1778. American frigate Raleigh, after gallantly engaging two British men of war some time, ran on shore, and was captured.
1791. The national assembly of France dissolved itself.
1793. Francis Rozier, an eminent French agriculturist, killed by a bomb at Lyons, which fell on his bed, while he was asleep. He published a work on agriculture in 10 volumes quarto.
1793. The French convention decreed the incorporation with the French republic of all the Austrian possessions on the west side of the Rhine.
1809. Charles Francis Dupuis, a French philosopher, died; having filled several important professorships and civil offices. He published a work on the origin of all modes of religious worship, in 3 volumes quarto.
1813. The Americans under general Harrison took possession of Sandwich and Detroit.
1825. Daniel Shays, noted for the part he took in the celebrated rebellion of 1786, which bears his name, died at Sparta, aged 64. He had been an officer in the revolutionary army, and enjoyed a pension.
1827. Captains Parry and Franklin reached the admiralty, from the arctic and overland American expeditions. The latitude made by Parry was 82¾ degrees.
1833. Ferdinand VII, king of Spain, died, and was buried with great pomp in the Escurial. His reign was a period of disaster to Spain, during which she sank rapidly into insignificance as a European kingdom. He received a superior education, but was a superstitious and weak minded man, the victim or the tool of artful ministers or bigoted priests. His first wife, an accomplished woman, was
poisoned in 1806, the second died 1808; the third 1829; the fourth by whom alone he had issue, outlived him. It was during his reign that the inquisition was re-established and six years afterwards permanently abolished. In his latter years he seemed to take little or no interest in public affairs, but continued to reign, nominally, goaded on one side by the liberals, and on the other by the absolutists, or apostolical party as they called themselves, who were for ruling by terror.