APRIL 30.
65. Marcus Annæus Lucanus, the Latin poet, died. He was the friend and favorite of Nero, but afterwards joined a conspiracy with Piso against the tyrant, and was compelled to destroy himself, which he did by suffocation in a bath.
313. Battle of Heraclea, in which the emperor Galerius Maximus was defeated by Lucinus.
534. Amalasontha, queen of the Ostrogoths, murdered by her husband Theodatus. She was universally regretted; as for learning and humanity she had few equals.
711. Tarik, a freed man of the Arabian viceroy of Africa, landed at the foot of the rock Calpe called afterwards by his name Gebal-Tarik (Gibraltar), and two days after by a great battle fought on the banks of the Guadalete put an end to the Gothic empire in Spain.
1156. The city of Moscow founded by Duke George I. Its present population is about 400,000.
1262. Alexander Newski, grand duke of Russia, died. He signalized himself by a great victory which he obtained on the banks of the Neva, over the northern powers.
1439. Richard de Beauchamp, the famous earl of Warwick, died at Rouen, in Normandy. He was the most distinguished warrior in the reign of Henry VI.
1483. The duke of Gloucester (afterwards Richard III), arrested the lords Rivers and Gray at Stony Stratford, on their passage with the young king to the capital.
1513. Edmund de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, on account of his near relationship to the house of York, beheaded.
1519. A skirmish at Edinburgh, called "Cleanse the Causeway," between the earls of Arran and Angus.
1524. Pierre du Terrail, chevalier de Bayard, buried. He was a distinguished warrior under Francis I, mortally wounded at the battle of Marignan.
1542. The new creed, called the King's Book, approved by the houses of convocation, and made the standard of English orthodoxy.
1544. Thomas Audley, an English statesman, died; appointed chancellor in the place of sir Thomas More.
1572. Pius V (Michael Ghisleri), died. He was an Italian of the Dominican order. It was under his auspices that the battle of Lepanto was fought, in which the Turks were so signally defeated.
1598. The edict of Nantes signed and sealed by Henry IV of France, re-establishing the protestant religion where it had been interrupted, and restoring its churches, houses and revenues.
1614. Captain John Smith arrived on the coast of New England, it being his first voyage to North Virginia, as the country was then called. He explored the coast in open boats, from Penobscot to Cape Cod, and trafficked with the Indians. It was on his return from this voyage that he presented a map of the country to prince Charles, who declared that it should be called New England.
1632. Battle of Ingolstadt, in Bavaria; the imperial troops of Germany, under count de Tilly, defeated by the Swedes under Gustavus Adolphus, and the general mortally wounded in defending the pass of the Lech.
1632. John Tzerclaes, count de Tilly, died; a Dutch officer, who distinguished himself in the wars with the Turks, and with Denmark.
1637. The puritans forbid by royal proclamation to emigrate to New England.
1655. Eustache le Sueur died; one of the best French historical painters of his time.
1655. Christopher Bennet died; a distinguished London physician, and writer on medical subjects.
1667. The Dutch fleet attacked Burnt island, in Scotland, but were repulsed.
1690. Rene le Pays, a French poet, died; well known at court by his miscellanies.
1696. Robert Plot died; an eminent English philosopher and naturalist.
1707. George Farquhar, an ingenious comic writer, died. He was the son of an Irish clergyman, and held a commission in
the army. His comedies are sprightly and diverting.
1712. Philip Limborch died; a Dutch professor of divinity, and author of a history of the inquisition.
1724. William Dawes, an English nobleman and prelate, died. He was learned, benevolent and pious, and author of several religious works.
1735. Daniel Duncan died; one of the most eminent physicians of his time. He was known in almost every part of Europe as a practitioner and an author.
1745. Battle of Fontenoy, in Belgium, between the British and Hanoverians, under the duke of Cumberland, and the French under count de Saxe. The allies were defeated with great loss.
1758. German Flats in the colony of New York attacked by French Indians.
1762. The celebrated John Wilkes committed to the tower as the author of the North Briton, the 45th number of which was burnt by the common hangman.
1769. Battle of Choczine between the Russians and Turks.
1776. The eccentric Edward Wortley Montague died. He was the son of Lady Mary the author of the celebrated letters.
1781. Arnold, the traitor, made war upon 1,200 hogsheads of tobacco at Manchester, Va., and on his return to Petersburg conflagrated a large range of rope walks, a magazine of flour, all the vessels on the stocks, a number of warehouses, &c., and several fine mills. His progress was like that of the cannibal!
1789. Washington inaugurated first president of the United States.
1795. Jean Jacques Barthelemi, "the Nestor of French literature," died, aged 80. His principal work is Travels of Anacharsis in Greece.
1796. George Anderson, an English self-taught mathematician, died. His parents were peasants and he wrought as a day laborer till he attracted attention. He translated Archimedes' treatise on measuring the sands, and wrote a general view of the variations which have taken place in the affairs of the East India company. His intense application proved fatal to him at the age of 36, after which his widow received a pension, as a reward due to the merits of her husband.
1802. Lotea, in Spain, destroyed by the bursting of a reservoir, which inundated more than twenty leagues of the surrounding country, and "upwards of 1,000 persons perished, exclusive of cattle, &c."
1810. The prince regent of Portugal prohibited the exportation of wine.
1812. Eruption of the Souffriere mountain, in St. Vincent, one of the Caribee islands. It was preceded by repeated earthquakes for 11 months. No flames had been emitted since 1718.
1812. Samuel Abbot, a Boston merchant, died. He was one of the founders of Andover theological seminary, and contributed altogether about $125,000 to that institution.
1812. Henry Lemoine died. He was a bookseller, but better known as a translator of the German contributor to the Gentleman's Magazine, &c.
1816. A spot on the sun visible with the naked eye at Philadelphia. It was seen for several days.
1840. George Brummell, the celebrated Beau Brummell, died at Caen, in France, aged 62. He was the associate of George IV when prince of Wales, and was for a long time at the head of fashion and manners in England. He passed the latter part of his life in poverty, and towards the close of it, was confined in a madhouse.
1843. Jacob Ridgway, a wealthy mechanic, died at Philadelphia. He was in early life a shipcarpenter, and subsequently American consul at Antwerp. His property was estimated at $6,000,000. He was noted for liberality to mechanics and tenants.
1854. The first rail road opened in Brazil, the emperor and empress being present at the inauguration.
1854. James Montgomery, the poet and journalist, of Sheffield, died, aged 82.
1855. Henry Rowley Bishop, a noted English music composer, died, aged 68. He was the most distinguished representative of the English school of composition, and was knighted in 1842.
1857. W. B. Buchanan, an American poet, died, aged 63. He was long a correspondent of the National Intelligencer and other papers, residing in Virginia.