1771     Claude Adrien Helvétius (died), French philosopher (born 1715) 1780     John Fothergill (died), English physician (born 1712) 1799     Four thousand people attend George Washington’s funeral where Henry Lee III declares him as “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” 1846     Trapped in snow in the Sierra Nevadas and… Continue reading →

1696    James Oglethorpe (born), English general, founded the Province of Georgia (died 1785) 1805    John Obadiah Westwood (born), English entomologist and archaeologist (died 1893) 1807    The Embargo Act, forbidding trade with all foreign countries, is passed by the U.S. Congress, at the urging of President Thomas Jefferson. 1808    Ludwig van Beethoven conducts and performs in… Continue reading →

1118     Thomas Becket (born), English archbishop (died 1170) 1620    William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims land on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts. 1682    Calico Jack (born), English pirate (died 1720) 1804    Benjamin Disraeli (born), English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1881) 1824    James Parkinson (died), English physician… Continue reading →

1803     The Louisiana Purchase is completed at a ceremony in New Orleans, Louisiana. 1812     Sacagawea (died), American member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (born 1788) 1862     Robert Knox (died), Scottish surgeon and zoologist (born 1791) 1868     Harvey Samuel Firestone (born), American businessman, founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (died 1938) 1901     Robert J…. Continue reading →

1154     Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey. 1490     Anne, Duchess of Brittany, is married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor by proxy. 1554     Philip William (born), Prince of Orange (died 1618) 1606     The Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery depart England carrying settlers who found, at Jamestown, Virginia, the first of… Continue reading →