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USS Ranger (1777)

USS Ranger (1777)

The first USS Ranger was a sloop-of-war in the Continental Navy and received the first official salute at sea by a foreign power. Ranger, initially called Hampshire, was launched 10 May 1777 by James K. Hackett, master shipbuilder, at Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Capt. John Paul Jones in command. After fitting out, she sailed for France 1 November 1777, carrying dispatches telling of General Burgoyne's surrender to the Commissioners in Paris. On the voyage over, two British prizes were captured. Ranger arrived at Nantes, France, 2 December, where Jones sold the prizes and delivered the news of the victory at Saratoga to Dr. Franklin. On 14 February 1778, Ranger received the first official salute to the new American flag, the "Stars and Stripes," given by the French fleet at Quiberon Bay. Ranger sailed from Brest 10 April 1778, for the Irish Sea and 4 days later captured a prize between the Scilly Isles and Cape Clear. On 17 April, she took another prize and sent her back to France. Captain Jones led a daring raid on the British port of Whitehaven, 23 April, spiking the guns of the fortress, and burning the ships in the harbor. Sailing across the bay to St. Mary's Isle, Scotland, the American captain planned to seize the Earl of Selkirk and hold him as a hostage to obtain better treatment for American prisoners of war. However, since the Earl was absent, the plan failed. Several cruisers were searching for Ranger, and Captain Jones sailed across North Channel to Carrickfergus, Ireland, to induce HMS Drake, 20 guns, to come out and fight. Drake came out slowly against the wind and tide, and, after an hour's battle, the battered Drake struck her colors, with two Americans and 40 British killed in the combat. Having made temporary repairs, and with a prize crew on Drake, Ranger continued around the west coast of Ireland, capturing a stores ship, and arrived at Brest with her prizes 8 May. Captain Jones was detached to command Bonhomme Richard, leaving Lieutenant Simpson, his first officer, in command. Ranger departed Brest 21 August, reaching Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 15 October, in company with Providence and Boston, plus three prizes taken in the Atlantic. The sloop departed Portsmouth 24 February 1779 joining with the Continental Navy ships Queen of France and Warren in preying on British shipping in the North Atlantic. Seven prizes were captured early in April, and brought safely into port for sale. On 18 June, Ranger was underway again with Providence and Queen of France, capturing two Jamaicamen in July and nine more vessels off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Of the 11 prizes, three were recaptured, but the remaining eight, with their cargoes, were worth over a million dollars when sold in Boston. Underway 23 November, Ranger was ordered to Commodore Whipple's squadron, arriving Charleston 23 December, to support the garrison there under siege by the British. On 24 January 1780, Ranger and Providence, in a short cruise down the coast captured three transports, loaded with supplies, near Tybee, Georgia. The British assault force was also discovered in the area. Ranger and Providence sailed back to Charleston with the news. Shortly afterwards the British commenced the final push. Although the channel and harbor configuration made naval operations and support difficult, Ranger took a station in the Cooper River, and was captured when the city fell 11 May 1780. Ranger was taken into the British Navy and commissioned under the name Halifax.

Sloop-of-war

sloop-of-war.]] Dupleix (1856-1887)]] In the 18th and the earlier part of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a small sailing warship with a single gun deck which carried between ten and eighteen cannons. A brig sloop had two masts and a ship sloop had three (since a brig is a two masted square-rigged vessel and a ship a three- or more-masted square-rigger, though invariably of 3 only in that period). A ship sloop was generally the equivalent of a corvette (the French term for the same type, a name subsequntly also applied to British vessels). A sloop-of-war was smaller than a sailing frigate and outside the rating system. A sloop-of-war was quite different from a civilian or mercantile sloop, which was a general term for a single masted vessel rigged like what we would today call a gaff cutter (but usually without the square topsails then carried by cutter-rigged vessels); some of this other type of sloop nevertheless also served in the 18th Century British Royal Navy, particularly on the Great Lakes of North America. Successive generations of guns became larger in the second half of the 19th century and with the advent of steam-powered sloops, both paddle and screw, so by the 1880s even the most powerful warships had less than a dozen large calibre guns. The term had by then become much less precise, meaning a small warship with a single gun-deck bigger than a gunboat. Especially numerous in the 20th century were British mass-produced sloops of the "Flower" class of the First World War, a name-class subsequently echoed by the famous corvettes of the "Flower" class of the Second World War, by which time both the terms "sloop" and corvette had both come to mean a small warship armed with one or two 4-inch guns and depth charges, primarily employed on convoy escort duty. After the Second World War, the sloops were replaced by frigates, which term had been re-introduced in 1940 for somewhat larger escort vessels more similar in size (though not in performance or cost) to the larger destroyers.

