590 B. C. The tenth day of the month Thanet was observed as a fast in
memory of the investment of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Zechariah
promised the extinction of this day of grief, in joy and feasting, upon
the restoration of the house of Judah, B. C. 518.
493 B. C. The immortal day when _tribunes_ for the Roman people were
first chosen; the anniversary also of their authority afterwards.
270 B. C. EPICURUS, the Athenian philosopher, died on the 10th day of
Gamelion, having three days before observed his 71st anniversary. He
taught a rational philosophy and with his disciples lived conformably to
the rules of wisdom and frugality, although his name is unjustly
associated with folly and feasting. His academy was the best regulated
society that had ever been seen.
536. Rome opened her gates to Belisarius; the garrison departed without
molestation along the Flaminian way, and the city, after sixty years of
servitude, was delivered from the yoke of the barbarians. Leutherius,
the Gothic chief, was sent to bear the keys of the city to his imperial
master.
1282. LLEWELLYN AP GRUFYDD, a Welsh prince, killed. He heroically
resisted the invasion of Edward I of England; but fell, and the liberty
of his country perished with him after an independence of 800 years.
1506. Bologna captured by pope Julius I, who entered in triumph.
1508. The league of Cambray formed against the Venitian power. The pope,
the emperor of Germany, and the kings of France and Spain, were the
parties to it.
1520. LUTHER destroyed the papal bull against himself, with the works of
the anti reformers, in a public fire behind the walls of Wittemberg.
1548. Battle of Pinckney field, near Musselburgh, in which 13,000 of
the Scots were slain.
1577. On Sanctobertis eve a great number of persons paraded the streets
of Perth in disguise. One clad in the devil's coat; the horse of another
walked in men's shoes.
1586. ELIZABETH signed the warrant for the execution of Mary.
1626. EDMUND GUNTER, an English mathematician and astronomer, died. He
distinguished himself by many important improvements in mathematical
instruments for the use of navigation, &c.
1672. A monthly post established from New York to Boston.
1674. JOHN VAUGHAN, an eminent English law reporter, died; "more admired
for his talents than loved for his courteous manners."
1681. The British factor, captain DREW, arrived at Chester, on the river
Delaware, from England, with settlers for Pennsylvania; they remained
there all winter, the river having frozen over that night. She was one
of the three ships that left England with the first settlers. One of
them, the Amity, arrived before her; the third was blown off the coast
to the West Indies, and did not arrive until the next spring.
1688. JAMES IV deserted the English throne, embarked for France, and
ordered his army to be disbanded.
1697. The peace of Ryswick, which had been signed in September,
proclaimed in Boston, and the colonies had repose from war. Some of the
Indians continued their hostilities, but finding themselves unsupported
by the French, they took measures for peace.
1697. The population of New France, exclusive of Acadie, was 8,515, and
could arm about 1,000 men.
1747. DUNCAN FORBES, an eminent Scottish lawyer, died. He wrote chiefly
on theological subjects.
1757. Breslau retaken from the Austrians by Frederick II of Prussia. The
Austrians lost 13 generals and 18,000 men prisoners.
1768. The royal academy of London instituted.
1792. JOHN JOSEPH SUE died; professor of anatomy at Paris, and a writer
on anatomy and surgery.
1801. JONATHAN BATTISHILL, an eminent English musical composer, died.
"To a profound knowledge he added great taste and a fine imagination."
1804. New York historical society instituted.
1807. Kingdom of Etruria dissolved and annexed to France.
1808. JAMES SULLIVAN, governor of Massachusetts, died. He rose to great
usefulness unaided by opulence or family connexions.
1809. Gerona in Spain surrendered to the French after a siege of six
months.
1813. French under SOULT endeavored to force the British under
Wellington to repass the Nieve but were repulsed.
1813. The United States troops under general McClure burnt Newark
adjoining fort George, destroyed that fort, removed the public stores,
and retired to the south side of the Niagara river.
1817. Mississippi admitted into the confederacy.
1833. The house of assembly in Jamaica passed a bill for the abolition
of slavery.
1834. ALEXANDER CHALMERS died; one of the most eminent biographers that
Great Britain has produced. He commenced a laborious literary life in
London and no man, it is said, ever edited so many books for the
booksellers. He published a _General Biographical Dictionary_ in 32
volumes.
1835. The fortress of San Antonio surrendered by the Mexicans to the
Texans under colonel Milan; the captors found 1900 rounds of powder and
ball, 24 pieces of cannon, and a large amount of military stores, &c.
1836. A decree of the queen of Portugal published, abolishing the slave
trade in the Portuguese dominions.
1842. PLEASANT HENDERSON, a soldier of the revolution from North
Carolina, died in Tennessee. He was a companion of Daniel Boone in many
of his wanderings and was for more than thirty years a clerk of the
North Carolina house of commons.
1842. ROWLAND HILL, viscount Hill, the well known coadjutor of the duke
of Wellington in the peninsula campaigns, died in his 70th year, near
Shrewsbury, England.
1845. JESSE D. ELLIOT, an American commodore, died at Philadelphia, aged
62. He contributed much to Perry's success on lake Erie.
1846. JAMES GRIERSON died at Masharene, New Brunswick, aged 105. He was
one of the loyalists that left the United States during the revolution.
1848. LOUIS NAPOLEON elected president of the French; 5,534,520 voting
for him.
1852. WILLIAM EMPSON, professor of law in the East India college at
Hoxley, England, died, aged 62. He was editor of the _Edinburgh Review_.
1855. The emperor FAUSTIN I left Port-au-Prince with 30,000 men to
subjugate the Dominican republic; his forces were completely routed and
dispersed.