632. The Persian era began, recording the fall of the Sassanian dynasty, and the religion of Zoroaster. This famous era, as amended by the sultan Geluleddin, is now in use by the parsees of India.
1381. John Ball, in order to be chancellor under Wat Tyler, gave his followers a sermon.
1487. Battle of Stoke, England. Lambert Simnel, who had been crowned in Ireland, received the king's pardon, and was made a scullion in the royal kitchen.
1575. Adrian Junius, a learned Dutch author, died; he is quoted by the people of Harlem to establish the right of Lawrence Coster to the honor of being the inventor of printing in that city, about 1430.
1658. Edward Capellus, a learned French protestant divine, died. He was
engaged in a long and learned controversy concerning the antiquity of the Hebrew points, his adversary maintaining that they were coeval with the language, while he showed that they were unknown before the dispersion of the Jews, and were invented about 600 years after Christ. He was engaged 36 years on the Critica Sacra, a work of prodigious labor and great merit.
1666. Richard Fanshawe, an English statesman, died. He was actively engaged in political affairs, yet found time to produce several works of much credit.
1719. Lewis Ellis Dupin, a learned French critic, died. He devoted himself to a biographical dictionary of ecclesiastical authors, which was brought down to the end of the 16th century, and has been translated into English. His works are numerous.
1722. John Churchill, the renowned duke of Marlborough, died. He stands unrivaled among the British generals, and during several years gained a series of the most splendid victories. It has been said that he gained every battle which he fought, and took every town which he besieged.
1743. Battle of Dettingen, in which the French suffered a severe defeat, losing 6000 men; the allies, under George II, 1000.