1849. A convention called the Peace congress, opened its sittings at Paris.
1849. Venice capitulated to marshal Radetsky.
1850. Nathaniel Berry died at Gardiner, Me., aged 94; a member of Washington's life guard.
1851. The American yacht America, at the regatta at Cowes, England, won the "cup of all nations."
1852. Æneas Munson, the oldest graduate of Yale college, died at New Haven, aged 89. He was an assistant surgeon in the war of the revolution, afterwards became a merchant, and for a long period was president successively of several banks.
1853. Pietro Bachi, a Sicilian exile, died at Boston, aged 66. Being implicated in Murat's attempt to reascend the throne in 1815, he was banished, and arrived in America in 1825. He was highly accomplished in ancient and modern languages, and became an instructor of Italian in Harvard college.
AUGUST 23.
634. Abdallah Atik Ben Abi Kohafah, better known as Abu Bekr, died. He was the first caliph or successor of Mohammed in the government of the faithful. He enlarged the empire, and caused the precepts of the prophet to be collected in a volume, called Al Koran, which is the sacred and classical book of the Mohammedans.
1305. William Wallace, "the peerless knight of Ellerslie," at the age of about 35, executed on Tower hill, and his head set up on London bridge, to the public gaze.
1350. Philip de Valois, king of France, died. His crown was disputed by Edward VIII of England, which gave rise to a disastrous war.