356. B. C. Marcius Rutilus, the first dictator elected from the plebeians, entered Rome in triumph from his victories over the Etrurians.
1527. The imperialists under the duke of Bourbon, took Rome by assault and plundered it. The duke was killed by a musket ball. He had been disgraced at the French court, and was now in the service of Charles V of Germany.
1540. John Lewis Vives, a learned Spaniard, died. He resided some time at the court of Henry VIII of England, where he was imprisoned for opposing the divorce of Catharine of Arragon.
1562. Paul de la Barthe, lord of Thermes, a French general, died, aged 80. He was distinguished in the wars of his country by several important victories.
1569. The first English lottery, which commenced drawing on the 11th January (q. v.), and had been continued day and night, finished on this day. It consisted of 400,000 lots of 10s. each. The prizes were plate, and the profits were to be expended in repairing the havens of the kingdom.
1631. Robert Bruce Cotton, an eminent English antiquary, died. His writings are numerous and valuable, and he did great service to learning by leaving his valuable library to the use of posterity, in the British museum.
1643. Battle of Stratton, in which the parliamentary army under the earl of Stamford was attacked by the Cornish royalists, who, although far inferior in numbers, gained a complete victory, taking the camp of the enemy, all their artillery, baggage and provisions, and many prisoners.
1667. Samuel Bochart, a learned French protestant divine, died. He was distinguished as an oriental scholar, and died while delivering an oration at the academy of Caen.
1673. The island of St. Helena retaken by the English.
1712. Garien de sieur de Sandras Courtlitz, a French author, died. His works were numerous, and some of them political, for which he was confined in the bastile nine years.