AUGUST 18.
332 B. C. Gaza, in Palestine, entered by Alexander the Great, and 10,000 of her inhabitants put to the sword. This was during the Isthmian games, and shortly after the fall of Tyre, which was taken in the month Hecatombæon.
328. Helena, empress of Rome, died, aged 80. She was the mother of Constantine, and distinguished for her zeal in the cause of the Christian religion.
852. Abdurrahman II, sultan of Cordova, died, aged 65. He was the patron of learning and scholars, though constantly engaged in war.
1187. Geoffrey, son to Henry II, killed in a tournament at Paris.
1348. A three-fold scourge, which during this year visited the continent of Europe, first appeared in England upon this day; earthquakes, deluges of rain, and a vast ephemeral pestilence, traveling the belt of Asia from Cathay to Delta; over Greece to Italy, beyond the Alps into France, reached London in November.
1510. Edmund Dudley, an English statesman, executed for treason; known as an instrument of Henry VII in the arbitrary acts of extortion practiced during the latter years of his reign.
1510. Richard Empson, another characteristic of the same stamp, perished at the same time.
1559. Paul IV (John Peter Caraffi), pope, died. He ascended the throne at the age of 80, and conducted himself with so much haughtiness and indiscretion that his death was unlamented.
1587. The first English child born in America, at Roanoke, Virginia. She was the grand-daughter of the governor, and was baptized on the following sabbath, by the name of Virginia.
1609. The Half Moon having pursued a course south and west for ten days, arrived at the entrance of Chesapeake bay, where the first effectual attempt to plant an English colony had been commenced only two years before. (See [Aug. 28].)
1642. Guido Reni, the celebrated Italian painter, died. His skill as an artist attracted great attention, and he was loaded with honors and wealth. His pictures are valuable, and adorn the collections of the great.
1655. Cromwell, as protector, adopted the We, in answering a petition. Instead of the capital W, he had at first written the more familiar I; then a small w, which was finally erased with his finger for the royal character.
1670. Dryden created laureate by royal patent.
1707. William Cavendish died; first duke of Devonshire, an able English statesman, who was active in procuring the invasion of England by William III.
1746. William, earl of Kilmarnock, and Arthur Balmerino, beheaded in London, as traitors for levying war against George II, in behalf of the pretender.
1659. Action between the British fleet, admiral Boscawen, and the French fleet, M. de la Clue, off the coast of Barbary. The French were defeated, and on the following day, five of their largest ships were taken or destroyed.
1765. Francis I, of Germany, died. He commanded the Austrian armies in Hungary against the Turks, and his reign of 20 years' duration was distinguished by many memorable events.
1780. British under Tarleton attacked Sumpter on the Wateree, and killed, captured or dispersed the whole of his party, and retook 300 British prisoners.
1780. Battle of Musgrove's mills; 500 British and tories defeated by the Americans under colonel Williams, and 120 killed or wounded.
1783. John Dunning, lord Ashburton, died; noted for his extensive practice as a lawyer in London. He defended Wilkes and opposed the American war.
1783. Benjamin Kennicott died; an English prelate, well known in the learned world for his elaborate edition of the Hebrew Bible and other valuable works.
1798. General Humbert landed at Killala, Ireland, with 700 French; a few days afterwards they were all captured.
1803. James Beattie died; a Scottish poet and miscellaneous writer, and professor of moral philosophy and logic.
1807. The Danish gun boats renewed their attacks upon the British army before Copenhagen, but were finally driven back into the harbor.
1810. Charles Peter Clarel de Flurieu, a French hydrographer, died. He was also a statesman under Louis XVI and Napoleon.
1812. Second day's battle of Smolianovo. The French under St. Cyr defeated with great slaughter. The battle continued 12 hours. The French lost 2,500 killed and wounded, and 3,000 taken prisoners. Russian loss 1,000 hors du combat in both engagements.
1813. Battle of St. Antonio; the Spanish
royalists under Aredonda defeated the Mexican patriots.
1814. British admiral, Cochrane, addressed a letter from on board the Tonnant, in the Patuxent, to the American government, declaring his determination to destroy and lay waste such towns and districts upon the American coast as might be found assailable, though contrary to the usages of civilized warfare.
1829. David Baird, of Aberdeen, a distinguished British general, who led the storming party at the capture of Seringapatam, died.
1834. A tremendous eruption of Vesuvius, which continued several days, and destroyed about 1,500 houses.
1838. The first United States exploring expedition sailed, under Com. Wilkes.
1838. Battle of Morella, in Spain; the queen's troops defeated by the Carlists with the loss of 2,000 men; the victors left in possession of Lower Aragon.
1840. Timothy Flint, a noted missionary in the Mississippi valley, died, aged 60. He published an account of that region in two works, which are interesting and valuable.
1851. Ebenezer Young, a Connecticut civilian, died at West Killingly, aged 67. He was often in public life, especially in the legislature of his native state, and in congress.
1853. John Taliafero, librarian of the treasury department at Washington, died, aged 85. He had also been a member of congress fourteen years.
1855. Jabez D. Hammond, an eminent New York lawyer, died, aged 77. He filled several important offices, and wrote a Political History of New York, and some other works.
1855. Thomas Metcalfe, an American officer of the war of 1812, died in Kentucky, aged 75. He also filled various civil offices with ability, under the state and general government.
1855. The queen, Victoria, and prince Albert, left Osborne at day break to visit Louis Napoleon; arrived at Boulogne, 96 miles, in 4¼ hours, and reached Paris the same evening.
1855. Abbot Lawrence, a noted Boston merchant, died, aged 63. He was a liberal and public spirited citizen, and endowed the Lawrence scientific school at Cambridge with $100,000.