489. THEODORIC, the Ostrogoth, defeated Odoacer, king of Italy, near
Verona, who fled to Ravenna.
642. SIGEBERT, king of the East-Angles, assassinated. He was a
munificent prince, noted as the founder of churches, schools and
monasteries; supposed to have been the founder of Cambridge university.
1087. WILLIAM II, surnamed Rufus, crowned at Westminster. In his reign
Malcolm of Scotland was slain at Alnwich by the earl of Northumberland,
whose spear piercing Malcolm's eye, gave to Northumberland the surname
of Percy (p' eye).
1106. Battle before the walls of Tinchebrai, between the two brothers,
Henry of England and Robert of Normandy, in which the latter was
defeated and imprisoned nearly thirty years.
1415. The reduction of Harfleur, in France, by Henry V, of England; he
rifled the town of its affluent stores, and dismissed the inhabitants
with five pennies.
1540. Pope PAUL III confirmed the order of the Jesuits, and authorized
its establishment.
1563. NICHOLAS EPISCOPIUS (or rather Bishop), a celebrated printer of
Basil, died at London, where he had fled from France to avoid
persecution.
1566. MARK JEROME VIDA, a celebrated Latin poet, died, aged 96. Many
tributes of praise have been paid to his genius and merits.
1615. ARABELLA STUART died insane in the Tower of London.
1700. INNOCENT XII (_Anthony Pignatelli_), pope, died. He protested
against the system adopted by his predecessors, of paying particular
honors to the relations of the popes, and condemned Fenelon's _Maxims of
the Saints_.
1715. THOMAS BURNET, a learned and ingenious English writer, died;
author of the _Sacred Theory of the Earth_, which was very popular.
1719. GEORGE SMALRIDGE, bishop of Bristol, died; an elegant theological
writer.
1729. Great fire in Constantinople, which consumed 12,000 houses. 7000
persons are said to have perished in the flames.
1730. LAWRENCE EUSDEN, an English divine and poet, died. He was
preferred to the laureateship.
1731. A gang of felons, 130 in number, were taken from Newgate, and put
aboard a ship to be transported to America, to colonize the country. In
the next century they sent their felons to Botany Bay, and their paupers
to America, several shiploads having been discharged on the coast,
entirely destitute, directly from poor-houses.
1736. RENE DUGUAY TROUIN died; a celebrated French admiral, who
displayed the greatest skill, united with the most consummate wisdom.
1741. DOMINIC PERENNIN died at Pekin; a French Jesuit, who was sent on a
mission to China, where he was well received by the emperor.
1743. The first act of governor Clinton was to dissolve the legislature,
and issue writs the same day for convening another.
1749. JOHN SARGENT, a noted missionary among the Indians, died at
Stockbridge.
1751. A mosaic pavement and other relics of Roman antiquity discovered
at Avenches, in the canton of Bern.
1759. ISAAC MADDOX, bishop of Worcester, died. He rose to preferment
from a very low station in life, and was conspicuous for the many
benevolent institutions which he promoted.
1772. JAMES BRINDLEY died; an extraordinary mechanical genius,
particularly successful in planning and executing projects of internal
navigation, which were done without any drawing or model.
1775. EDWARD LOVIBOND died; an English poet of considerable talents.
1777. The American frigate Delaware, 32 guns, anchored within 500 yards
of the unfinished British batteries at Philadelphia and seconded by
another frigate and some smaller vessels commenced a heavy fire upon
them. She grounded and struck her colors, and the other vessels were
compelled to retire.
1782. HYDER ALLY defeated by the British under sir Eyre Coote.
1783. STEPHEN BEZOUT died; a French writer on mathematics, navigation
and algebra.
1799. Rome, the eternal city, surrendered to the British.
1805. WILLIAM MOULTRIE, a distinguished officer of the revolution, died.
He was a member of congress at the commencement of the war, and made a
brave defence of Sullivan's island in 1776.
1810. Battle of Sierra Busaco, in Portugal; the French under Massena
defeated with a loss of about 5000, by the British and Portuguese under
Wellington, who lost 1000.
1811. Battle of Aldea de Ponte; the French under Marmont attacked the
British general Cole; but were unsuccessful.
1811. BONAPARTE established a maritime conscription in the Hanseatic
towns.
1812. Americans under colonel Newman defeated a party of Indians under
king Paine, who was killed. A second attack was made by 200 Indians to
recover his body, in which they succeeded, but with great loss.
1813. Americans under general Harrison landed in Canada, and in one hour
took possession of Malden, evacuated by general Proctor after burning
the fort and stores.
1832. Battle of Galeneta, in Mexico, between the partisans of general
Montezuma, 5000 men, and those of Bustamente, 3500, in which the former
were completely defeated.
1833. Deaths at Tampico, Mexico, by cholera and yellow fever, during the
season to this date 2000, out of a population of 5200.
1833. RAMMOHUN ROY, a learned Bramin, died in England. He published
works in Sanscrit, Arabic, Persian, Bengalee and English, and was
acquainted with ten languages.
1835. GERVAISE DE LA RUE, a celebrated French antiquary, died at a very
great age. He wrote various learned works relating to the poetry and
literature of the middle ages.
1841. NICHOLAS BROWN, a wealthy and munificent merchant, died at
Providence, aged 73. He graduated in 1786 at the college of Rhode
Island, of which institution he afterwards became the benefactor, in
consequence of which its name was changed in 1804 to Brown University.
1848. MICHAEL HOFFMAN, an American statesman, died at Brooklyn, N. Y.,
aged 60. He was a physician in Herkimer co., and was long a member of
congress from that district. He held other offices, and was noted for
stern integrity.
1848. Count LAMBERG, the imperial commissioner, appointed to take chief
command in Hungary, was slain by the Hungarian population at Pesth,
where he had recently arrived.
1849. Great fire at Owego, N. Y., which destroyed the place so
completely that but three shops were left standing.
1849. The fortress of Comorn, in Hungary, one of the strongest in
Europe, taken by the Austrians.
1854. The steamer Arctic, captain Luce, when about 50 miles distant from
cape Race, came in collision with the French screw steamer Vesta, in a
dense fog, by which her bows were stove in, and she filled and sunk in
about five hours. The Arctic had 410 persons on board, including the
crew, of which 22 passengers and 65 of the crew were saved, and 212
passengers and 110 of the crew were lost; of the 61 women and 19
children on board, not one was saved. The conduct of the crew is said to
have been selfish, mutinous and dastardly.
1855. JOHN ADAMSON died at New-Castle-upon-Tyne, aged 68; an English
author of a work upon the life and writings of Camoens, and devoted to
literary and scientific pursuits, and to antiquarian research.