Читать книгу The Every Day Book of History and Chronology - Joel Munsell - Страница 78

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1096. Walter the Pennyless departed from France with the van of the Crusaders.

1639. Dudley Digges, master of the rolls under Charles I, died. He was noted for his patriotism, and was the author of several literary performances.

1663. The great frost at Paris, which had endured three months, broke up on this day.

1702. William III of England, died. He was celebrated as a politician, and formidable as a general. (16th?)

1721. Pope Clement XI died, aged 72. He reigned over twenty years.

1748. The British squadron, Admiral Knowles, attacked and carried Port Louis, in St. Domingo, which he also destroyed. The French lost about 130 killed; British loss 20 killed and 50 wounded.

1750. An earthquake at London which shook the whole city. It occurred at half past five in the morning, awoke people from their sleep, threw some persons out of bed and rung the bells.

1757. Thomas Blackwell, an eminent Scottish writer, died. His modesty was such that he published his works anonymously.

1766. The bill repealing the American stamp act received the royal assent, and was passed.

1766. William Chambers, the architect, died. He was born in Sweden, but was brought over to England at two years of age. As an architect, the building of Somerset house will place his name with the best of the British schools. He was the author of several works, principally on architecture.

1775. An inhabitant of the town of Billerica, Mass., tarred and feathered by the British troops. The British were the first to introduce this practice, which, afterwards became a popular mode of punishing tories.

1793. The French national convention abolished imprisonment for debt, and decreed that all actually confined for debt in the republic should be set at liberty. From this law however were excepted all defaulters in public money.

1793. The city of Liege in Belgium, taken by the Austrians.

1796. A viscid and resinous substance fell near Bautzen, in Upper Lusatia, composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Several distinguished men of science examined specimens of it. It had the smell of the yellowish and very much dried gum of the juniper.

1796. Banda, an East India island, taken by the British under Admiral Rainer. A large quantity of spices and considerable money fell into the hands of the victors.

1799. Cayuga county, New York, erected.

1799. Massena took by assault the fortress of Luciensteig, cut out of the rock in the channel of the Rhine. This opened a passage through the Rhætian Alps.

1801. The British effected a landing in Egypt, at Aboukir bay, with the loss of 700 men. The French under Menou opposed their landing with great bravery.

1803. Francis Egerton, duke of Bridgewater, died. He is styled the father of canal navigation in England. He planned the Worsley canal, near Manchester, which he completed with the assistance of Brindley. He died immensely rich.

1804. Goeree, an island of the Netherlands, which had fallen into the hands of the French a few weeks previous, was retaken by the British on this day.

1807. Sawrey Gilpin, an English painter, died. He excelled particularly in delineating animals. His masterpiece is a group of tigers.

1808. Third day's action between the British frigate St. Fiorenza and the French frigate Piedmontaise, 50 guns, off cape Comorin. The action lasted one hour and twenty minutes, when the French struck, having 48 killed and wounded. The British lost 17 killed besides their commander, Capt. Hardinge.

1814. Lord Wellington defeated the French and entered Bordeaux.

1814. Unsuccessful attack by the British under Gen. Skerret upon Bergen-op-Zoom. Of 4,500 British it is supposed that not more than 1,500 escaped.

1815. Action between the British ship Tiber, Capt. Dacres, and the American privateer Leo, 7 guns, 93 men, Capt. Hemes, which resulted in the capture of the latter.

1819. Regnault de St. Jean d'Angely, a French statesman under Bonaparte, died at his ancient seat, on the day following his return from exile, of gout in the stomach.

1844. Charles John Bernadotte, king of Sweden, died, aged 81. He rose from the humble rank of a sergeant in the army, to the highest rank under Bonaparte; and in 1810 founded a new dynasty in Sweden. Having fortunately joined the allied powers in 1812 against Napoleon, he survived the overthrow of the other newly erected dynasties, and transmitted the crown to his son, Oscar I.