353. MAGNENTIUS, emperor of Rome, killed. He was a German, and rose from
a private soldier to the throne.
1506. The island of Madagascar discovered by the Portuguese.
1519. FERDINAND MAGELLAN sailed from Seville with 5 ships and 234 men,
on his voyage of discovery, which was continued round the world.
1543. The Turks under Barbarossa and the French under count d'Enguein
assaulted Nice, but were repulsed by Montford, a Savoyard gentleman, and
obliged finally to raise the siege.
1557. Battle of St. Quintin; the French under Montmorency defeated by
the allies under Phillibert of Savoy and the earl of Pembroke. The duke
d'Enguein, 600 gentlemen and 4,000 French were killed; several dukes and
many other officers of distinction, 300 gentlemen and 4,000 men were
taken prisoners, and all their standards, cannon and ammunition fell
into the hands of the victors.
1607. JAMES MENOCHIUS died; an Italian author of great repute in his
day.
1630. Staten Island was purchased of the Indians by Michael Pauw, a
Dutch subject. It was the favorite spot of the primitive settlers. The
Indians sold it twice afterwards.
1633. ANTHONY MUNDAY, an English dramatic author, died.
1637. EDWARD KING, a young English poet, drowned. His death gave rise to
the beautiful poem of Lycidias, by Milton, his friend.
1653. MARTIN HARPERTZOON VAN TROMP, a Dutch admiral, killed in an
engagement with the English fleet off the Texel. He entered the navy at
the age of 8, and rose from the lowest station to the chief command.
This brave man refused all titles except that of father of the sailors.
(July 31, O. S.)
1665. The French West India company, purchased of the order of Malta,
the islands of St. Christopher, St. Cruz and St. Bartholomew, for
500,000 livres turnois.
1669. HENRIETTA MARIA, queen dowager to Charles I, died at St. Colombe,
near Paris, in France.
1672. JOHN DE WITT, the famous pensionary of Holland, killed by a mob.
"He was the zealous patron of the glory and liberty of his native
country; the greatest genius of his time; the ablest politician in war
as well as peace; the Atlas of the commonwealth."
1674. HUGH PAULIN CRESSY, an English divine, died. He became a catholic,
was much respected, and published some valuable works, particularly an
able ecclesiastical history.
1675. Corner stone for the foundation of the royal observatory was laid
at Greenwich, England. The edifice was erected by Charles II, under the
superintendence of sir Christopher Wren, and Flamsteed appointed
astronomer-royal.
1675. PETER BALES, an early and eminent English writing master, finished
a performance which contained the Lord's prayer, the creed, the
decalogue, two short prayers in Latin, his own name, motto, the date,
and the year of the reign of Elizabeth, within the circle of a penny,
and so accurately wrought as to be plainly legible. It was enchased in a
ring of gold, and presented to the queen.
1686. JOHN BAPTIST COTELERIUS, a learned Frenchman, died. He published
the works of all the fathers in the apostolic age, with learned notes.
1702. Lord CUTTS carried, sword in hand, fort St. Michael, at Venlo,
before any breach had been made. This was considered one of the
greatest exploits during the wars of queen Anne.
1709. LEWIS ANTHONY PROSPER HERISSANT died; an eminent French poet and
physician.
1723. WILLIAM DUBOIS, cardinal and prime minister of France, died. He
rose from an apothecary's shop to rank, power, and immense wealth.
1749. THOMAS TOPHAM, an Englishman of remarkable strength, died. One of
his feats was that of throwing his horse over the turnpike gate. He
possessed the strength of six ordinary men.
1757. BENJAMIN HOADLEY, an English physician, died; distinguished by
several able professional works, and a popular comedy, the _Suspicious
Husband_.
1759. FERDINAND VI (_the Wise_), of Spain, died.
1760. Oswegatchie taken by the British.
1779. A destructive eruption of mount Vesuvius commenced and lasted
several days. The country for several miles round was covered with lava.
