Читать книгу The Every Day Book of History and Chronology - Joel Munsell - Страница 55

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364. Flavius Claud Jovianus, the Roman emperor, died at Dadastana, aged 33. He was elected by the army, on the death of Julian, and accepted the throne upon the assurance that the soldiers would embrace Christianity. He was suffocated in his bed by the fumes of a fire which had been made to dry the chamber, after a reign of only eight months.

1461. Battle of St. Albans, 21 miles from London, between the Lancastrians headed by the queen, Margaret, and the Yorkists under the earl of Warwick. The latter were defeated.

1564. Michael Angelo Buonarotti, the painter and architect, died at Rome, aged 89. He was of an illustrious family; studied painting and sculpture; and for a great number of years was employed by the popes in decorating the most superb edifices of Rome. At the age of 60 he was induced to attempt the Last Judgment, which is his master-piece. In architecture, St. Peter's and the Capitol are monuments of his ability. As a sculptor and poet also he is entitled to no mean place in the niche of fame. He was one of those favorites of nature, who combine in their single persons the excellence of many highly gifted men.

1571. An earthquake in Herefordshire, England, removed a hill containing 26 acres to a considerable distance, overturning every thing before it and continuing in motion several days.

1600. Giordano Bruno, an Italian philosopher, burnt at Rome. He entered the order of the Dominicans, but his satires upon the lives of the monks drew upon him their persecutions, and he fled to the Calvinists. These in turn were excited against him by his paradoxes. After visiting Paris, London and Wurtemberg, he returned again to Italy, and fell into the hands of the inquisition, by whom he was condemned to be burnt, and suffered death, which he might have averted by a recantation, with the greatest fortitude. His philosophical writings, which have become very rare, display a classical cultivation of mind, a deep insight into the spirit of ancient philosophy, wit and satire, as well as a profound knowledge of mathematics and natural philosophy. With all his talent and erudition he was a pantheist.

1621. The Plymouth colonists met for the purpose of settling military affairs, and chose Miles Standish their captain.

1673. Jean Baptiste Poquelin de Moliere died. At Narbonne, where the French theatre at that time began to flourish, through the talents of the great Corneille, he imbibed a strong passion for the stage. He became a distinguished comedian and dramatic writer, and died within four hours after personating a character in his play of the Hypochondriac.

1680. Denzil, Lord Hollis, an eminent English patriot, died. He nobly maintained and defended the rights and privileges of the house of commons, of which he was a member, against the arbitrary measures of Charles I and his favorites. He was also a political writer.

1710. George Bull, an eminent English writer and preacher, died.

1720. John Hughes, an English poet and dramatist, died. He was a contributor to the Tatler, Spectator and Guardian. His last production, the Siege of Damascus, was performed with splendid success on the very night the author died suddenly. He was eulogized by Pope.

1735. Nicolo Fortiguerra died, an Italian prelate, and one of their best poets of the early part of the last century.

1739. George Whitfield, the celebrated Methodist, preached from a field pulpit to coalliers in Kingswood, near Bristol.

1758. John Watkins died at Bristol, England, aged 78. He was heir to a considerable estate, which being denied possession of, he made a vow never to shave till he enjoyed it; and kept his promise to the day of his death. He went by the name of Black John; after his death there was found upwards of 200 weight of half pence and silver, besides a quantity of gold, which he had amassed as a public beggar.

1759. Thomas Siddal, a gardener at Chester, England, dug up a potatoe weighing 17 lbs. 4 oz., measuring 38 inches in circumference, and 47½ in length.

1772. Convention between Frederick II of Prussia and Catharine II of Russia signed, for the partition of Poland. This was afterwards acceded to by Austria, and ratified by the Polish diet.

1773. An appearance similar to the aurora borealis first witnessed in the southern hemisphere, by Mr. Forster, who accompanied Capt. Cook.

1782. Action between the British fleet, Admiral Hughes, and the French fleet, M. de Suffrein, in which the British suffered severely.

1794. Fornelli in Corsica attacked and carried by the British under Lord Hood.

1796. James Macpherson, the Scottish poet, died; distinguished for his translations and imitations of Gaelic poems, the principal of which is Fingal.

1797. The Spanish Admiral Apodaca compelled to burn several large battle ships in the gulf of Paria, to prevent their falling into the hands of the British fleet under Harvey.

1804. Gen. Moreau arrested at Paris, on an accusation of being concerned in the conspiracy of Pichegru and Georges.

1805. Action between the British frigate Cleopatra, 32 guns, and the French frigate Ville de Milan, pierced for 52 but mounting 26 guns. The Cleopatra was captured, with the loss of 20 killed and 38 wounded.

1810. Amboyna, the capital of the Moluccas, surrendered to the British, together with 49 merchant vessels in the harbor. It was not the first time it had fallen into the hands of the British.

1810. Rome annexed to France; the city to rank as the second in the French empire.

1814. Battle of Nangis, between Napoleon and the Russians under Count Witgenstein; same day, the Russians under Pahlen attacked the French at Marmont under Georges.

1814. The castle of Jaca in Arragon capitulated to the Spanish chief Francisco Espoz y Mina, who took 84 brass cannon.

1818. Henry Obookiah, a Sandwich islander, died at Cornwall, Ct., aged 26. He was a member of the foreign mission school and has been made the subject of a memoir.

1827. John Henry Pestalozzi, one of the most distinguished men of modern times for his efforts in the cause of education, died at Brugg. He was born at Zurich, in Switzerland; and devoted his life and property to the education of poor children. His system is not the best in use.

1828. Henry Gottlob Tschirner died, aged 50; an eminent German theologian.

1835. Five volcanoes burst forth simultaneously in Central-America, attended with tremendous earthquakes, which sunk three large towns, besides many villages. The air was so obscure with smoke, that the inhabitants were obliged to grope their way with torches for eight days. The lava in some places ran the distance of 60 leagues, destroying every thing in its course. In Alancho they thought the day of judgment had come, and more than 300 marriages took place among people who had previously lived in a state of concubinage.

1836. Cornplanter, (Garyan-wah-gah,) a celebrated Indian chief, died at the Seneca Reservation, aged about 100. At an early period of the revolutionary war he took an active part on the side of the Americans, and ever after manifested great friendship for the whites. He and his associate Red-Jacket, were for many years the counsellors and protectors of the interests of their nation.

1839. William Adam, a Scottish statesman, died. As member of parliament he opposed conciliatory measures with the refractory American colonies.