MAY 19.
804. Flaccus Alcuinus, an English ecclesiastic, died in France. He may be considered as one of the learned few whose genius dissipated the gloom of the 8th century. His writings, most of which are extant, were published 1617. (See [Dec. 1].)
1122. Lincoln in England destroyed by fire.
1217. Battle of Lincoln; the French defeated, and England effectually secured from the dominion of Lewis the Dauphin, who was then holding his court within the walls of London.
1218. Otho IV (the proud), emperor of Germany, died. He laid claim to some of the territories of the pope, by whom he was excommunicated and deposed.
1242. Henry III of England embarked for France, taking with him 30 hhds of silver.
1494. Columbus, proceeding towards Cuba, named the headland Cabo de Cruz on this day. He now ascertained from the natives that Cuba was an island, but after coasting it 335 leagues from the eastern point, renounced the idea; and but for the scarcity of provisions, would have attempted to return to Europe by way of the Red sea, under the impression that he was on the coast of India.
1536. Anne Boleyn, queen of England, executed. She was crowned at Westminster 1533 with unparalleled splendor, and in a few weeks after became the mother of the famous Elizabeth.
1610. Thomas Sanchez, a Spanish Jesuit, died, and was buried with extraordinary magnificence. His works are ingenious.
1613. King James issued farthing tokens by proclamation.
1622. Osman I, sultan of Turkey, strangled by his soldiery. He undertook an expedition against Poland, in which he lost 80,000 men and 100,000 horses: these misfortunes were attributed to the Janizaries, who thereupon hurled him from the throne.
1643. Battle of Rocroy, between the French and Spaniards, in which the French under the duke d'Enghien gained a signal victory.
1651. Peter Wright, chaplain to the marquis of Winchester, executed. Romanist priests were viewed in the same light as highway robbers.
1656. John Hales died; an English author, so much admired for his wit and learning, that he is called the ever memorable.
1670. Ferdinando Ugheli, a Florentine monk, died; distinguished for his learning and his virtues.
1676. John Greenhill died; an eminent English painter.
1692. Battle of La Hogue; the combined English and Dutch fleets defeated the French of 50 sail, who lost 20 of their largest men of war, and were prevented from making a descent on England.
1715. Charles Montague, earl Halifax, died; an eminent English statesman, orator and poet.
1769. Cardinal Ganganelli proclaimed pope under the title of Clement XIV.
1776. Captain Mugford having secured his prize (see [May 17]) and put to sea again, was attacked by 13 British boats, whom he beat off; but was himself killed, being the only person injured.
1780. Dark day in New England, occasioned by a thin cloud or vapor. The people dined by candlelight, and the darkness of the night is represented as Egyptian.
1788. Samuel Badcock, an English divine and writer, died; admired as a pulpit orator and a man of literary talent.
1788. Congress ordered two cannon to be named, one John Hancock, and the other Adams; being one moiety of four cannon which constituted the whole train of artillery possessed by the colonies at the commencement of the war. The other two were taken by the British.
1795. James Boswell, died, aged 55; a Scottish lawyer, rendered famous as the friend and biographer of Dr. Johnson, with whom he lived in the closest intimacy.
1795. Josiah Bartlett, one of the signers, died. He was a delegate from New Hampshire in the first congress, and his was the first name called on the vote of the declaration of independence.
1798. Bonaparte with an immense armament sailed from Toulon for the conquest of Egypt. The sunrise was splendid and similar phenomena were called the suns of Napoleon.
1798. Intelligence having been received by the British that a number of transports fitted out at Flushing were intended to be sent round by the canals to Ostend and Dunkirk, for the purpose of invading England, an expedition was despatched to destroy the sluices and basin of the Bruges canal at Ostend. The direction of the enterprise was entrusted to general Coote and captain Home Popham, who on this day disembarked their troops, and in a few hours the sluices were blown up, and several vessels in the canals destroyed; but on returning to the beach, the wind and surf were so high, that it was impossible to re-embark; meanwhile the country being alarmed, the enemy advanced upon them with a superior force, and the British, after a spirited resistance, were compelled to capitulate. Of 1000 forces landed more than 100 were killed or wounded, among whom was general Coote.
1808. Action in the night between British ship Virginia, and Dutch frigate Gelderland; the latter captured.
1810. Explosion of a powder magazine at New Haswell in Hungary, which destroyed 300 houses, killed 80 persons, and 300 were dug out of the ruins alive.
1831. Francis Maseres, an English mathematician, died, aged 93. He was not only an author, but devoted a part of his income to reprinting such works as he thought useful either in illustration of mathematical history or of that of his country. Penny Cyclopedia says 1824, which agrees with the 93 years from the date of his birth.
1838. Thomas T. Biddulph, an eminent English clergyman, died. He was the author of various publications, one of which, Sixteen Short Sermons, has been translated into 15 languages.
1850. A body of Americans under gen. Paredez landed on the island of Cuba, with a view to revolutionize it, and took the town of Cardenas.
1853. The Chinese rebels captured the city of Amoy.
1854. William Hulme Cooper, a lieutenant in the British navy, died, aged 26, from the effects of exposure and privation during four years arctic service in search
of sir John Franklin. He commanded a cutter in an expedition from Icy cape to the Mackenzie; for three days he was lost in a snow storm, and for two winters he and his boat's crew were isolated near the northern shores of America. The hardships he endured caused the pulmonary disease of which he died.
1856. John Keating died at Philadelphia, aged 96. He was a native of France and in early life was an officer in the service of Louis XVI. He came to the United States after the death of that monarch, with about thirty families of the French noblesse and military, and founded the colony of The Asylum, near Towanda, in Pennsylvania.