External links

- [http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/naval_sloops_.htm Royal Navy Sloops] from battleships-cruisers.co.uk - history and pictures from 1873 to 1943. Category:Ship types

10 May

May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). There are 235 days remaining.

Events

- 1291 - Scottish nobles recognize the authority of King Edward I of England.
- 1497 - Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World.
- 1503 - Christopher Columbus visits the Cayman Islands and names them Las Tortugas after the numerous sea turtles there.
- 1534 - Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland.
- 1768 - John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for the North Briton severely criticizing King George III. This action provokes rioting in London.
- 1774 - Louis XVI becomes King of France.
- 1775 - American Revolutionary War: Fort Ticonderoga is taken by a small force led by Colonel Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen.
- 1775 - American Revolutionary War: Representatives from the 13 colonies of the United States meet in Philadelphia and raise the Continental Army to defend the new republic. They place it under command of Cavalier George Washington of Virginia.
- 1796 - First Coalition: Napoleon I of France wins a decisive victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the River Adda in Italy. The Austrians lose some 2,000 men.
- 1801 - First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States.
- 1837 - Panic of 1837: New York City banks fail, and unemployment reaches record levels.
- 1857 - Indian Mutiny: In India, the Sepoys revolt against the British Army.
- 1865 - American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is captured by Union troops near Irwinville, Georgia.
- 1865 - American Civil War: Union soldiers ambush and mortally wound Confederate raider William Quantrill in Kentucky, who lingers until his death on June 6.
- 1869 - The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point, Utah).
- 1872 - Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States.
- 1877 - Romania declares itself independent from Turkey, recognized on March 26, 1881 after the end of the Romanian independence war.
- 1908 - Mother's Day is observed for the first time (Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, USA).
- 1924 - J. Edgar Hoover is appointed the Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, and remains so until his death in 1972.
- 1933 - Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings.
- 1940 - World War II: The first German bombs of the war fall on England at Chilham and Petham, in Kent.
- 1940 - World War II: Germany invades Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
- 1940 - World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- 1941 - World War II: The House of Commons in London is destroyed by the Luftwaffe in an air raid.
- 1941 - World War II: Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland in order to try and negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany.
- 1954 - Bill Haley and the Comets release "Rock Around the Clock", the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the charts.
- 1960 - The nuclear submarine USS Triton completes the first underwater circumnavigation of the earth.
- 1969 - The first "Zip to Zap" rural outdoor rock concert at Zap, North Dakota, is ended prematurely as North Dakota National Guard is ordered to disperse the unruly crowd.
- 1979 - The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
- 1981 - François Mitterrand takes office as the first Socialist President of France.
- 1988 - Michel Rocard becomes Prime Minister of France.
- 1993 - In Thailand, a fire at the Kader Toy Factory kills 188 workers, mostly young women.
- 1994 - The U.S. state of Illinois executes serial killer John Wayne Gacy for the murder of 33 young men and boys.
- 1994 - An annular eclipse of the sun is visible across much of North America.
- 1996 - A "rogue storm" near the summit of Mount Everest kills eight climbers, making this the deadliest day in the mountain's history. Among the dead are experienced climbers Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, both of whom were leading paid expeditions to the summit.
- 1997 - An earthquake near Ardekul in northeastern Iran kills at least 2,400 people.
- 1998 - National elections are held in Hungary.
- 2001 - In Ghana, a stampede at a football game kills over 120 spectators.
- 2002 - FBI agent Robert Hanssen is given a life sentence without the possibility of parole for selling American secrets to Moscow for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds.
- 2002 - Lynda Lyon Block is executed in Yellow Mama, the electric chair of Alabama.
- 2003 - Record shattering tornado activity during the May 2003 Tornado Outbreaks.
- 2005 - A live hand grenade lands about 100 feet from United States President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but malfunctions and does not detonate. Vladimir Arutinian later admits throwing the grenade.

