JULY 17.
855. Leo IV, pope, died. He was a wise and courageous pontiff, who, when the Saracens approached Rome to pillage it, boldly marched out to meet them, unsupported by the emperors of the east or the west. The Saracens were defeated with great slaughter, and the captives employed to adorn and fortify the city they had come to destroy. The famous pope Joan succeeded for a few days to the papal chair.
1085. Robert Guiscard, duke of Apulia, died at Corfu. He was a famous Norman knight, who assisted in the conquest of Naples from the Saracens.
1429. Charles VII, of France, crowned at Rheims. Joan of Arc, his supporter, was seated on horseback, helmeted, at his right side, with her triumphal banner unfurled.
1453. John Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury, killed. He distinguished himself in the reduction of Ireland, of which he was made governor by Henry V. This brave warrior, who was the terror of the French, and acquired the title of the English Achilles, accompanied the English army to France, and took several towns; but was finally killed in battle, near Castillon.
1525. An act of the English parliament was passed prohibiting the importation of any of Luther's books into England.
1530. Tindal's translation of the Pentateuch was published at Marlborow (Marburg), in the land of Hesse. The violence of the times rendered concealment necessary.
1652. Edward Sackville, earl Dorset, an English statesman, died. He was also sent with an army into Bohemia, and fought at the battle of Prague 1620.
1755. The British East India ship Doddington lost, and only 23 out of 273 persons saved.
1656. Battle of Valenciennes; the prince of Conde and don John of Austria, defeated the French under Turenne and La Ferte; the latter was captured. The French army was saved by the masterly manœuvres of Turenne.
1679. James Duport, an English divine, died, whose great erudition as a classical scholar is evinced in the learned works which he published.
1786. Thirteen elm trees removed by a storm in Devonshire, Eng., 200 yards where they afterwards took root.
1791. The first bank in Albany began to discount, being the present bank of Albany.
1793. Marie Joseph Chalier, a French revolutionist, guillotined. He was an admirer of the sanguinary character of Marat, whom he determined to imitate at Lyons, where he was a merchant. He erected a guillotine, and had already marked 900 victims for sacrifice, when he fell into the snare himself.
1793. Marie Anne Charlotte Corday d'Armans, the assassin of Marat, executed. She gained admittance to him while bathing, and when he declared some of his bloody designs, she plunged a dagger to his heart. She was 24 years of age, possessed rare charms of person, united with great courage, and was actuated by a sense of duty in ridding the world of a monster, at the expense of her own life.
1793. The crown revenue of Poland sequestered by order of the Russian ambassador.
1796. John Christian Hartwick, a Lutheran divine, died at Clermont, N. Y., aged about 90. He was eminent for his classical knowledge and literary abilities, and spent 62 years in the gospel ministry. He left a large estate for the promotion of religious purposes.
1796. John Baptist Secondat de Montesquieu, died. He was a son of the celebrated Montesquieu, and devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. He published several agricultural and scientific works.
1806. Richard Joseph Sullivan, an English writer, died. His works consist of travels, history, &c., &c.
1812. American privateer schooner Dolphin, 2 guns, captain Endicott, captured a British ship of 14 guns. She took six other prizes.
1812. Fort Michilimackinac with a garrison of 57 United States troops, capitulated to the British, 306 men, 715 Indians.
1812. United States frigate Constitution fell in with a British squadron, from which she effected her escape by the masterly seamanship of captain Hull, after a chase of 60 hours.
1813. A small number of volunteers with 40 soldiers from fort George, in two row-boats, captured at the head of the river St. Lawrence, a British gun-boat, mounting a 24 pounder, and 14 bateaux laden with 230 barrels of pork, and 200 bags of bread, and took 4 officers and 61 men.
1813. British and Indians made an attack on an outwork of the garrison at fort George, but were repulsed.
1832. John Carr, an English tourist, died at London; well known as a writer of tours and travels.
1853. An exhibition of relics was made at Aix-la-Chapelle, when more than 60,000 pilgrims entered the city to see them.
1854. The first party sent out under the auspices of the Massachusetts emigrant aid society, left Boston for the territory of Kansas.
1854. The American steamer Franklin, from Cowes for New York, went ashore on Long island beach, and was lost; the mails and passengers were safely landed.
1854. George C. Washington, a nephew of general Washington, died at Georgetown. He had been twice a member of congress, from his district in Maryland, was president of the Ohio and Chesapeake canal, and commissioner for the settlement of Indian claims. All his duties were performed with faithful attention and marked ability.
1854. An insurrection broke out at Madrid, and barriers were erected by the people in all parts of the city.
1856. A collision occurred on the North Pennsylvania rail road, near Philadelphia, when a Sunday school excursion on one of the trains had 60 killed and 78 wounded.
1856. The steam boat Northern Indiana was burnt on lake Erie, and over 30 persons lost.
1856. While a fire was raging at Salonica, Turkey, a terrific explosion of gunpowder occurred, killing and wounding 700 persons, among whom were the Dutch, Russian and Sardinian consuls.