1714. Gibraltar and Minorca also ceded to the English.
1715. Emanuel Theodosius Boullion, a cardinal and ambassador of Louis XIV of France, died.
1729. Francesco Bianchini, an Italian antiquary and astronomer, died. He devoted his life to intense study, and in his character extensive learning was united with great modesty and amiability of manners. He was patronized by the pope, and received marks of respect from the Roman senate.
1738. Johnson and Garrick started from Litchfield for London as literary adventurers. The former had two pence half penny in his pocket, and the latter something less.
1767. James Drake, an English political and medical writer, died. He is chiefly known now by his System of Anatomy.
1768. The extensive copper mine in the isle of Anglesey was discovered.
1776. The Americans cannonaded Boston from Cobble hill and Lechmere point.
1786. John Jebb, an eminent English non-conformist divine and physician, died. His publications, theological, medical and political, gained great approbation.
1788. Solomon Gesner, a Swiss bookseller, poet and painter, died at Zurich. Of his writings the best known, in English, is the Death of Abel.
1791. John Wesley, founder of the methodists, died, aged 88. He was born at Epworth, England, and at the time of finishing his studies, was distinguished for his classical attainments, skill in dialectics, and talent for poetry. The origin of the sect called methodists is to be attributed to the circumstance of a club of kindred spirits, who used to meet on week days and read classics, and on Sundays divinity, but shortly their meetings became exclusively religious. This society consisted of fifteen members, who from the strictness of their manners and deportment, obtained the name of Methodists, an appellation which they sanctioned and retained. He visited America, and afterwards Germany, and on his return commenced the systematic labors by which he became the founder of a numerous religious sect. He joined with Whitfield in field preaching, but their opinions being at collision on some point, they finally separated. He continued his active labors till within a week of his death. His works on various subjects amount to upwards of thirty volumes octavo.