1724. Humphrey Prideaux died; an English divine, historian, and critic.
1730. Louis Ferdinand Marsigli, an Italian nobleman, died. He was famous in arms and in letters, and founded the academy of arts and sciences at Bologna, called the Institute.
1755. Earthquake at Lisbon, by which it is supposed about 50,000 persons perished. Every building worthy of notice was prostrated. Peerless pool was lifted from its bed; the Mios lake in Norway vibrated with the canals of Amsterdam; the fountains of Tangier were stopped, and artificial tides flowed every fifteen minutes at Gibraltar.
1765. Stamp act went into operation in America. The great dissatisfaction it created, was manifested by the tolling of bells, and other solemnities.
1769. La Salle arrived at the mouth of the Miami, having seventeen men in his company, the rest being dismissed, to return with furs to Niagara, when he embarked at the bay of Puans.
1770. Alexander Cruden died; a Scottish writer, and corrector of the press, whose literary labors were notable. He was found dead on his knees, in the attitude of prayer.
1771. John Eyre sentenced to be transported beyond seas, for stealing a few quires of paper. He was worth £30,000, yet committed and confessed the deed.
1775. Peter Joseph Bernard died; a French writer of operas and other lighter pieces, which for their ease and elegance, procured for him the name of le gentil Bernard.
1783. Charles Linnæus (the Younger) died. He succeeded his father as professor of botany at Upsal.
1793. George Gordon died; an Englishman who led the opposition to the papists in 1780, which gave rise to the riots of that year. His life from that time was spent in legal censures and imprisonments, and he finally died in Newgate prison.