Births

- 1265 - Emperor Fushimi of Japan (d. 1317)
- 1604 - Jean Mairet, French dramatist (d. 1686)
- 1641 - Dudley North, English economist (d. 1691)
- 1727 - Anne Robert Turgot, French statesman (d. 1781)
- 1760 - Johann Peter Hebel, German poet (d. 1826)
- 1770 - Louis Nicolas Davout, French marshal (d. 1823)
- 1838 - John Wilkes Booth, American actor and assassin of Abraham Lincoln (d. 1865)
- 1841 - James Gordon Bennett Jr., American publisher (d. 1918)
- 1866 - Léon Bakst, Russian artist (d. 1924)
- 1872 - Marcel Mauss, French sociologist (d. 1950)
- 1878 - Gustav Stresemann, Chancellor of Germany, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1929)
- 1886 - Karl Barth, Swiss Protestant theologian (d. 1968)
- 1886 - Felix Manalo, first Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (d. 1963)
- 1888 - Max Steiner, Austrian composer (d. 1971)
- 1889 - Mae Murray, American actress (d. 1965)
- 1890 - Alfred Jodl, German general (d. 1946)
- 1897 - Einar Gerhardsen, Prime minister of Norway (d. 1987)
- 1899 - Fred Astaire, American singer, dancer, and actor (d. 1987)
- 1899 - Dimitri Tiomkin, Ukrainian-born composer (d. 1979)
- 1902 - Anatole Litvak, Ukrainian-born film director (d. 1974)
- 1902 - David O. Selznick, American film producer (d. 1965)
- 1909 - Maybelle Carter, American musician
- 1916 - Milton Babbitt, American composer
- 1927 - Nayantara Sahgal, Indian author
- 1928 - Arnold Rüütel, Estonian president
- 1930 - Pat Summerall, American football player and broadcaster
- 1933 - Barbara Taylor Bradford, English writer
- 1934 - Cliff Wilson, Welsh snooker player (d. 1994)
- 1936 - Gary Owens, American actor and announcer
- 1944 - Jim Abrahams, American film director
- 1946 - Donovan, Scottish musician
- 1946 - Dave Mason, English musician (Traffic)
- 1953 - John Diamond, British journalist (d. 2001)
- 1955 - Chris Berman, American sportscaster
- 1955 - Mark David Chapman, American assassin of John Lennon
- 1955 - Ashoka Jahnavi-Prasad, scientist
- 1956 - Vladislav Listyev, Russian television anchor and journalist
- 1957 - Sid Vicious, English bassist (The Sex Pistols) (d. 1979)
- 1958 - Rick Santorum, U.S. Senator
- 1960 - Bono, Irish singer ( U2)
- 1965 - Linda Evangelista, Canadian model
- 1966 - Jonathan Edwards, British athlete
- 1969 - Dennis Bergkamp, Dutch footballer
- 1970 - David Weir, Scottish footballer
- 1971 - Ådne Søndrål, Norwegian speed skater
- 1972 - Radosław Majdan, Polish footballer
- 1975 - Hélio Castroneves, Brazilian race car driver
- 1977 - Nick Heidfeld, German Formula 1 driver
- 1980 - Jørgen Scharling Rasmussen, Danish singer and cartoonist

Deaths

- 1290 - Duke Rudolph II of Austria (b. 1271)
- 1424 - Go-Kameyama, Emperor of Japan
- 1482 - Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1397)
- 1493 - Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll, Scottish politician
- 1521 - Sebastian Brant, Alsatian humanist (b. 1457)
- 1566 - Leonhart Fuchs, German botanist (b. 1501)
- 1641 - Johan Banér, Swedish soldier (b. 1596)
- 1657 - Gustaf Horn, Swedish soldier and politician (b. 1592)
- 1691 - Colonel John Birch, English soldier (b. 1615)
- 1696 - Jean de La Bruyère, French writer (b. 1645)
- 1717 - John Hathorne, American magistrate (b. 1641)
- 1726 - Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, English soldier (b. 1670)
- 1733 - Barton Booth, English actor (b. 1681)
- 1737 - Nakamikado Emperor of Japan (b. 1702)
- 1774 - King Louis XV of France (b. 1710)
- 1787 - William Watson, English physician and scientist (b. 1715)
- 1792 - John Stevens, American delegate to the Continental Congress
- 1807 - Comte de Rochambeau, French soldier (b. 1725)
- 1818 - Paul Revere, American patriot (b. 1735)
- 1829 - Thomas Young, English physician and linguist (b. 1773)
- 1850 - Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, French chemist and physicist (b. 1778)
- 1863 - Stonewall Jackson, American Confederate general (b. 1824)
- 1889 - Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian satirist (b. 1826)
- 1897 - Andrés Bonifacio, Filipino revolutionary leader (b. 1863)
- 1950 - Belle da Costa Greene, librarian, bibliographer, archivist (b. 1883)
- 1955 - Tommy Burns, Canadian boxer (b. 1881)
- 1960 - Yury Olesha, Russian novelist (b. 1899)
- 1977 - Joan Crawford, American actress (b. 1905)
- 1990 - Walker Percy, American author (b. 1916)
- 1994 - John Wayne Gacy, American serial killer (executed) (b. 1942)
- 1999 - Shel Silverstein, American poet and composer (b. 1930)
- 2003 - Milan Vukcevich, Yugoslavian chemist and chess problem composer (b. 1937)
- 2005 - David Wayne, American singer (Metal Church) (b. 1958)

