MAY 20.
526. Earthquake at Antioch, by which 250,000 persons are said to have perished.
1499. Alonzo de Ojeda sailed from Cadiz on a western voyage of discovery, accompanied by Amerigo Vespucci. It is uncertain in what station Amerigo sailed, but he appears to have had a chief share in directing the voyage, and on his return published an amusing account of the country they visited; which having a rapid circulation, he was supposed to be the discoverer, and it came gradually to be called by his name.
1506. Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the new world, died at Valladolid in Spain, aged about 70. He had devoted his whole life to the study and accomplishment of his grand enterprise, and its complete success embittered the remainder of his days by exciting the perfidy and ingratitude of a base and treacherous nation.
1521. Cortez mustered his army in the great market place of Tezcuco, to make a division of it, appoint commanders, assign to each the station where they were to form their camps, in order to invest the city of Mexico. (See [May 30].)
1610. Nicholas Serarius, a French Jesuit, died. His works, 16 vols. folio, display great labor and extensive erudition.
1618. King James publicly declared his pleasure, "that after the end of divine service, the people should not be letted from any lawful recreation on Sundays, such as dancing, archery, vaulting, May-games, Whitsun-ales, morris-dances, and the setting up of May-poles, and other sports therewith used."
1690. John Eliot, the apostle of the Indians, died, aged 86. He was the first protestant clergyman who preached the gospel to the North American Indians.
1713. Thomas Sprat, an English prelate and poet, died; he was distinguished as a writer, and rewarded with preferments.
1726. Nicholas Brady died; an Irish divine of good ability and learning, translated Virgil and wrote a new version of the Psalms in conjunction with Tate.
1728. James le Quien de la Neufville, a French historian, died; author of an excellent history of Portugal, &c.
1732. Thomas Boston, a Scottish divine, died; author of the well known book, Human Nature in its Fourfold State.
1735. The Turks defeated by the Prussians, and more than 60,000 killed and wounded.
1736. The body of one Samuel Baldwin, of England, in compliance with his will, immersed in the sea at Lymington. His motive for this extraordinary mode of interment was to prevent his wife from dancing over his grave, which she had threatened to do in case she survived him.
1756. Naval action at Fort Philip, Minorca, between the French fleet, 12 ships 5 frigates, and the British, 13 ships 5 frigates. Admiral Byng was afterwards shot in England, on an unjust charge of cowardice in this affair.
1758. The scenery and wardrobe of the Bath theatre burned by the wagons taking fire on which it was being transported over Salisbury plain.
1774. British parliament passed an act for transporting Americans to England for trial.
1775. Articles of confederation and union agreed on by the American colonies.
1776. Major Sherburne, with 140 Americans, marching to relieve the post at the Cedars, in Canada, was attacked by 500 Indians, and after an obstinate battle, the party surrendered. The Indians having lost a chief and 21 warriors, massacred as many prisoners.
1778. Gen. Grant with 7000 British, made an attempt to surprise La Fayette, then posted at Barren-hill, Pa., with 2500 men. The latter escaped by a masterly retreat.
1783. William Robertson, the Scottish divine, died.
1789. The French clergy renounced their privileges.
1793. Charles Bonnet, a noted Swiss naturalist, died at Geneva.
1796. Bonaparte passed the river Po; Marceau and Championnet drove the Austrians from Hunsruch; they were also defeated on the Sieg, with the loss of 2400.
1799. Bonaparte raised the siege of St. Jean d'Acre; it had lasted 60 days.
1799. Joseph Towers died; a printer, bookseller, and afterwards a preacher with
the title of LL. D. He wrote British Biography, 7 vols. and other works of merit.
1800. Bonaparte passed mount St. Bernard, among the Alps, after astonishing efforts.
1813. Battle of Bautzen, between Russians and Prussians under Barclay de Tolly, and French under Bonaparte.
1813. American frigate Congress, capt. Smith, captured British brig Jean, 10 guns, took out 40 tons copper and sunk her.
1815. Murat, king of Naples, left the city in disguise, while his queen sought the security which had been promised her on board a British man of war.
1820. Charles Louis Sand executed; the murderer of Kotzebue.
1840. Joseph Blanco White, an English preacher and controversial writer, died, aged 67. He was the author of various works, and distinguished himself by the zeal and ability with which he opposed the catholic religion.
1841. William P. Dewees, a distinguished medical writer, died at Philadelphia.
1848. A treaty of peace made with the Navajo Indians and the United States.
1855. The king of Hanover issued an ordinance annulling the constitution settled in 1848, and the provincial electoral law of 1850.
1856. James King, editor of the Evening Mirror, at San Francisco, California, died of a pistol wound inflicted in the street a few days before by Casey, editor of the Sunday Times. Casey was arrested and conveyed to jail under great popular excitement. Subsequently the vigilance committee, numbering 3000 men, proceeded to the jail, and took Casey and another murderer to the committee rooms, where they were tried, and soon after hung.