678. JUSTIN II, emperor of the east, died. He was a weak prince, but had
a wife to govern him and the empire with ability.
610. PHOCAS, a Chalcedonian noble who seized on the empire of the east
by the murder of the emperor Maurice and his children, beheaded by
Heraclius, governor of Africa, who conspired against him.
1056. HENRY III, emperor of Germany, died. After making war against
Poland, Hungary and Bohemia, he passed into Italy, expelled three popes,
and was crowned by a fourth.
1540. ELIAS EOBANUS died; an elegant German scholar and good poet.
1555. EDWARD WATTON, an English physician, died. He took his decree at
Padua and practiced with great success in London. He is said to have
been the first who paid particular attention to natural history.
1571. CLAUDE D'ESPENCE, an eloquent French ecclesiastic, died.
1582. The Gregorian, or _new style_, commenced in Spain, Portugal and
part of Italy, this day being accounted the 15th.
1675. Springfield, Mass., attacked by the Indians. The Springfield
Indians had so resolutely resisted the persuasions of Philip to join his
exterminating expeditions, that the inhabitants felt the greatest
security. They were not aware of any defection, till news was received
from Windsor that 300 of Philip's Indians were concealed in their fort.
The timely arrival of forces from the neighboring towns alone saved the
village from entire destruction.
1690. Sir WILLIAM PHIPPS arrived before Quebec with a British force. He
summoned the place on the following day, but the French governor, count
Frontenac, refused to surrender; the fleet being dispersed in a storm,
the expedition failed in consequence.
1710. An expedition of British and provincials appeared before Port
Royal, in Canada, with 5 frigates and a bomb ketch. The force being
equal to its reduction, Subcrease, the French governor, only waited the
compliment of a few shot and shells as a decent pretence for surrender,
when the place fell into new hands, and was called Annapolis in honor of
the queen.
1733. _Zenger's Weekly Journal_ (2d paper at New York), was issued.
1740. JOHN PHILIP BARATIER, a German youth of most extraordinary genius,
died at the age of 20. At the age of 4, besides his native language, he
spoke French and Latin; at 6 Greek; at 8 Hebrew. He acquired also
various branches of learning, and prepared a large work on Egyptian
antiquities.
1759. Battle of St. Francis, an Indian village on the St. Lawrence, in
lower Canada. Innumerable expeditions had been fitted out from this
place to massacre and plunder the English settlements in New England,
and the village was enriched by the scalps taken at those times. Major
Rogers, an intrepid soldier, with 200 rangers, was despatched by general
Amherst from Crown point to destroy the place. After a fatiguing march
of twenty-one days he came upon the village when the savages were
holding a dance, and made a grand assault at break of day, after their
own manner. The Indians were taken so unexpectedly that little
resistance could be made.
1763. AUGUSTUS III, king of Poland, died.
1768. Great hurricane at Havana, destroyed 96 public edifices, and 4,048
houses; 1,000 inhabitants perished almost instantaneously.
1789. The estates general of France met at Versailles. This was
indisputably the first day of the revolution, although the object of
the meeting was to prevent such a catastrophe.
1803. The Constitution and Nautilus anchored in the bay of Tangiers,
within half a mile of the circular battery, and amused the emperor of
Morocco with the sound of their guns. This procured the release of the
American consul, who had been confined to his house, guarded by two
sentinels; and also the discharge of the American brig Hannah, of Salem,
which had been wrongfully seized at Mogadore.
1804. A British squadron under Com. Moore attacked and captured Spanish
ships La Medee 42 guns, La Fama 36 guns, and La Clara 36 guns; a frigate
of 36 guns, La Marcedes, blew up, on board of which were several
families returning to Spain, 280 men, and $811,000. On board the
captured ships were found, besides a very valuable cargo of merchandise,
2,538,885 dollars, 3,593 bars tin, and 774 pigs copper.
1805. CHARLES CORNWALLIS, governor-general of India, died. Although
overthrown at Yorktown, his character for courage, prudence and sagacity
was unaffected, and he was afterwards sent as civil and military
governor to Ireland.
1813. Battle of the Thames; the combined British and Indian forces under
Proctor and Tecumseh, defeated by the Americans under general Harrison.
On this occasion the celebrated Tecumseh was slain, as was believed in a
personal rencounter with colonel R. M. Johnson; the latter received five
wounds in this battle. American loss 7 killed, 22 wounded.
1813. Action on lake Ontario between the American fleet under commodore
Chauncey, and the British squadron; five schooners of the latter were
captured, and one sloop burnt.
1821. CLAUDIUS JOHN RICH, a learned English orientalist, died at Shiraz,
in Persia, a victim to his ardor in the pursuit of science. He wrote
_Memoirs of Ancient Babylon_, whose ruins he explored with indefatigable
industry. His manuscripts, coins and gems were purchased by government,
and are deposited in the British Museum.
1825. BERNARD GERMAIN STEPHEN DE LACEPEDE, a French naturalist, died. He
was unmolested during the reign of terror, and Bonaparte heaped honors
upon him. He holds a high station among modern naturalists.
1835. HORTENSE EUGENIE, duchess of St. Leu and ex-queen of Holland,
died. She was the daughter of Josephine by her first husband, and
married Louis Bonaparte.
1839. Destructive fire in Philadelphia, destroyed 52 buildings; said to
have been the greatest fire ever known in Philadelphia.
1839. A fire at Aikin, S. C., destroyed 36 houses and stores, forming
the whole business portion of the village.
1847. The first election of officers in Liberia, under the new
constitution, took place. Gov. Roberts was chosen president of the
republic.
1853. MAHLON DICKERSON, a New Jersey statesman, died, aged 83. He filled
a great variety of public offices with distinguished ability.
1855. WILLIAM HENRY PERCY, a British rear admiral, died at London, aged
67.
1855. THOMAS LIVINGSTON MITCHELL, surveyor-general of New South Wales,
died, aged 63. He surveyed the battle fields of the Peninsular war, in
which he served, and was knighted in 1839 for his discoveries and
surveys.
1855. Two asteroids, being the 36th and 37th, were discovered, one by
Luther, at Bilk, the other by Goldsmith, in Prussia.