1721. Several alterations made in the form of the affirmation of the English quakers. About 20 years previous to this their affirmation was accepted instead of their oath.
1729. Anthony Collins died; an English polemical writer, whose numerous works were warmly attacked by the orthodox writers of the day.
1737. John Strype died, aged 94; an English divine, industrious as a historian and biographer.
1738. Philip Frowde died; a writer of English and Latin poetry, and of tragedy.
1754. Mahomet V, emperor of Turkey, died. He was more eminent for his pacific disposition than for his military exploits.
1759. At Leipsic the cold was so intense that ten sentinels were frozen to death.
1769. Christian Furchtegott Gellert, a German comic poet, died.
1775. Congress first determined to build a navy, to consist of 5 frigates of 32 guns, 5 of 28 guns, and 3 of 24 guns.
1776. American Gen. Lee surprised and made prisoner by a British patrole in New Jersey.
1783. Peter Wargentin died; a learned Swede, who published tables for computing the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites.