1716. Roger Cotes, an English mathematician and astronomer, died, aged 33. He was rapidly acquiring distinction in science, and his loss was much regretted.
1724. Henry Sacheverell, a notorious English prelate, died. He made himself obnoxious to parliament by the intemperance of his sermons. The mob took up his cause, and the ministry was overturned. He does not seem to have deserved much of the adulation bestowed upon him.
1745. Battle of Placentia, in which the Spaniards and French were defeated.
1757. Charles Viner died; an eminent English law writer.
1781. Fort Cornwallis, at Augusta, Ga., surrendered with 300 men to the Americans under Pickens and Lee. The latter had 40 killed during the siege which lasted 17 days.
1783. First public ascension of a balloon. It was made at Annonay, in France, by John and Stephen Montgolfier. An immense bag of linen lined with paper, and containing 23,000 cubic feet, was provided for the occasion. It was inflated by burning chopped straw and wool under the aperture of the machine, which immediately began to swell; and on being set at liberty ascended 6,000 feet into the air. As yet no individual had ascended.
1790. The steam boat constructed by John Fitch, left the city of Philadelphia at 4 o'clock in the morning for Trenton landing; from which place she returned to Philadelphia again at 5 in the afternoon, performing 80 miles against a strong head wind all the way down, and 16 miles against current and tide. It was propelled by 12 oars, and was the first successful experiment in America, and the most successful one in the world at that time—16 years before the triumph of Fulton.
1792. David Henry, an English printer, died. He was for more than half a century an active manager of the Gentlemen's Magazine, and published several other valuable works.
1794. Battle near Schecketschine, beyond the Vistula, in which the Russians defeated the Poles under Kosciusko.
1794. A small island emerged from the sea near the island of Tenedos. It was about half a mile in circumference.