1630. David Pieterszen de Vries, who had associated himself with Samuel Godyn, Kilian Van Rensselaer, Samuel Bloemart, and Jan de Laet, sailed from Texel for the South (Delaware) river, intending to plant a colony there. Godyn being informed that whales were plenty in those regions, and fish oil being 60 guilders the hogshead, the vessel was laden with utensils for fishing, and planters and cattle for the colony.
1653. Oliver Cromwell declared lord protector of England for life, and the same day dissolved the convention called Barebones's parliament, by the corporal of the guard and a file of soldiers.
1671. Vopiscus Fortunatus Polempius, a Dutch physician and professor at Louvain, died, leaving several valuable works.
1676. William Morice, a learned Englishman, died; secretary of state under Charles II.
1680. The extraordinary comet of this year observed throughout Britain.
1685. John Pell died; an English divine, and very eminent mathematician.
1688. James II, of England, made his escape from London.
1731. John Horsley died; author of a very learned and excellent work entitled Britannia Romana; being an ample account of the vestiges of the Romans in Britain.
1733. The bills of mortality in London this year, showed the death of 14,372 males, and 14,861 females.
1753. An act passed the provincial assembly, of New York, that mortgages should be subjected to public registry for the prevention of frauds. But this act, though a useful one, did not reach all the mischiefs intended to be prevented.