1758. John Dyer, an English poet, died. In 1727 he published the poem of Grongar Hill, and soon after he went to Italy to delineate the antiquities of that country, under the title of the Ruins of Rome, a poem which places him high on the scale of merit as a writer.
1759. Battle of Niagara. The English under sir William Johnson defeated the French and Indians with great slaughter, and took fort Niagara. The loss of this fortress effectually cut off all communication between Canada and Louisiana.
1768. Nathaniel Lardner, an eminent English divine, died. His literary labors, which have been published in 11 vols., were translated into various languages abroad, and procured him great distinction at home.
1779. An expedition fitted out by Massachusetts to take a British post at Penobscot, totally defeated by the unexpected arrival of the British fleet. The troops were dispersed in all directions, and found their way home with difficulty; 19 vessels were taken or destroyed, and 24 transports burnt.
1797. Unsuccessful attack of the British upon Santa Cruz, Teneriffe. Lord Nelson lost his right arm.
1804. Adolphus Charles Adam, afterwards a distinguished musical performer, born at Paris.
1813. An attempt made by several United States officers to blow up the British ship Plantagenet, in Lynnhaven bay, with a torpedo. It exploded without effecting their purpose, though so near the vessel as to injure it.
1817. About mid-day, after a loud detonation, the lake Canterno, or Porciano, in Italy, totally disappeared. A large opening was discovered in the bottom, through which the waters were supposed to have escaped into the sinuosities of the neighboring mountains.
1822. Ernest Theodore William Hoffman, a Prussian novelist, died. He possessed much imagination and talent, but was an irregular and unhappy man.
1830. The thermometer at noon in Boston stood at 95°, at sundown at 50°, and fires were made.