1855. The Russians, 30,000 men, under general Mouravieff, invested Kars in the Crimea; the Turkish garrison was commanded by general Williams, an Englishman.
1856. Prince Esterhazy, an eminent Austrian ambassador, died at Berlin, in Prussia, where he was envoy.
JUNE 24.
64. The first Christian persecution under Nero.
79. Titus Flavius Vespasianus, emperor of Rome, died, after a popular reign of 10 years. He was the first of the Roman emperors who died a natural death.
1203. The third, or Boniface's crusade, reached Chalcedon.
1314. Battle of Bannockburn in Scotland. The English army of 100,000 men under Edward II totally defeated by the Scots, 30,000, under Bruce. The loss of the English was 154 earls, barons and knights, 700 gentlemen and upwards of 10,000 common soldiers.
1340. Battle of Sluys: the English under Edward III, with 240 ships, defeated the French fleet of 400 ships. The French lost 230 vessels and 30,000 men killed.
1450. Battle of Seven Oaks, in England, when Cade, the rebel, turning on his pursuers, put them to flight, killed sir Humphrey Stafford, and arrayed himself in the knight's panopli and spurs.
1497. John Cabot and his son Sebastian, in the service of England, first descried land on the continent of America, which they called Prima Vista, and is generally supposed to have been some part of Newfoundland. No one had yet reached the continent.