DECEMBER 2.
1469. Pietro de Medici, governor of Florence, died, aged 53. He was of weak constitution, but well meaning and prudent, and was assisted by his son Lorenzo in affairs of state. Under his reign an attempt was made to wrest the reins of government from the family.
1549. Margaret de Valois, a French princess, died; noted for her learning and the encouragement she gave to commerce, agriculture and the arts among her subjects.
1552. Francis Xavier died; a French missionary, denominated the apostle of the Indies. He was one of the most zealous disciples of Ignatius Loyola; performed his mission in Hindostan, the Moluccas, and Japan, and was on the point of landing in China, when he died.
1554. Ferdinand Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico, died, aged 63, leaving a character eminent for bravery and ability, but infamous for perfidy and cruelty.
1581. John Dee, an English mathematician and sorcerer, died. He was a man of uncommon abilities, learning and application, but deluded himself with experiments in the occult sciences, which he continued till he reached the age of 80.
1594. Gerard Mercator, a Dutch mathematician, died. He was self-educated, but attained great eminence, and published numerous valuable maps and charts which he engraved and published himself, and which have been of great use to his successors.
1615. Lewis de Berthon de Crillon, a French general and knight, died. He distinguished himself by his valor at the siege of Calais, at the age of 15, and during
a long series of wars and perilous times displayed so much courage as to acquire the title of the brave Crillon.
1723. Philip, duke of Orleans, regent of France during the minority of Louis XV, died at Versailles in the 50th year of his age. He was a man of talent and political tact, but these qualities were much obscured by his love of pleasure.
1779. Alexander Albani died; a Roman cardinal and a man of great merit.
1784. Francis Arnaud died; abbot of Grand Champs, in France, and distinguished by his literary labors.
1789. Herschell announced the discovery of a 7th satellite to Saturn.
1791. Henry Flood, the famed Irish orator and reformer, died. As a member of the house of commons his whole energies were devoted to the promotion of the political interests and internal resources of Ireland.
1792. Frankfort treacherously given up to the Austrians, when 1,300 Frenchmen, were massacred by the Hessians, and several whose lives were spared had their hands cut off.
1792. The French under Dumourier took possession of Louvain.
1794. The United States concluded a treaty with the Oneida, Tuscarora and Stockbridge Indians, residing in the Oneida country. The former engaged to pay the Indians $5,000 for their losses in the late war; to build them a complete grist and saw mill, and hire faithful men to attend said mills for three years, and instruct some of their young men in those arts; to provide teams for carrying on the work of the mills, and to apply $1,000 to rebuild the church burnt in the war.
1796. The adventurous Mungo Park departed from Pisania, 200 miles from the Gambia's mouth, to explore the interior of Africa.
1804. Napoleon Bonaparte inaugurated emperor of France at the cathedral of Notre-Dame, at Paris, and was enthroned with Josephine.
1805. Joseph Bernard de Chabert, a French navigator, astronomer and geographer, died. He lost his eye sight by intense application, but his powerful memory enabled him to make many additions to the stores of scientific facts.
1805. Battle of Austerlitz; the French under Bonaparte defeated the Austro-Russian armies, under Alexander I and Francis I, who had united to check the ambition of Napoleon. The defeat was attended with the loss of 35,000 killed or drowned, 20,000 prisoners, and their whole pack of artillery.
1806. Bonaparte decreed at Posen, a monument to the French soldiers who fell at the great battles of Ulm, Austerlitz and Jena.
1812. British again cannonaded Black Rock; the fire was returned with so much spirit that their batteries were entirely silenced.
1816. French general Vandamme, resident at Ghent, arrested and sent to Brussels.
1816. Meeting of the citizens of London at Spafields; about 20,000 assembled to receive the report of Mr. Hunt, who had been appointed to present a petition to the prince regent, praying that two or three hundred thousand pounds should be appropriated out of the civil list fund for the relief of the poor. Only five thousand was granted, whereupon great disturbances took place.
1848. Ferdinand I, emperor of Austria, abdicated the throne, and Francis Joseph, his nephew was proclaimed emperor.
1849. Adelaide, the queen dowager of England, died.
1851. Louis Napoleon decreed in the name of the French people, that the national assembly and council of state were dissolved, that universal suffrage was re-established, that the first military division was in a state of siege, and that the French people were convoked in the electoral colleges from December 14 to Dec. 21.
1852. Louis Napoleon publicly proclaimed emperor at the Hotel de Ville in Paris, under the name of Napoleon III. The emperor entered Paris from St. Cloud, and took up his residence in the Tuilleries. 80,000 troops were under arms, and the day was celebrated as a grand holiday in Paris, and in the evening there was a grand illumination.
1853. The steamer Winfield Scott, having on board 500 passengers and $1,100,000 in gold, was lost in a fog at night, about 500 miles from San Francisco; the passengers and treasure were saved.