1097. The siege of Antioch opened by the crusaders. (See June 3.)
Baldwin founded the principality of Edessa in this year.
1217. The fortress of Alcazar-do-Sal taken from the Moors, after a hard
fought battle, by the Portuguese under Alphonso II, assisted by
William, earl of Holland, with a portion of the fleet and forces bound
for the crusade.
1439. AMBROSE of Portico, in Romania, died; distinguished by his fluency
in the Greek tongue, at the councils of Basil, Ferrara, &c.
1441. MARGERY JOURDEMAIN, the witch of Eye, condemned to be burnt for
furnishing _love potions_ to Eleanor Cobham, wife of that duke of
Gloucester so eminent as a patron of science and letters.
1558. JULIUS CÆSAR SCALIGER died; an Italian physician, eminent as a
Latin critic and poet.
1583. LAURENT JOUBERT, a French physician and medical writer, died.
1593. Nymegen, a strong city of Holland, surrendered to Maurice of
Nassau, who added a new fort to it.
1621. ANTHONY MONTCHRESTIEN DE VATEVILLE, a French poet, torn to pieces
and burnt by order of the authorities, for sedition and other crimes.
1662. HENRY LAWES, an English musician, died. He was originally a choir
boy of Salisbury church, first introduced the Italian style of music in
England, and composed the notes for Milton's _Comus_.
1687. EDMUND WALLER, an eminent English poet and political writer, died.
1692. A commission was granted by William and Mary to Benjamin Fletcher,
governor of New York, conferring on him the government of Pennsylvania,
and depriving Penn of that office. He was however, restored again in two
years after.
1716. JAMES GRONOVIUS died; a Dutch writer on the belles-lettres, and a
man of learning.
1766. Cumana, the capital of New Andalusia in South America, entirely
destroyed by an earthquake.
1771. TOBIAS SMOLLET, a Scottish physician, died; better known as a
historian and novelist.
1771. WILLIAM CLARKE, an English divine and antiquary, died.
1774. The provincial congress of Massachusetts determined to raise and
enlist men for the defence of the province for the first time, under the
name of minute men.
1777. SAMUEL FOOTE died; a celebrated English dramatist and actor,
called the English Aristophanes.
1783. Congress insulted at Philadelphia by a band of mutineers, whom the
authorities were unable to quell, adjourned to Princeton; a circumstance
which doubtless led to the agitation of the question of a permanent seat
of government.
1794. Coblentz surrendered to the French revolutionists. The
fortifications of this city, celebrated for having been the court of
the emigrant princes, had been vastly augmented during the course of the
war, but the Austrian commander evacuated it on the first appearance of
the French.
1794. ANTHONY PETIT, an eminent French physician, died. He was a copious
and learned writer.
1800. SIMEON THAYER, an officer of the revolution, died. He was in the
army led by Arnold through the wilderness to Quebec, was wounded by a
cannon ball at Monmouth, and was the brave volunteer defender of Mud
fort on the Delaware.
1803. FREDERICK CAVENDISH, an English field marshal died.
1805. Battle of Trafalgar; the British fleet, 27 sail and 4 frigates,
defeated, after an action of 4 hours, the combined French and Spanish
fleets of 33 sail. Admiral Horatio Nelson was killed, and the French
admiral Villeneuve was captured. British loss 423 killed, 1164 wounded.
The French and Spanish fleet was completely overthrown; but 14 escaped
from the battle, and nearly the whole of those were afterwards wrecked
or captured.
1841. JOHN FORSYTH, an eminent American statesman, died. As a member of
the Union convention of Georgia in 1832, he was principally instrumental
in preventing that state from pledging itself to nullification. He was a
man of talent and eloquence and long distinguished in public life by the
many important offices which he held.
1849. CHARLES E. HORN, a well known musical composer of Boston, died.
1852. SAUL ALLEY, long known as a leading merchant and capitalist of New
York, died aged 74.