1130. ABDULMUMEN, ibn Ali, elected sultan of eastern Africa by the
following stratagem. Having trained a parrot and a lion, he assembled
the chiefs in his tent, and urged upon them the necessity of naming a
successor to their rising empire. In the midst of their deliberations
the parrot perched himself upon one of the poles of the tent, and
pronounced distinctly "Victory and power be the lot of the khalif
Abdulmumen, commander of the faithful." The lion then made his way
through the terrified assembly, licked his hand, and lay down at his
feet. Deeply impressed with this wonder, and the manifest interference
of heaven, the simple Almohades unanimously proclaimed him sultan.
1553. JOHN DUDLEY, duke of Northumberland, beheaded. He acquired almost
unbounded authority after the death of Henry VIII, and by the abortive
attempt to place lady Jane Grey on the throne, lost his own life and
brought about the ruin of all concerned in the scheme.
1560. The great solar eclipse, which first turned the attention of Tycho
Brahe, at the age of 14, to the science of astronomy.
1561. MARY (_the Myrtle of the South_), arrived in Scotland, after an
absence of thirteen years in France. It was on her passage that she
composed that simple and touching chanson, beginning, "Adieu, plaisant
pays de France."
1621. A cargo of marriageable ladies consisting of one widow and eleven
maids, consigned at London to the colony in Virginia, to be sold for
tobacco, at the rate of 120 lbs. of the best leaf for each.
1682. WILLIAM PENN, to prevent any future claim, obtained a release from
James, duke of York, of all his right to Pennsylvania.
1703. THOMAS TRYON died. He was the son of a tiler and plasterer at
Bibury, England, and became a shepherd. At the age of 13 he learned to
read, and at 14 he gave one of several sheep he had obtained, to be
taught the art of writing. Afterwards, selling his stock, for three
pounds, he went to London and apprenticed himself to a hat maker, where
he spent the day in learning his trade, and most of the night in
reading. He commenced business, and acquired a considerable fortune. He
rejected animal food, lived in "temperance, cleanliness and innocency,"
and died at the age of 69.
1708. Haverhill burnt. A force of about 400 French and Indians made an
irruption from Canada, and shaping their course to the Merrimack, fell
upon the town in the morning, plundered and burnt the houses, killed
about 40 persons, and captured many more. The enemy were pursued, and
many of them killed, among whom was a brother of the French leader,
Rouville. Among the captives was the clergyman; his two daughters 6 and
8 years old, were preserved by the servant, who concealed them under
tubs in the cellar, which the Indians did not disturb.
1726. Great destroying earthquake at Palermo, in Sicily.
1762. MARY WORTLEY MONTAGUE, an English lady of great literary
reputation, died. She introduced the practice of inoculation for small
pox into England.
1770. A leaden equestrian statue of George III was erected in the
Bowling Green, New York, near fort George, by Wilton, a celebrated
statuary of the day. It being the birth day of the king's father, prince
Frederick.
1775. The continental army under Gen. Montgomery arrived at Ticonderoga.
1780. French king abolished the application of torture to extort
confession.
1791. The American army under Gen. Wilkinson arrived at the Rapids on
the Ohio, returning from an expedition against the Ouiattanons, having
destroyed their principal town, and a Kickapoo village, made many
prisoners, and cut down 430 acres of corn. The army sallied from fort
Washington, and made a march of 450 miles. Only 2 men were lost.
1792. LAFAYETTE abandoned the French army, of which he was commander in
chief, and with his three friends surrendered to the Austrians. They met
with a long imprisonment.
1805. Brest fleet attacked in Camaret bay, by the British under
Cornwallis, who with an inferior force compelled them to retire into the
inner harbor.
1808. Battle of Vimiera, in Portugal. The French army, 12,000, under
Junot and Kellerman, made a desperate assault on the English and
Portuguese, 20,000, under Wellesley. The French were defeated.
1810. Revolution in Santa Fe, South America.
1818. The renowned WARREN HASTINGS died.
1821. FRANCIS HARGRAVE, an eminent English law writer, died. His _State
Trials_ comprise 11 vols. folio. His library was purchased by parliament
at about $40,000.
1823. MARCO BOZZARIS, the Leonidas of modern Greece, killed. He was a
native of Souli, in the mountains of Epirus, and on the breaking out of
the revolution headed a battalion of Suliotes. The pasha of Schodra
advancing with a numerous force of Albanians to attack Missolunghi,
Bozzaris with a handful of devoted followers attacked the camp by night,
and fell.
1831. Insurrection of the negroes in Virginia, and massacre of the white
population.
1835. JOHN MCCULLOCH, distinguished for his geological writings and
other works of merit, died in consequence of being thrown from his
carriage.
1846. The water in lake Ontario had fallen since the first of December,
1845, 28 inches, and was lower than ever known before. Gulf island,
which had been submerged seven years before, again appeared above
water, and many rocks and sandbars never before known made their
appearance.
1848. A hurricane devastated the islands of Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis,
and St. Thomas.
1849. A national convention of inventors met at Baltimore; Horace H.
Day, of New York, president.
1850. DANIEL P. PARKER, a Boston merchant, died, aged 60. He gave close
attention to the construction of merchant vessels, and had in his
service many ships of superior model and sailing qualities.
1851. A prisoner under sentence of death at Sacramento, California, was
reprieved by the governor; but was hung, notwithstanding, by some of the
disaffected citizens.
1851. New Orleans riot, growing out of the Cuban expedition. The office
of _La Patria_, the Spanish paper, was destroyed, as well as the cigar
shops kept by Spaniards; and the Spanish consul was obliged to ask
protection, and was placed in the city prison for safety.
1856. The famous Charter oak at Hartford, Conn., was blown down in a
storm.
1857. A hurricane passed over the town of Woodland, Wisconsin, and
destroyed every house in the place.