Holidays and Observances

- Feast Day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church:
- Solange
- Saint Alphius
- Saint Aurelian
- Saint William of Pontoise
- Saint Calepodius
- Saint Cataldus
- Saint Comgall
- Saint Dioscorides
- Saint Epimachus
- Gordianus
- Isidore the Laborer
- Saint John of Avila
- Saint Quaratus and Quintus
- Saint Peter Van
- Memorial Day of Blessed Damien of Moloka'i in Christianity
- Celebration of the Clandestine Retreat of Ma'at and Re in Ancient Egypt
- Confederate Memorial Day in North Carolina and South Carolina
- Constitution Day in the Federated States of Micronesia
- Inauguration Day in South Africa
- Sita Pujan in Hinduism
- Tin Han's Day in China
- Start of Tori no Mawari/Bird Week in Japan
- Mania (mythology) in Ancient Rome
- Dia de la Madre in Mexico
- Mother's Day - 1987, 1998, 2009
- Yom Ha'atzma'ut in Judaism - 2000
- Lag Ba'omer in Judaism - 2012

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/10 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/20050720.html The New York Times: On This Day]
- [http://www.thisdaythatyear.com/may/people10.htm ThisDayThatYear.com on May 10] ---- May 9 - May 11 - April 10 - June 10 – listing of all days ko:5월 10일 ja:5月10日 simple:May 10 th:10 พฤษภาคม

1777

1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar).

Events

- The Cornish language died out
- 2nd edition of Encyclopædia Britannica published
- January 3 - American Revolutionary War: American general George Washington defeats British general Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Princeton.
- January 12 - Mission Santa Clara de Asís is founded in what is now Santa Clara, California
- January 16 - Vermont declares its independence from New York becoming an independent country, a status it retained until it joined the United States as the 14th state in 1791
- June 13 - American Revolutionary War: Marquis de Lafayette lands near Charleston, South Carolina to help the Continental Congress train its army.
- June 14 - Stars and Stripes adopted by the Continental Congress as the Flag of the United States.
- August 16 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Bennington - British forces are defeated by American troops.
- September 3 - Cooch's Bridge - Skirmish of American Revolutionary war in New Castle County, Delaware where the Flag of the United States was flown in battle for the first time.
- September 11 - Battle of Brandywine - Major American Revolutionary war victory for British in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
- September 19 - American Revolutionary War: First Battle of Saratoga/Battle of Freeman's Farm/Battle of Bemis Heights.
- October 4 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Germantown- Troops under George Washington are repelled by British troops under Sir William Howe.
- October 17 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Saratoga- American troops defeat the British.
- November 15 - American Revolutionary War: After 16 months of debate, the Continental Congress approves the Articles of Confederation in the temporary American capital at York, Pennsylvania.
- November 17 - Articles of Confederation submitted to the states for ratification.
- November 29 - San Jose, California founded. It is the first pueblo in Spanish Alta California.
- December 24 - Kiritimati discovered by James Cook
- The code duello is adopted at the Clonmell Summer Assizes as the form for pistol duels in Ireland. It is quickly denounced but nevertheless widely adopted throughout the English-speaking world.

