DECEMBER 29.
1170. Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, assassinated in his cathedral, aged 53.
1563. Sebastian Castalio, a French writer, died. His writings are very considerable, both for their number and quality, discover great knowledge of the languages, and are chiefly on scripture subjects.
1594. John Chastel, the son of a woolen draper at Paris, executed for an attempt to assassinate the king, Henry IV.
1674. Battle of Mulhausen; the French under Turenne, gained a victory over the Germans.
1680. William Stafford, an English nobleman, beheaded. He was convicted of high treason as a conspirator in the popish plot, said to have been contrived by the catholics for the assassination of Charles II.
1689. Thomas Sydenham died; an excellent English physician and medical writer.
1699. George Matthias Kœnig, a learned German writer, died; distinguished for his knowledge of belles lettres, divinity and oriental languages; principally known by a biographical dictionary which has been of great service to subsequent compilers.
1713. John Chardin, a famous French voyageur, died. He was driven to England on the revocation of the edict of Nantes, where he was knighted by Charles II. His Voyages have always been much esteemed as very curious and accurate.
1731. Brook Taylor, an English mathematician and philosopher, died. His works were valuable and often republished.
1737. Joseph Saurin, a French mathematician, died. He devoted his life to geometrical pursuits, and is conspicuous for a controversy with Rousseau who wished to palm upon him some of his own libelous verses against persons of distinction.
1755. Gabrielle Susanne Barbot de Villeneuve, a celebrated French novel writer, died.
1761. Elizabeth, queen of Russia, died. She was the daughter of Peter the Great, and ascended the throne, 1741.
1774. Toussaint Gaspard Taconnet died; a French actor and dramatic writer, noted for his eccentricity.
1778. Savannah taken by the British. A negro conducted the British by a private path to the rear of the Americans, who being attacked in front and flank, made a fatal retreat. Upwards of 100 Americans were killed, 453 taken; the town and fort, 48 cannon, 23 mortars, with ammunition and stores, the shipping in the river, and large quantities of provisions fell into the hands of the enemy.
1783. Samuel Cooper, a Boston clergyman, died. His sermons were evangelical and perspicuous, and unequaled in America at that time for taste and elegance.
1783. Daniel Wray, a learned English antiquary, died, aged 82.
1790. John George la Franc de Pompignan, a learned French prelate, died. He was author of sixteen works on different subjects.
1794. The town of Grave, considered a masterpiece of fortification, surrendered to the French under Pichegru, after a blockade of two months.
1797. General Duphot, assassinated by the populace at Rome, which was made a pretext of the French directory for dethroning the pope, Pius VI. Duphot had distinguished himself on several memorable occasions, and had repaired to Rome for the purpose of espousing the sister of Bonaparte, afterwards married to Murat.
1798. American government issued orders to the commanders of their armed vessels to repel by force the mustering and searching their vessels, and detaining them; but when overpowered by a superior force, to strike their colors and surrender ship and men.
1812. Action between United States frigate Constitution, 54 guns, 480 men, Capt. Bainbridge, and British frigate Java, 49 guns and 500 men including supernumerary officers, which resulted in the capture of the latter in 55 minutes. Loss of the Java 60 killed and 101 wounded including the captain, Lambert, mortally. Constitution lost 34 killed and wounded.
1825. James Louis David, a celebrated French painter, died. He was one of the wildest idolators of Robespierre and Marat, but finally lost his repugnance to monarchy under Bonaparte. He was banished on the restoration of the Bourbons, and died at Brussels. His works are numerous, and attest a splendid genius.
1832. Baron Cotta died. He was the originator of the daily political paper, the Algemeine Zeitung, so extensively circulated in Europe.
1832. James Hillhouse, an American statesman, died at New Haven, Ct., aged 79. He took an active part in the revolution, and was eighteen years a member of congress. He was entrusted with the construction of the Farmington canal.
1834. T. R. Malthus, an English writer on political economy, died. His most celebrated work is an Essay on Population, which has passed through many editions, and been translated into various languages.
1836. Deborah Tripp died at Poughkeepsie, aged 10 years and six months, and weighing 360 pounds. A few years before, herself and a younger sister were exhibited about the country for their extraordinary fatness. The younger sister died two or three years previous.
1837. William Mavor, a popular English author and compiler, died, aged 80. His Voyages and Universal History, in 25 vols. each, are well known, and his English Spelling Book passed through between four and five hundred editions.
1837. The imperial palace at St. Petersburg burnt, the weather at the time being 22° below zero. The palace was built in the reign of Elizabeth, at a cost of upwards of $5,000,000, and was the largest in Europe, sufficient to lodge 12,000 persons. The loss of treasures, pictures, statues, ornaments and furniture was immense.
1837. Steamer Caroline, a vessel in the service of the Navy island patriots, destroyed.
1839. Battle of Cagancha between the forces of Uruguay, under Rivera, and those of Buenos Ayres under Echague. The latter had an army of 5,000 men, and was defeated with the loss of 800 killed, and prisoners, baggage, &c., taken. Rivera's loss about 200.
1845. Texas admitted into the union.
1848. Wisconsin admitted into the union.
1848. The Roman chambers were dissolved and a constituent assembly convened.
1849. Great crevasse in the Mississippi banks at Bonnet Carré, about forty miles above New Orleans.
1850. The British forces had an engagement with the Caffres, in South Africa, were defeated with considerable loss, and obliged to retreat to their fort.
1852. Robert Forrest, an eminent Scottish sculptor, died, aged 63. He was originally a stone mason, in the quarries of Clydesdale; but the products of his chisel are seen in the most conspicuous points of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
1855. The French imperial guard made a triumphal entry into Paris on its return from the Crimea.