1783. East India company's ship Antelope, wrecked on the coast of
Oorolong, and the crew protected and aided by the king of the Pelew
islands.
1790. Captain JOHN GORE, who circumnavigated the earth three times, on
the third conducting home the ships after the death of Cooke and Clark,
died, a captain in Greenwich hospital.
1791. WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, captain of the British provost in Boston and
New York during the revolutionary war, executed in England for forgery.
He confessed to have starved more than 2,000 American prisoners in New
York, by stopping their rations, which he sold; and to have hanged
upwards of 270 in a private manner.
1792. The alarm bells rung in every part of the city of Paris, and the
drums beat to arms, when an immense multitude attacked the palace of the
Tuilleries. The Swiss guard at first repelled the populace; but the
assailants redoubling their efforts, the palace was carried by storm,
the apartments, the passages and courts soon streamed with blood. The
king, the queen, and the royal family, fled for refuge to the national
assembly. Of the besiegers 3,740 were killed, and 852 of those in the
palace. The Swiss guards, who heroically defended the king, were
inhumanly butchered by the _Marsellois_.
1792. LOUIS BOUGAINVILLE, the French navigator, massacred at Paris. His
discoveries were of importance to the French, but neither his services
nor his virtues could shield him against the fury of the mob.
1793. Destruction of the tombs of the kings of France, at St. Denis, by
order of the national convention. The body of marshal Turenne,
deposited there 1675, was found apparently as fresh as ever.
1794. Calvi, in Corsica, surrendered to the British, lord Hood, with the
whole of his army, after a siege of 51 days.
1796. Battle of Bassano, in Italy; Bonaparte defeated the Austrians
under Wurmzer, took 5,000 prisoners, 25 cannon, &c.
1802. The sea at Teignmouth and coast of Devonshire, England, rose and
fell several times two feet in _ten minutes_.
1812. The Russians under WITGENSTEIN attacked the French under Oudinot
near Klaistitzy. The action continued into the following day, when the
French were defeated with the loss of 5,000 killed, 3,000 prisoners, 2
cannon, and all their ammunition wagons.
1813. Partial action in the night, on lake Ontario, between the United
States commodore Chauncy, and British commodore Yeo. The latter
succeeded in capturing schooners Julia, 3 guns, and Growler, 5 guns.
1814. WILLIAM COWDROY, proprietor, editor and printer of the _Manchester
Gazette_, died. Some of his best editorials were set in type without
writing.
1821. Missouri became one of the members of the United States
confederacy.
1821. The remains of the ill-fated Maj. Andre disinterred and taken to
England.
1838. A papal decree issued at Rome by the congregation of the supreme
inquisition, forbidding the introduction of infant schools into the
pontifical states.
1843. ROBERT ADRIAN, a skillful mathematician, and for some time
professor in Columbia college, N. Y., died in his 68th year.
1851. M. DAGUERRE, the inventor of the daguerreotype, died near Paris,
aged 63. His peculiar process was published by him in the autumn of
1839, and the French government awarded him a pension of 6,000 francs
for his discovery.
1854. FREDERICK AUGUSTUS, king of Saxony, died at Munich, aged 57. His
carriage was overturned as he rode into the city, and he was killed by a
kick from one of the horses.
1854. A fire destroyed 180 houses at Varna, in Turkey, and destroyed
vast quantities of stores belonging to the allies.
1854. A violent tornado swept along the track of the Cleveland and
Pittsburg rail road, between Bedford and Macedonia, covering the track
with large uprooted trees, and causing great obstruction to the trains
upon the road.
1855. Delegates met at the city of Mexico, and chose general Carrera
president for six months, and ordained the freedom of the press.
1856. Last island, a summer resort in the gulph of Mexico, was destroyed
by a terrible storm of three days' duration. The island was entirely
submerged, the houses swallowed up, and 173 persons lost.
1856. JAMES MURDOCK, an eminent American linguist and theologian, died,
aged 80. He studied under president Dwight in 1802, and after preaching
sometime became a teacher, and finally an author and translator.