The Every Day Book of History and Chronology. Joel Munsell
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.
1840. Joseph Chitty, a very eminent special pleader and author of many laborious and learned works in the profession of the law, died in London, aged 65.
1843. In British India 2,800 British troops defeated 22,000 Beloochees.
1862. William Thompson, a distinguished naturalist, died, aged 46. He published the Birds of Ireland, and had undertaken to write the natural history of that country.
1852. Eruption of Mount Loa, Sandwich islands, which continued a long time undiminished.
1855. The Russians under Osten Sacken attacked Eupatoria, defended by the Turks under Omar Pasha, and were repulsed with loss.
1856. John Braham, a celebrated English vocalist, died, aged 82. He was the son of a German Jew, and his proper name was Abraham. He made his first appearance at Covent garden in 1787.
FEBRUARY 18.
3102. BC According to the tables of Trivalore, the great Hindostan epoch, Callyhougham, began at sunrise this day; that is, A. M. 902, and before the death of Adam!
1478. George, duke of Clarence, executed by drowning in a butt of Malmsey wine. He was the brother of Edward IV, against whom he had been induced to take up arms. He had the privilege of choosing the mode of his death.
1519. Cortez sailed from cape St. Antonio where he had stopped to complete his preparations. When all were brought together the vessels were found to be 11 in number; one of them of 100 tons burden, and three others from 70 to 80 tons; the remainder were caravels and open brigantines. His forces now amounted to 110 mariners, 553 soldiers, including 32 crossbowmen, and 13 arquebusiers, besides 200 Indians of the island, and a few Indian women for menial offices. He was provided with 10 heavy guns, 4 lighter pieces, called falconets, and a good supply of ammunition. He had besides 16 horses.
1546. Martin Luther, the reformer, died at Wittemberg. He was born at Eisleben in Saxony, 1483. His father was a miner, and Martin, to support himself at school, sung songs at the doors of the citizens. Yet this humble individual was destined to shake the papal throne to its foundations. His translation of the Bible, completed in 1534, was a labor of 13 years, amidst dangers and difficulties of every kind.
1639. Thomas Carew died; one of the wits of the court of Charles II. In the midst of a life of affluence and gaiety he found time to cultivate his taste for polite literature; and finally became a repentant devotee. He has been coupled with Waller as an improver of English versification, and was esteemed by Jonson and Davenant.
1645. Richard Baker, an English historian, died. Having become security for the debts of some of his wife's relatives, he was thereby reduced to poverty, and thrown into the Fleet prison. During this imprisonment, and as a means of subsistence, he wrote his Chronicle of the Kings of England, and various other works, mostly devotional. He died in prison, where he had spent the last twenty years of his life, at the age of 77.
1652. Gregorio Allegri, an eminent musical composer, died at Rome. His compositions, the chief of which is the Miserere, are still performed in the pontifical chapel.
1653. Naval action off Portland, England, between the British, under Blake, Dean and Monk, and the Dutch under Van Tromp and De Ruyter. The latter was defeated, with the loss of 2000 killed, 1500 prisoners, and 11 ships of war, besides a number of other vessels, principally merchantmen.
1654. John Lewis Guez de Balzac, historiographer of France, died. He acquired great celebrity by his publications.
1662. An unprecedented storm in severity passed over England, chiefly felt at London.
1672. John Labadie died at Altona; a celebrated French enthusiast.
1694. Several ships of war, &c., lost in a storm east of Gibraltar. The Sussex on board of which was Sir Francis Wheeler, the admiral, foundered with the whole of her crew.
1695. William Phipps died at London, aged 45. He was born at Pemaquid, Maine; was apprenticed to a ship carpenter, and afterwards went to sea. Hearing of a Spanish wreck near Bahama, he gave such an account of it in England that he was fitted out in 1683 to search for it, but was unsuccessful. The duke of Albemarle fitted him out a second time, and he returned with a treasure of £300,000, of which his share was 16,000. He was subsequently sent over as governor of Massachusetts, but his administration was short and unpopular.
1702. Thomas Hyde, an eminent English divine and orientalist, died. He published a work on the religion of the ancient Persians, which threw many new lights on the most curious and interesting subjects.
1709. Sir Edward Seymour died. He had been a member of every parliament since 1661.
1710. Philip Verheyen, a medical author, died at Louvain, in Belgium, where he was professor of anatomy.
1712. Louis, duke of Burgundy, died, aged 30. He was educated under Fenelon, and as heir to the throne and counsellor of state, France expected to enjoy a long rest from her troubles, under this administration. He died suddenly of a disease which had taken away his wife and eldest son only a few days before.
1719. George Henry Goertz, a Swedish statesman, beheaded. He joined Charles XII on his return from Turkey, and was placed at the head of affairs. The desperate state of Sweden gave full employment to his extraordinary talents; but on the fall of the king he was sacrificed to the hatred of the nobility and condemned without a trial.
1724. George