Births

- January 2 - Christian Daniel Rauch, German sculptor (d. 1857)
- February 12 - Friedrich de la Motte Fouque, French poet (d. 1843)
- March 17 - Roger Taney, Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1864)
- April 12 - Henry Clay, American statesman (d. 1852)
- April 30 - Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician, astronomer, and physicist (d. 1855)
- August 14 - Hans Christian Ørsted, Danish physicist and chemist (d. 1851)
- October 16 - Lorenzo Dow, American Methodist preacher (d. 1834)
- October 18 - Heinrich von Kleist, German writer (d. 1811)
- December 4 - Madame Récamier, French writer (d. 1849)
- December 23 - Emperor Alexander I of Russia (d. 1825)
- Benjamin d'Urban, British general and colonial administrator (d. 1849)

Deaths

- January 10 - Spranger Barry, Irish actor (b. 1719)
- January 12 - Hugh Mercer, American Revolutionary War officer (mortally wounded in battle)
- February 9 - Seth Pomeroy, American gunsmith and soldier (b. 1706)
- February 24 - King Joseph I of Portugal (b. 1714)
- March 1 - Georg Christoph Wagenseil, Austrian composer (b. 1715)
- May 11 - George Pigot, Baron Pigot, British governor of Madras (b. 1719)
- May 19 - Button Gwinnett, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1735)
- September 22 - John Bartram, American botanist (b. 1699)
- September 25 - Johann H. Lambert, mathematician, physicist and astronomer (b. 1728)
- October 21 - Samuel Foote, English dramatist and actor (b. 1720)
- November 10 - Cornstalk, Shawnee chief Category:1777 ko:1777년 ms:1777

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

beside the Piscataqua River. Raleigh was first to fly the American flag into naval battle.]] Portsmouth, New Hampshire is the largest city in Rockingham County in the State of New Hampshire in the United States of America. Its location is 43°3' North, 70°47' West. The city had a total population of 20,784 as of the 2000 census. The city is served by Pease International Airport.

Geography

Pease International AirportPortsmouth is located at 43°4'1" North, 70°46'22" West (43.067038, -70.772838). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.5 km² (16.8 mi²). 40.4 km² (15.6 mi²) of it is land and 3.1 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 7.03% water.

History

mi²] Portsmouth, New Hampshire was settled in 1623 and first given the name "Strawbery Banke" because of plentiful wild strawberries growing beside the deep so-called Piscataqua River (actually an estuary). Located between industries upstream (particularly logging) and commercial interests abroad, Strawbery Banke was well situated for fishing, trade, shipbuilding, and growth. In time it would not only acquire a new name (in 1653), but also the role of colonial capital, formerly belonging to the harbor island of New Castle. Portsmouth's vulnerablity during the American Revolution to British warships, which on October 18, 1775 burned Falmouth (now Portland, Maine), helped justify moving the capital inland to Exeter. Portsmouth's mercantile wealth would be expressed in fine architecture; it contains significant examples of Colonial, Georgian, and Federal style houses, some of which are now museums. Portsmouth's heart contains stately brick Federalist stores and townhouses, built all of a piece after devastating early 19th century fires. The city is also noted for boldly veneered Federalist furniture, particularly that crafted by Langley Boardman. The Industrial Revolution era, however, would leave Portsmouth in the shadow of New Hampshire mill towns like Dover, Keene, Laconia, Manchester and Nashua. The effect of this shift was to preserve old Portsmouth. Now, with the protection of an Historic District Commission, much of the city's architectural legacy survives -- to the delight of tourists. John Paul Jones' ship Ranger was built in Portsmouth, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, located across the river in Kittery, Maine, was established in 1800 -- the nation's first. Portsmouth is also known as the site where President Theodore Roosevelt arranged the Treaty of Portsmouth, signed at 3:47 p.m. on September 5, 1905 at the shipyard by diplomats of both Russia and Japan, ending the Russo-Japanese War. The occasion was marked by an honor guard, the firing of a 19-gun salute and the ringing of area church bells. In 2005, there was a re-enactment of the signing of the [http://www.portsmouthpeacetreaty.com/ Portsmouth Peace Treaty].

Strawbery Banke Museum

Located in the "South End," one Portsmouth's oldest neighborhoods, [http://www.strawberybanke.org/index.cfm Strawbery Banke Museum] [sic] features an extensive collection of restored Colonial, Georgian, and Federal style architecture, saved from 1950s urban renewal by the efforts of Dorothy M. Vaughan and others. Guests learn local history from guides dressed in era costume. Across the street from the museum are the riverside gardens and entertainments of Prescott Park.

