JULY 31.
1423. Battle of Crevant, in France, in which the armies of the infant king of England were victorious.
1481. Franciscus Philadelphus, a learned Italian, died. He was at the head of the learned men of the day, professor of eloquence at Venice, and the personal friend of Lorenzo de Medici.
1498. Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad, resembling three mountains.
1556. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, died. He was a brave officer in the Spanish army, and while under the hands of a surgeon his mind was directed to the subject of religion by reading. After having made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and studied theology he went to Paris, and laid the foundation of an order, which in time became sufficiently powerful and corrupt.
1592. Sir Walter Raleigh disgraced, and sent with his lady to the tower.
1602. Charles Gonrault de Biron, a French admiral, beheaded in the bastile. He distinguished himself by flood and field, and was a great favorite at the court of Henry IV. His fondness of pleasure led to error and ruin.
1627. A terrible earthquake in Apulia, by which many thousands lost their lives.
1712. Marchiennes surrendered to the French.
1718. John Hughes and Sarah Drew, two rustic lovers, struck dead by lightning, under the shelter of a hay cock, in England. Pope, Thomson and Gay, have scattered flowers upon their graves.
1718. Fifteen Spanish ships destroyed near Syracuse, by admiral sir George Byng.
1719. Colonel Hunter, departing the province of New York, the chief command devolved on Peter Schuyler, as the oldest member of the board of council.
1750. John V, of Portugal, died. He devoted himself to the encouragement of commerce, literature and industry among his subjects.
1760. Battle of Warburgh; the allies under the hereditary prince Ferdinand, defeated the French, who lost 1,500 killed, and about the same number taken prisoners.
1777. The marquis Lafayette received, by a vote of congress, the appointment of major-general in the American army, being then but 20 years of age.
1786. A booth, at Montpelier, France, where a play was performing, fell and killed 500 persons.
1790. John Edwin, an English comedian, died. It was to his extraordinary talents that O'Keefe's dramas were greatly indebted for their success.
1807. The fortress of Mongal, in Spain, carried by storm and destroyed by the British under Cochrane.
1808. Joseph Bencirenni, an Italian writer, died. He distinguished himself in the belles-lettres and public affairs.
1813. Plattsburgh taken by the British without opposition, all the public and much private property was destroyed.
1813. Com. Chauncey took York, U. C., destroyed the public property and brought away the stores and provisions.
1831. London bridge completed, having occupied nearly 8 years in its construction. It is built of granite, 928 feet in length. The old bridge had stood, with propping and patching, six centuries.
1840. Muller, the distinguished antiquary and historian, died at Castri Levadia.
1848. Edmund Simpson died; thirty-eight years manager of the Park theatre, New York, during which time he paid John Jacob Astor half a million dollars rent.
1850. The great diamond called Koh-i-noor, or mountain of light, was brought to England. It is valued at $2,000,000.
1854. The defenders of the barricades, at Madrid, 3,000 in number, defiled before the queen's palace, her majesty appearing on the balcony, with the king on one side, and Espartero, who had entered the city the day before, on the other.
1855. The official announcement was made of the removal of governor Reeder, of Kansas, and the appointment of John L. Dawson as his successor.