1130. Abdulmumen, ibn Ali, elected sultan of eastern Africa by the following stratagem. Having trained a parrot and a lion, he assembled the chiefs in his tent, and urged upon them the necessity of naming a successor to their rising empire. In the midst of their deliberations the parrot perched himself upon one of the poles of the tent, and pronounced distinctly "Victory and power be the lot of the khalif Abdulmumen, commander of
the faithful." The lion then made his way through the terrified assembly, licked his hand, and lay down at his feet. Deeply impressed with this wonder, and the manifest interference of heaven, the simple Almohades unanimously proclaimed him sultan.
1553. John Dudley, duke of Northumberland, beheaded. He acquired almost unbounded authority after the death of Henry VIII, and by the abortive attempt to place lady Jane Grey on the throne, lost his own life and brought about the ruin of all concerned in the scheme.
1560. The great solar eclipse, which first turned the attention of Tycho Brahe, at the age of 14, to the science of astronomy.
1561. Mary (the Myrtle of the South), arrived in Scotland, after an absence of thirteen years in France. It was on her passage that she composed that simple and touching chanson, beginning, "Adieu, plaisant pays de France."
1621. A cargo of marriageable ladies consisting of one widow and eleven maids, consigned at London to the colony in Virginia, to be sold for tobacco, at the rate of 120 lbs. of the best leaf for each.
1682. William Penn, to prevent any future claim, obtained a release from James, duke of York, of all his right to Pennsylvania.
1703. Thomas Tryon died. He was the son of a tiler and plasterer at Bibury, England, and became a shepherd. At the age of 13 he learned to read, and at 14 he gave one of several sheep he had obtained, to be taught the art of writing. Afterwards, selling his stock, for three pounds, he went to London and apprenticed himself to a hat maker, where he spent the day in learning his trade, and most of the night in reading. He commenced business, and acquired a considerable fortune. He rejected animal food, lived in "temperance, cleanliness and innocency," and died at the age of 69.
1708. Haverhill burnt. A force of about 400 French and Indians made an irruption from Canada, and shaping their course to the Merrimack, fell upon the town in the morning, plundered and burnt the houses, killed about 40 persons, and captured many more. The enemy were pursued, and many of them killed, among whom was a brother of the French leader, Rouville. Among the captives was the clergyman; his two daughters 6 and 8 years old, were preserved by the servant, who concealed them under tubs in the cellar, which the Indians did not disturb.
1726. Great destroying earthquake at Palermo, in Sicily.