Historic House museums

urban renewal
- [http://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/jackson.htm Jackson House] (1664)
- [http://www.portsmouthhistory.org/jpjhouse.html John Paul Jones House] (1758)
- [http://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/langdon.htm Gov. John Langdon House] (1784)
- [http://www.volunteersolutions.org/uwgs/org/221127.html Tobias Lear House] (1740)
- [http://www.nscda.org/museums/newhampshire.htm Moffatt-Ladd House] (1763)
- [http://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/rundlet.htm Rundlet-May House] (1807)
- [http://www.warnerhouse.org/ Warner House] (1716)
- [http://nhstateparks.org/ParksPages/WentworthCoolidge/WentCoolHom.html Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion] (c. 1741)
- [http://www.volunteersolutions.org/uwgs/org/221127.html Wentworth-Gardner House (also, "Wentworth House")] (1760)

Notable Inhabitants

1760
- Thomas Bailey Aldrich, poet and novelist
- William Badger, master shipbuilder
- Langley Boardman, architect and furniture-maker
- Charles Warren Brewster, journalist and historian
- Joseph Stevens Buckminster, Unitarian minister and writer
- Frank Jones, alemaker
- John Paul Jones, "father" of U.S. Navy
- John Langdon, governor, first acting president of the U.S. until George Washington assumed office
- Tobias Lear, secretary to George Washington
- Celia Thaxter, poetess and writer
- Benning Wentworth, royal governor
- Sir John Wentworth, last royal governor
- William Whipple, signer of Declaration of Independence
- Dorothy Mansfield Vaughan, historian and historical preservationist

Demographics

Declaration of Independence As of the census of 2000, there are 20,784 people, 9,875 households, and 4,858 families residing in the city. The population density is 514.1/km² (1,331.3/mi²). There are 10,186 housing units at an average density of 251.9/km² (652.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 93.55% White, 2.13% African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. 1.35% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 9,875 households out of which 20.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% are married couples living together, 8.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.8% are non-families. 38.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.04 and the average family size is 2.75. married couples In the city the population is spread out with 17.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.0 males. The median income for a household in the city is $45,195, and the median income for a family is $59,630. Males have a median income of $41,966 versus $29,024 for females. The per capita income for the city is $27,540. 9.3% of the population and 6.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.3% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

- [http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/ City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Official Website]
- [http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/prescottpark/ Prescott Park Website]
- [http://www.portsmouthnh.com/ Guide to Portsmouth and the Seacoast Region]
- [http://www.seacoastrep.org/ The Seacoast Repertory Theatre] Category:Cities in New Hampshire Category:Rockingham County, New Hampshire ja:ポーツマス (ニューハンプシャー州)

John Paul Jones

:Alternative meaning: John Paul Jones (musician) John Paul Jones (musician) John Paul Jones (July 6, 1747–July 18, 1792) was America's first well-known naval hero in the American Revolutionary War.

Background

John Paul Jones was born John Paul in 1747 in Kirkcudbrightshire on the southern coast of Scotland. John Paul’s father was a gardener in Arbigland, and his mother was a member of the MacDuff clan. John Paul added the surname Jones years later, while fleeing to New England to avoid a murder trial after shooting the leader of a mutiny in 1773.

Maritime career

John Paul began his maritime career at a young age, sailing out of Whitehaven as apprentice aboard the Friendship at only twelve years of age. During his numerous journeys to Fredericksburg, Virginia, aboard this ship, John Paul was likely able to visit his brother who had settled in the area. For the next several years, the young sailor traveled aboard several different English merchant and slaver ships, including the King George in 1764 as third mate and the Two Friends as first mate in 1766. After a short time in this business, John Paul became disgusted with the cruelty in the slave trade; during the voyage, Paul abandoned his prestigious position on the profitable Two Friends in 1768 while docked at Jamaica. John Paul found passage back to Scotland, and eventually he obtained another position. During his next voyage aboard the brig John, which sailed from port in 1768, young John Paul’s career was quickly and unexpectedly advanced. When both the captain and a ranking mate suddenly died of yellow fever, John Paul managed to successfully navigate the ship back to a safe port. In reward for this impressive feat, the vessel’s grateful Scottish owners made him master of the ship, gave him ten percent of the cargo, and the ship's crew. [http://seacoastnh.com/Maritime_History/John_Paul_Jones/John_Paul_Jones_Timeline/] John Paul then led two voyages to the West Indies before running into difficulty. During his second voyage in 1770, John Paul viciously flogged one of his sailors, leading to accusations of his discipline being 'unnecessarily cruel'. While these claims were initially dismissed, John Paul’s favorable reputation was destroyed when the disciplined sailor died a few weeks later. Sources disagree on whether he was arrested for his involvement in the man’s death, but the devastating effect on his reputation is indisputable. [http://seacoastnh.com/Maritime_History/John_Paul_Jones/John_Paul_Jones_Timeline/] Leaving Scotland, John Paul commanded a London-registered vessel for a period of about 18 months, engaging in commercial speculation in Tobago. Facing increasing scrutiny for his questionable past, John Paul left his fortune behind and moved to Fredericksburg in 1773, taking charge of his recently-deceased brother’s estate there. Sometime during this time, he appended Jones to his name, probably in an attempt to escape his troubled reputation.[http://famousamericans.net/johnpauljones/]

