DECEMBER 20.
69. Aulus Vitellius, emperor of Rome, assassinated. After sharing in the debaucheries of Tiberius, and administering to the vices of Caligula, Claudius and Nero, he was proclaimed by his troops in Germany, in opposition to Otho. Though defeated in three battles, he triumphed in the fourth. He disgraced his reign by every species of licentiousness.
107. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, torn in pieces by lions at Rome, by order of the emperor Trajan. His epistles are very interesting remains of ecclesiastical antiquity.
860. Ethelbald, who married his
mother-in-law, died, after having to the priests atoned for his offence by building and endowing many abbeys and monasteries.
912. Alphonso III (the Great), king of Asturias, in Spain, died. He wrote a chronicle of the Spanish monarchs, and a short time before his death obtained a memorable victory over the Moors.
1192. Richard of England seized in his disguise at Vienna.
1492. Columbus cast anchor in the bay of St. Thomas; the anniversary also of the interment of his venerable bones more than three centuries after (1795) at Cuba.
1494. Matteo Marie Bojardo, an Italian lyric poet, died.
1560. John Dryander, a Hessian medical and mathematical writer, died. His discoveries in astronomy and his invention of mathematical instruments are important.
1560. First general assembly of the Scottish church was opened.
1603. Mahomet III, sultan of Turkey, died of the plague. He began his reign by ordering 19 of his brothers to be strangled, and 10 of his father's wives to be drowned. He invaded Hungary with an army of 200,000 men, but after some successes his progress was checked, and he sued in vain for peace.
1686. Sir Edmund Andros arrived in Boston with a commission from king James as governor of New England. He was received with satisfaction only as he was less dreaded than Kirk.
1697. Thomas Firmin, an eminent English philanthropist, died. He devoted his time and money to charitable objects, and his benefactions were unequaled at the time when he lived.
1698. Bartholomew du Quental died; a Portuguese catholic priest, distinguished for his piety and learning.
1735. The Gentleman's Magazine announced the arrival of a dwarf in England from France, who at the age of 46, measured 21 inches in height.
1735. Part of the island of Portland sank into the sea.
1765. The dauphin of France died in his 36th year. He was a prince of benevolent character and exemplary piety, but little known in public life.
1766. Prayers were publicly read in all the popish chapels in Ireland for George III and family, being the first time prayers were made by Romanists for the protestant succession since 1688.
1770. John Senac died; physician to the king of France, counselor of state, and superintendent of the mineral waters of the kingdom. He wrote several works on anatomy and medicine.
1782. The United States frigate Charleston, 40 guns, captured by the British ships Quebec and Diomede, 76 guns, after a chase of 18 hours.
1790. The fortress of Ismael taken by storm by the Russians under Suwarrow; of 12,000 Turks all were put to the sword but 400.
1791. Bank of the United States commenced discounting in Philadelphia; $300,000 were discounted. Branches were established in New York, Boston, Baltimore and Charleston, which commenced business in January, 1792.
1793. John Strangeways Hutton died at Philadelphia, aged 110. He was born on Long Island in 1682.
1793. The first ambassador from the Porte arrived in London.
1795. The remains of Columbus removed to Cuba. In the presence of the dignitaries and military of San Domingo, assembled at the Metropolitan cathedral, a small vault was opened above the chancel, wherein were found the fragments of a lead coffin, a number of bones, and a quantity of mould, evidently the remains of a human body. These were carefully collected and put into a case of gilded lead secured by a lock, and enclosed in a coffin covered with black velvet, and ornamented with lace and fringe of gold. (See [Jan. 19, 1796].)
1795. French under Jourdan made an attack on Kayserslautern, but were repulsed with a loss of 2000 men.
1803. Samuel Hopkins, an eminent New England minister, died. He published a work to show that it was the interest of all the American states to emancipate their slaves.
1804. Richard Humpton, adjutant general of the state of Pennsylvania, died. He was a native of England, who early entered the military service, and distinguished himself as a gallant soldier during the war of the revolution.
1809. Joseph Johnson, the fortunate publisher of Cowper's poems, died.
1815. Cambaceres arrested and sent to prison at Paris.
1849. William Miller, the founder of the sect of Millerites, died at Hampton, Washington co., N. Y., aged 68. He was a native of Pittsfield, Mass., and during the last war with England served as a captain of volunteers on the northern frontier. He began to speak in public assemblies upon the subject of the Millenium in 1833, and in the ten years which preceded the time which he had set for the consummation of all prophecy he labored assiduously in the middle and northern states, averaging, it is said, nearly one sermon a day for more than half that period. He was
uneducated, and not largely read in even the common English commentaries; his views were absurd and supported but feebly; yet he succeeded in building up a sect of some 30 or 40,000 disciples, which disappeared rapidly after the close of the "day of probation" in 1843, after which time Mr. Miller himself did not often advocate or defend his views in public.
1852. By a decree of the governor-general of British India, the province of Pegu was annexed to the British dominions.
1855. Thomas Cubitt, an eminent English builder, principally on works of great magnitude for the government, died, aged 68.