1675. Valentin Conrart died; to whose influence, taste and love for literature, the French ascribe the origin of their academy, of which he is styled the father.
1709. Newburgh on the west side of the Hudson river settled.
1727. James Abbaddie, a learned French protestant minister, died. He was an elegant preacher, and his works were unusually popular.
1737. The Hebrews disfranchised by a vote of the New York legislature.
1738. Herman Boerhaave, an eminent Dutch physician, died. From his multifarious knowledge he has been styled the Voltaire of science.
1746. Namur, in Belgium, taken by the French, and with it 7,000 Austrians surrendered.
1777. The British army under general Howe crossed the Schuylkill.
1779. American frigate Bon Homme Richard, 40 guns, 375 men, captain Paul Jones, engaged and captured the British frigate Serapis, captain Pearson, 44 guns. While engaged, the American frigate Alliance, 36 guns, frequently sailed round the Serapis and poured in a raking fire, both fore and aft, but as they were close alongside of each other, her fire frequently did execution on board Jones's ship, 11 of whose men and an officer were killed by one broadside. The loss on both sides was very great. At the same time, in company, the British ship Countess of Scarborough engaged the French frigate Pallas, and after an action of two hours struck her colors and was made prize of.
1780. John Andre, the British spy, intercepted near Tarrytown, about 25 miles above New York, and taken into custody.
1784. Some Americans in Savannah, not to be behind the age, fitted up a balloon in which 6 men with 600 bushels of corn and necessaries for the trip, started from that city for Jamaica.