In America

Sources struggle with this period of John Paul Jones’ life, especially the specifics of his family situation, making it difficult to pinpoint historically-accurate motivations. Whether his plans for the plantation were not developing, or he was inspired by a revolutionary spirit is unknown. However, it is decisively known that Jones left for Philadelphia shortly after settling in America to volunteer his services to the newly-founded Continental Navy, which later became the United States Navy. During this time, around 1775, the Navy and Marines were being formally established, and suitable commanders were in great demand. Were it not for the endorsement of Richard Henry Lee who knew of his abilities, Jones' potential would likely have gone unrecognized. With help from influential members of the Continental Congress however, Jones was the first man to be assigned to the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the Continental Navy on December 22, 1775, on board the 'Alfred'.

Revolutionary command

December 22

Early command

Jones’ first assignment was aboard the frigate USS Alfred (30 guns, 300 men) sailing from the Delaware River in February 1776 to attack English merchant vessels in New Providence. The Alfred was one of six vessels, the frigate herself commanded by Commodore Esek Hopkins, the Navy’s Commander-in-Chief. It was aboard this vessel that Jones took the honor of hoisting the first American flag over an American Naval vessel (note: Jones actually raised the Grand Union Flag, not the later and more familiar Stars and Stripes design). After returning from this successful voyage in April aboard the Alfred, Jones was assigned command on the sloop Providence (12 guns, 70 men). Congress had recently ordered the construction of 13 frigates for the American Navy, one of which was to be commanded by Jones. In exchange for this prestigious command, Jones accepted his commission aboard the smaller Providence. During this six week voyage, Jones captured sixteen prizes and created significant damage along the coast of Nova Scotia. Jones’ next command came as a result of his proposed plan to the Marine Committee to destroy the enemy’s coal fleet at Isle Royale, and liberate the American prisoners being held there. On November 2, 1776 Jones set sail in command of Alfred to carry out this mission. This northern mission was extremely successful, highlighted by his capture of the British Mellish, a vessel carrying a vital supply of winter clothing intended for Burgoyne’s troops in Canada. In his autobiography, Jones claims, “this unexpected relief contributed not insignificantly to the success of the army at the Battle of Trenton (against the Hessians) that occurred immediately after my arrival in Boston.” [http://www.americanrevolution.org/jpj.html]

Command of USS Ranger

After arriving back in Boston on December 16, 1776, Jones’ disagreements with those in authority reached a new level. While in port, the accomplished commander began feuding with Commodore Hopkins, whom Jones believed was hindering his advancement and talking down his campaign plans. As a result of this and other frustrations, Jones was assigned the smaller command, the newly constructed Ranger (18 gun frigate), on June 14, 1777 (the same day the new Stars and Stripes flag was adopted). Stars and Stripes After making the necessary preparations, Jones sailed for France November 1, 1777, with orders to assist the American cause however possible. The American commissioners in France (Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Arthur Lee) listened to Jones’ strategic recommendations. They assured him the command of L'Indien, a new vessel being constructed for America in Amsterdam. England, however, was able to divert the L'Indien away from American hands, by exerting pressure to ensure its sale to France instead (who had not yet allied with America). Jones was again left without a command, an unpleasant reminder of his stagnation in Boston from late 1776 until early 1777. It is thought that it was during this time Jones developed his close friendship with Benjamin Franklin, whom he greatly admired. On February 6, 1778, France signed their treaty with America, formally recognizing the independence of the new American republic. Eight days later, Captain Jones' Ranger became the first American Navy vessel to be saluted by the French, with a nine gun salvo fired from Admiral Piquet’s flagship. Finally on April 17, 1778 Jones set sail from Brest, France for coastal England. Strong winds forced Jones to head towards Ireland instead, leading to a famous encounter with HMS Drake, a 20 gun British Navy sloop.

