1842. Great earthquake at the Windward islands. Point Petre, in Guadaloupe, totally destroyed, and 10,000 lives lost. It extended over 46 degrees of latitude.
1851. Nicholas van Sittart, a British statesman, died, aged 85.
1856. M. Chacornac discovered the thirty-ninth asteroid.
FEBRUARY 9.
1450. Agnes Sorel died. She was the mistress of Charles VII, of France, distinguished for her beauty, strength of mind, and the influence she possessed over the king, whom she incited to deeds of glory.
1547. Henry VIII was succeeded on the throne of England by his only son, Edward VI, in the ninth year of his age, who was crowned with great state at Westminster.
1555. John Hooper bishop of Gloucester, burnt. He was a dissenter in the time of Mary, and refusing to recant his opinions, was burnt in the city of Gloucester, and suffered death with admirable constancy.
1555. Rowland Taylor burnt at Hadleigh, in England, for resisting the establishment of papal worship in his church. Great efforts were made to induce him to recant, which he firmly rejected, and proceeded on his way to the stake with great courage and apparent unconcern. During the burning he stood without crying or moving, till one of the executioners struck him on the head with a halberd, when his corpse fell down into the fire.
1577. Philibert de Lorme, an eminent French architect and antiquary, died. He left several works on architecture greatly esteemed.
1636. Philemon Holland died at Coventry, England. He was a laborious translator of the Greek and Latin authors.