1594. John Chastel, the son of a woolen draper at Paris, executed for an attempt to assassinate the king, Henry IV.
1674. Battle of Mulhausen; the French under Turenne, gained a victory over the Germans.
1680. William Stafford, an English nobleman, beheaded. He was convicted of high treason as a conspirator in the popish plot, said to have been contrived by the catholics for the assassination of Charles II.
1689. Thomas Sydenham died; an excellent English physician and medical writer.
1699. George Matthias Kœnig, a learned German writer, died; distinguished for his knowledge of belles lettres, divinity and oriental languages; principally known by a biographical dictionary which has been of great service to subsequent compilers.
1713. John Chardin, a famous French voyageur, died. He was driven to England on the revocation of the edict of Nantes, where he was knighted by Charles II. His Voyages have always been much esteemed as very curious and accurate.
1731. Brook Taylor, an English mathematician and philosopher, died. His works were valuable and often republished.
1737. Joseph Saurin, a French mathematician, died. He devoted his life to geometrical pursuits, and is conspicuous for a controversy with Rousseau who wished to palm upon him some of his own libelous verses against persons of distinction.
1755. Gabrielle Susanne Barbot de Villeneuve, a celebrated French novel writer, died.
1761. Elizabeth, queen of Russia, died. She was the daughter of Peter the Great, and ascended the throne, 1741.