The Every Day Book of History and Chronology. Joel Munsell
Kienlong, emperor of China, made a feast for the ancients of his kingdom. Those who had attained 100 years, received 50 bushels of rice and 2 pieces of silk; those who had reached 90 years, received 30 bushels rice and 2 pieces of inferior silk, and others in the same proportion, down to 50 years. Presents, to a large amount, were also made to the poor throughout the empire. He likewise exempted all the people from taxes that year, which was the 50th of his reign. On the occasion of the feast, 3000 aged men of quality sat down to it, and the emperor sat at the head of the table to do the honors.
1793. Brass Crosby died. He rose from a humble attorney to be lord mayor of London. Being implicated in some difficulties with the printers, in 1771, and stoutly avowing his partialities, he was sent to the tower, notwithstanding the dignity of his office; but his liberation was attended with great marks of respect and attention from the citizens.
1797. Action between the Spanish fleet of 27 sail and 12 frigates, admiral Langara, off St. Vincent, and the British under Admiral Jervis, 15 ships and 6 frigates. Four of the Spanish ships were captured, (two of 112 guns each) and the remainder completely defeated. British loss, 300 killed and wounded; Spanish loss 603.
1808. John Dickinson, an American political writer, died. He practiced law in Philadelphia until 1765; was deputed to attend the first congress at New York, and prepared the draft of the bold resolutions of that congress. He opposed the Declaration of Independence, believing that compromise was still practicable; but soon after entered into it with ardor. His public services were eminent.
1814. Battle of Vauchamp, between the French and Russians, in which the latter were defeated. At 8 in the evening Marmont attacked and defeated the Russians at Etoges, who lost 9 cannon and 1300 men killed.
1831. Insurrection at Paris in consequence of an attempt by the priests to celebrate a funeral mass for the duke de Berri. Several churches were destroyed or injured.
1831. Guerrero, ex-president of Mexico, shot.
1834. John Shore, Lord Teignmouth, died, aged 82. He went to India in his youth, in the service of the East India company and succeeded Lord Cornwallis as governor, there. He returned to England 1798; and on the formation of the British and Foreign Bible society, he was chosen the first president, and held the office during life.
1843. Mr. John Martin, aged 105, died at Augusta, Georgia. He came with a company of salt buyers to Georgia, under the direction of Oglethorpe.
1852. Dr. Rae, the arctic explorer, arrived at St. Paul, Minnesota, having returned from a search for Sir John Franklin, without discovering any trace of that ill-fated adventurer.
FEBRUARY 15.
Feast of Supercalia at Rome, in honor of the god Pan, the defender from wolves.
1564. Birthday of Galileo Galilei, at Pisa, in Italy.
1600. Joseph d'Acosta, the Spanish historian, died. He was born in Leon, 1539, and became remarkably efficient in literature and science at an early age. In 1571 he was despatched as a missionary to South America, where he remained till 1588. During his residence at Peru he wrote the Historia Natural y Moral de las Indias, which has been translated into nearly all the European languages, and is valuable for its information on the early condition of the continent.
1632. Dudley Carleton, an English statesman and political writer, died.
1664. John Twynne was convicted of high treason and executed. His offence was printing the matter called libelous written by Milton and others.
1682. Claude de la Colombiere, a famous Jesuit, died. He became very popular as a preacher before James II, of England, and was the inventor of "The Solemnity of the Heart of Jesus."
1694. Bradford paid for printing the first book in the city of New York.
1708. John Phillips, an elegant English poet, died, aged 32.
1730. Thomas Bray, an English divine, died. He made himself eminent by his unwearied attention to the practice of benevolence; many charitable societies and good designs in London are formed on plans which he projected.
1732. Francis Atterbury died. He was the son of a parish rector, educated for the ministry, and made himself conspicuous by his eloquence as a preacher. His ambition was gratified by preferments, honors and emoluments, till, in the reign of Anne, 1713, he reached the seat of the bishop of Rochester, the acme of his greatness. On the accession of George I, his prospects began to wane; and being suspected of some treasonable acts, he was condemned to perpetual exile. He settled in Paris, and died there. His literary fame rests on his sermons, and his correspondence with Pope.
1763. Peace of Hubertsburg concluded at the electoral palace of that name, which concluded the seven years' war between Austria, Prussia and Poland.
1765. Charles Andrew Vanloo, a highly distinguished French painter, died.
1766. John Hellot, a French philosophical writer, and distinguished chemist, died.
1781. Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, one of the most distinguished German authors, died. He contributed more than any other individual to the regeneration of German literature, and was remarkable for the versatility of his genius.
1782. Battle off Fort St. George, East Indies, between the British under Admiral Hughes, and the French under Admiral Suffrein.
1784. Scipio Bexon died at Paris. He assisted Buffon in his natural history, and was also an author in his own name.
1788. George Ann Bellamy, an English actress of the time of Garrick, died at Edinburgh, aged 55. She drew the attention of the town for a number of seasons, particularly when she played Juliet with Garrick at Drury-Lane, against Mrs. Cibber and Barry at Covent Garden. She published her own memoirs in 6 vols.
1794. John Fenn, a learned antiquary, died. He greatly distinguished himself by his application to the study of natural history and antiquities; and made a large collection of curious original letters, written during the fifteenth century, which were published in 4 vols. quarto.
1796. The British under Admiral Elphinstone, captured Colombo in the East Indies, which is at present the seat of the British government in the island of Ceylon.
1798. Rome declared a republic.
1801. Concordat between Bonaparte and Pius VII, for the reestablishment of religion in France, signed at Paris.
1804. A squadron of the East India company ships under Capt. Dance, convoying the China fleet, beat off in the China seas, the French ship Marengo, 80 guns, Admiral Linois, 2 heavy frigates, a corvette of 28 guns, and a Dutch brig of 18 guns.
1806. Joseph Bonaparte entered Naples, upon the capitulation of the garrison, and was soon after chosen king.
1808. The king of Prussia renounced all connection, political and commercial, with Great Britain, in compliance with the treaty of Tilsit.
1810. Birthday of Louis XV, of France, under whose reign the corruption of morals and principles spread to an alarming extent among all classes, and were followed by a general poverty, national humiliation, and ruined finances, which prepared the way for the explosion that took place under his unfortunate successor.
1813. Battle of Pietra Nera, on the coast of Calabria, between the French and the Sicilians.
1814. Battle of Montmirail in France, between the French under Bonaparte and the Russians under Blucher, in which the former gained a small advantage after a hard contest.
1815. British sloop of war