432 B. C. Battle of Potidæa, on its revolt from the Athenians, in which
Socrates and Alcibiades were nobly distinguished for their prowess and
friendship. In that year Anaxagoras, Phidias and Aspasia were
prosecuted, the first for his impiety.
324. CONSTANTIUS, the second and favorite son of Constantine, was
installed by his father _cæsar_ of the Gallic provinces.
1571. "The field of Tulliangus was stricken" between Adam Gordon and
Arthur Forbes, brother of lord Forbes, where the said Arthur was slain,
with sundry others of his kin; on the other side John Gordon of Buckie,
with divers hurt on both sides. A Scottish foray.
1582. The new style adopted in France, this day being made the 20th.
1615. Battle between Champlain and the Iroquois, in western New York.
1632. THOMAS ALLEN died; an Englishman illustrious for his knowledge of
mathematics and philosophy. He published, among other works, the second
and third books of Ptolemy on the judgment of the stars.
1706. PAUL PEZRON, a learned Frenchman, died. He occupied himself with
the study of the Greek and Latin historians, and in tracing the origin
of the language of the Goths, and made up a new system of chronology.
1710. DAVID GREGORY, an eminent Scottish mathematician, died. He
displayed great powers in the elements of optics, and physical and
geometrical astronomy, improving the discoveries of others by new and
elegant demonstrations. He proposed to publish all the works of the
ancient mathematicians, but did not live to finish the series.
1742. Sixty persons killed by the falling of the roof of the church in
Fearn Russhire, in the time of worship.
1744. JOHN HENRY SCHULZE, a German physician, died; professor of
medicine at Halle, and author of a history of medicine from the creation
to the year of Rome 535.
1747. JOHN POTTER, primate of England, died. Besides theological and
other works he wrote _Antiquities of Greece_, two vols., which have
passed through several editions.
1747. British fleet of 14 ships, admiral Hawke, engaged the French fleet
under M. de Letender, and captured 7 ships of the line, and a 50 gun
ship.
1772. WILLIAM WILKIE died; a Scottish divine and poet, and professor of
philosophy at St. Andrews.
1774. Battle between the Americans, 1400 men, from Virginia, under
colonel Lewis, and about 600 Ohio Indians. The Indians made the attack;
400 of the Virginians were killed and 100 wounded.
1775. British general GAGE sailed from Boston for Great Britain, and the
command of the army devolved upon general Howe.
1775. LOUIS NICHOLAS VICTOR MUYS, minister of war and marshal of France,
died. He signalized himself at several important engagements, which led
to his promotion.
1780. Hurricane in the West Indies, which continued about 48 hours.
Several towns were leveled with the dust, and many thousand persons lost
their lives. Several hundred vessels in the different ports were driven
to sea or dashed to pieces.
1783. HENRY BROOKE, an eminent Irish writer, died. His tragedy of
Gustavus Vasa, though forbidden the stage for its tone of freedom and
liberty, met with a rapid sale.
1787. The Prussians under the duke of Brunswick took the city of
Amsterdam by capitulation. It is said that before the surrender water
sold for an English shilling a quart.
1792. Lord MULGRAVE died at Liege, aged 48. He was captain Phipps in the
British service, and was celebrated for his voyage towards the North
pole.
1794. Battle of Fersen, or Mackowieze, between the Russians and the
Poles under Kosciusko. The contest was bloody and fatal to the patriots.
The victory was wavering, and the expected reinforcements not appearing,
Kosciusko at the head of his principal officers, made a furious charge
and plunged into the midst of the Russians. He had three horses killed
under him, and finally fell covered with wounds, and was captured.
1797. CARTER BRAXTON died; a signer of the declaration of independence
from Virginia.
1800. Explosion of an infernal machine intended to have destroyed
Bonaparte, then first consul, as he proceeded to the opera. The coachman
being intoxicated, drove faster than was his custom, and the engine
exploded half a minute after the carriage had passed, killed 20 persons,
and wounded 53, and shattered the windows on both sides of the street.
1806. JEREMIAH JAMES OBERLIN, an eminent archæologist of Strasburg,
died. He was an accurate and industrious scholar, and besides various
original works, published good editions of several of the Latin
classics.
1806. Sanguinary battle at the bridge of Saalfeld in Saxony; the French
under Suchet defeated the Prussians, and their general, prince Ferdinand
Louis, was killed.
1812. Veraya, in Russia, garrisoned by the French, taken by the Russians
under Dorochoff; 500 French were killed and 400 captured. The standard
of Westphalia and 500 muskets were taken, and the place having been made
a depot for provisions, great quantities fell into the hands of the
Russians.
1824. FRANCIS BALTHAZAR SOLVYNS, a celebrated Dutch painter and
engraver, died. He spent 15 years in Hindostan, studying the languages,
manners and customs of the east, on which he published a work in folio.
1832. JAMES STEPHEN, an English statesman and philanthropist, died. He
suggested and arranged the whole system of continental blockade, which
for a long time occasioned great embarrassment to Bonaparte.
1834. THOMAS SAY, an eminent naturalist, died at New Harmony. He early
abandoned his mercantile pursuits to devote himself to the study of
nature. Perhaps no man has done more to make known the zoology of this
country than he.
1836. MARTHA RANDOLPH, last surviving daughter of Thomas Jefferson, a
lady of distinguished talents and virtues, died in Albemarle county,
Va., aged 70.
1840. The Egyptian army under Ibrahim Pacha and Soliman Pacha defeated
near Beyrout, in Syria, by the allied British and Turkish troops under
Selim Pacha, com. Napier and colonel Hodges, with the loss of 7000 men.
1841. JOHN BAYLEY, a noted justice of the King's bench and baron of the
exchequer, died in England, aged 78.
1841. CARL FREDERICH SCHINKEL, the most eminent architect in Prussia,
died at Berlin, aged 61.
1849. A memorial for the annexation of Canada to the United States,
received in five hours the signatures of 300 merchants, land owners, and
professional men, at Montreal.
1849. The _initial point_ of the boundary line between the United States
and Mexico settled, and a monument with inscriptions erected in north
latitude 32° 31´ 59´´.58, and in longitude 119° 35´ 0´´.15 west from
Greenwich.
1854. GORDON DRUMMOND, a British officer who saw much service in the war
with the United States in 1812, died in London, aged 82. He commanded
the British troops at the battle of Niagara.