1577. Queen ELIZABETH granted a license to John Day, and Richard Day,
his son, during their lives, and that of the longest liver, to print the
_Psalms of David_ in metre.
1580. ANDREA PALLADIO, a very distinguished Italian architect, died;
many specimens of his designs yet remain.
1585. DAVIS, the navigator, reached the strait which bears his name, and
cast anchor in Exeter bay, "beneath that brave mount, the cliffs whereof
were orient as gold."
1637. BENJAMIN JONSON, the English poet and dramatist, died, aged 63. He
was a bricklayer at the outset of life; but his inclinations turned to
the building of monuments more imperishable than those of brick and
stone. (16th, N. S.)
1638. Birthday of NICHOLAS MALEBRANCHE, a distinguished French
philosopher. His works were highly esteemed for their genius and style;
and for his manners, which were amiable and simple, he was greatly
venerated.
1660. DON DIEGO VELASQUEZ DE SILVA died; a distinguished Spanish
painter.
1662. METACOM, sachem of Pokanoket, afterwards celebrated under the
English title of king Philip, made his appearance at the court of
Plymouth, and solicited the continuance of the amity and friendship
which had subsisted between the governor of Plymouth and his father and
brother; and promised for himself and his successors to remain subjects
of the king of England.
1674. THOMAS WILLETT, the first mayor of New York, died. He is buried at
Seekonk, Mass.
1695. FRANCIS DE HARLAY died; archbishop of Paris, the favorite of Louis
XIV.
1701. ULRIC OBRECHT, a learned German critic and Latin historian, died.
So extensive and various was his learning that he has been styled "the
epitome of human science."
1706. JOHN BAPTIST DU HAMEL died; a celebrated French philosopher and
divine.
1725. THOMAS RAWLINSON (_Tom Folio_), an English antiquary, died. The
sale of his collection of books and manuscripts, which were put up at
auction after his death, occupied several weeks.
1745. DAVID WILKINS died; an English librarian and antiquary, and a
learned author.
1756. EUGENE ARAM, a self-taught English scholar, executed near York,
for murder, and hung in chains on Knaresborough forest. He was a man of
consummate abilities and wonderful erudition, but appears to have been a
victim to covetousness.
1777. General HERKIMER, marching with the forces of Tryon county to
relieve Gen. Gansevoort at fort Schuyler, was ambushed by a strong
detachment of British and Indians, and defeated with the loss of 400.
The Indians lost several of their great chiefs and 70 warriors.
1778. Sieur GERARD, ambassador from France, introduced to congress. He
was the first ambassador from any nation to the United States.
1780. Battle of Hanging-rock; 600 Americans under Sumpter attacked and
defeated the British, consisting of the prince of Wales' regiment and a
large body of tories. The regiment was almost entirely destroyed; from
278 it was reduced to 9 men.
1788. The last _lit de justice_ in France, assembled at Versailles, by
Louis XVI, to enforce upon the parliament of Paris the adoption of the
obnoxious taxes proposed by Calonne.
1796. Battle of Roveredo; the French under Bonaparte defeated the
Austrians under Wurmzer, after an action of 16 hours, and entered Trent.
Austrian loss 6,000 men.
1796. JAMES PETTIT ANDREWS died; author of several English histories and
other works of merit.
1799. MARIE ELIEZER BLOCK, an able German naturalist, died. He was of
obscure parentage, and self-taught. Besides other valuable works on
natural history and medicine, he published a _History of Fishes_, 6
vols. folio, colored plates.
1806. FRANCIS II, emperor of Germany and king of Rome, resigned his
titles and annexed his possessions in Germany to the Austrian empire.
The _millenium_ of the empire, founded by Charlemagne, fell upon the
holiday of Christmas, 1800.
1815. Commodore DECATUR arrived with his fleet off Tripoli.
1817. PIERRE SAMUEL DUPONT DE NEMOURS, a French statesman, died. He was
distinguished for his knowledge and talents, as well as his excellent
character and principles. On the return of Bonaparte from Elba he came
to America, where he died.
1818. DAVID FERGUSON, a Scottish soldier, died at Dunkirk, aged 124,
very much respected and beloved.
1824. Battle of Junin, in Peru; the royalists defeated by the united
Peruvian and Colombian forces, under Bolivar. The combatants fought hand
to hand, with lance and sabre, those engaged being cavalry only.
1840. LOUIS NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, son of the late king of Holland,
accompanied by about 60 men, made an attempt to effect an hostile
descent upon France. The party landed about two leagues from Boulogne,
directed their march to that city, and were soon taken prisoners. The
prince was soon after placed in the castle of Ham.
1843. The _Thousand Years' Jubilee_ celebrated in Germany, in
commemoration of the settlement by which the empire was divided between
the three brothers, sons of Philip _the Devout_. The festival occurred
on Sunday, and was very generally and appropriately celebrated, more
particularly in the Prussian states.
1846. A revolution took place again in Mexico, in favor of the exiled
Santa Anna. The troops in Vera Cruz and its vicinity first declared in
his favor, and were soon followed by those at the capital, who deposed
and imprisoned general Paredes, the president of the republic, and
proclaimed Santa Anna, and the constitution of 1824.
1849. A treaty of peace was signed between Austria and Piedmont.
1851. An eruption having taken place in the volcanic mountains of
Martinique, columns of smoke were seen to issue from eight distinct
craters.
1855. A riot at Louisville, Ky., between the Americans and foreigners;
several were killed on both sides, and rows of houses belonging to the
foreign population were torn down and burnt.