever abounded so much in wit, according to Locke's
definition of it.
1718. STEPHEN BALUZE, a French writer, died, aged 87. He wrote the lives
of the popes of Avignon, and was an indefatigable collector of curious
manuscripts, &c.
1750. CONYERS MIDDLETON, a celebrated English divine and critical
author, died. His writings are numerous, and display profound learning
and extensive information.
1750. THOMAS GORDON, who in company with John Trenchard, for some time
managed the _Independent Whig_, died at London. His knowledge of the
classics was respectable and he translated Tacitus.
1789. The _Pittsburg Gazette_ was printed, the first newspaper west of
the Allegany mountains.
1790. The Forth and Clyde canal opened from the British to the Atlantic
ocean, in Scotland.
1793. French general SEMONVILLE arrested on his route to Constantinople
to bribe the divan; 64,000 louis d'ors and a great quantity of jewels
were found on him.
1794. MAXIMILIAN ISIDORE ROBESPIERRE, the sanguinary demagogue of the
French revolution, guillotined, aged 35. He rose from obscurity by his
talents, but the demon of destruction seemed to sway his mind and urge
him on to the most inhuman deeds that ever disgraced even a political
demagogue. Twenty others perished at the same time by the same means.
1802. JOSEPH SARTI, an Italian music composer, died. He resided at the
court of Catharine of Russia, where he was master of the chapel. He
composed a _Te Deum_ for the taking of Oczakow, the bass of which was
accompanied by cannon of different calibre.
1804. POMPEY, a negro man, died at Dover, Delaware, aged 120.
1806. Buenos Ayres taken by the British.
1809. Second battle of Talavera, between the British and Portuguese
under Wellington, and the French under Victor, in which the latter were
defeated. Loss of the allies 8,167; French supposed to have lost more.
1813. Fourth battle of the Pyrenees; the French under Soult defeated the
British under Wellington.
1813. ANDOCHE JUNOT, duke of Abrantes, died. He entered the army as a
volunteer 1791, afterwards distinguished himself under Bonaparte in the
Italian and Egyptian campaigns, and commanded in the campaign in Russia.
1817. VADAMME, a celebrated French general, a voluntary exile, arrived
at Philadelphia.
1818. GASPARD MONGE died at Paris. He was preceptor to Lacroix and other
distinguished mathematicians, and was the first to reduce the art of
fortifications, &c., to geometrical rules. His _Géométrie descriptive_
is much used.
1820. JOSEPH ZAJONCZECK, viceroy of Poland, died. He entered the army at
an early age, espoused the cause of freedom, and fought bravely for his
country. He afterwards served in the armies of Bonaparte; and was
finally appointed by Russia viceroy of Poland.
1833. WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, a celebrated philanthropist, died at London,
aged 74. He was a member of parliament and the intimate friend of Pitt.
He began his efforts for the abolition of the slave trade as early as
1787.
1835. EDWARD ADOLPHE CASIMIR JOSEPH MORTIER, duke of Treviso, killed by
the explosion of an infernal machine, intended to assassinate Louis
Philippe. He joined the army 1791, and from that time his life was
marked by combats, exploits and promotion during a term of nearly 30
years. "He is among a small number of Napoleon's generals, whose
reputation for private worth has remained unquestioned through life." It
was to him that Napoleon entrusted the hazardous undertaking of blowing
up the Kremlin at Moscow.
1836. NATHAN MAYER ROTHSCHILD, a celebrated London banker, died. He was
a Jew, whose financial operations pervaded the whole continent of
Europe. His transactions were carried on in conjunction with his
brothers in Paris, Vienna, Frankfort and Naples, all of whom possessed
colossal fortunes of their own.
1840. JOHN GEORGE LAMBTON, earl of Durham, died, aged 48. He was made
governor-general of Canada in 1838, but returned the same year, and
published a valuable work on Canada. He was regarded as the leader of
the reform movement which agitated the country and his talents and
merits were very differently estimated by different parties.
1849. The late king of Sardinia, CHARLES ALBERT, died at Lisbon.
1851. HORACE SEBASTIANI, a French marshal, died at Paris, aged 80. He
was born in Corsica, and bore a part in most of the great battles during
Bonaparte's career. He was in the ministry under Louis Philippe, and
ambassador both at Naples and London.
1852. The steam boat Henry Clay, on her passage from Albany to New York,
took fire about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, near Yonkers, and was
consumed to the water's edge; 56 persons lost their lives, so sudden and
rapid was the destruction of the boat. She had been racing with the
Armenia.