Controversy aboard Ranger

Conflicting sources and the haze of history have obscured the truth of Ranger’s famous capture of HMS Drake. While history has looked favorably upon Jones’ mission, some sources suggest his pride nearly led to an embarrassing defeat, not to mention mutiny. After learning of Drake's location from captured sailors, sources claim Jones' first intention was to attack the vessel in broad daylight, resting at dock in Carrickfergus, Ireland. His sailors, represented by the ship’s first lieutenant Thomas Simpson, refused to follow the captain’s order. No mention of this initial attack is made by Jones is his autobiography, [http://www.americanrevolution.org/jpj.html] but he does seem to agree with the details of the second attempt, botched by a drunken mate who ruined the midnight assault by dropping anchor at the wrong time. After this failed attack, Jones was forced away from Drake by foul weather, also miraculously managing to avoid detection. [http://seacoastnh.com/Maritime_History/John_Paul_Jones/Ranger_Barely_Captures_HMS_Drake/] With Ranger’s main objective frustrated for the time being, Jones convinced his crew to participate in a daring assault on Whitehaven, the same town where his maritime career began. Jones notes the crew’s reluctance, stating “their aim, they said, was gain not honor… instead of encouraging the morale of the crew, they excited them to disobedience; they persuaded them that they had the right to judge whether a measure that was proposed to them was good or bad.” [http://www.americanrevolution.org/jpj.html] Jones led the assault with two boats of fifteen men at midnight, hoping to sink all Whitehaven’s ships anchored in harbor (numbered between 200–400), before setting the town itself ablaze. Jones managed to terrorize the town, though it is difficult to tell objectively how much damage was really done. Continuing on from Whitehaven, Jones hoped to hold for ransom the Earl of Selkirk on St. Mary’s Isle, off his birthplace, Kirkcudbrightshire. The Earl, Jones reasoned, could be exchanged for American sailors impressed into the British Navy. When the Earl was discovered to be absent from his estate, Jones claims he intended to return directly to his ship and continue seeking prizes elsewhere. Jones also claims his crew, led by Lt. Simpson, intended to “pillage, burn and plunder all they could,” instead of leaving peacefully.[http://www.americanrevolution.org/jpj.html] Ultimately, Jones allowed the crew to seize a silver plate adorned with the family’s emblem to placate their desires, but nothing else. silver The St. Mary’s Isle assault and the earlier attack on Whitehaven had little strategic significance, and resulted in no prizes or profits which under normal circumstances would be shared with the crew. The crew’s reluctance throughout the mission, especially to Jones’ more personal assaults, reveals growing hostility between Lieutenant Simpson, his followers, and their Commander.

Return to Brest

Nevertheless, Jones now led Ranger from these shores, hoping to make another attempt at the Drake still anchored in Carrickfergus. This time, Ranger engaged the enemy, capturing the vessel after an hour long battle which cost the enemy captain his life. Lieutenant Simpson was given command of Drake for the return journey to Brest. The ships separated during the return journey as Ranger chased another prize, leading to a conflict between Simpson and Jones. Both ships arrived at port safely, but Jones filed for a court-martial of Simpson, keeping him contained on the ship. Partly through the influence of John Adams, who was still serving as a commissioner in France, Simpson was released from Jones’ accusation. Adams implies in his memoirs that the overwhelming majority of the evidence supported Simpson’s claims. Adams seemed to believe Jones was hoping to monopolize the mission’s glory, especially by detaining Simpson on board while he celebrated the capture with numerous important European dignitaries. [http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/aea/browse/autobio2.html] Even with the wealth of perspectives, including the commander’s, [http://www.americanrevolution.org/jpj.html] it is difficult if not impossible to tell exactly what occurred. It is clear however, that the crew felt alienated by their commander, who may well have been motivated by his pride. Jones believed his intentions were honorable, and his actions were strategically and symbolically essential to the Revolution. Jones’ attacks along the coast and capture of Drake in fact did have significant symbolic importance, creating widespread panic among a people accustomed to naval dominance and protection. Regardless of any controversy surrounding the mission, Ranger’s capture of Drake was one of the American Navy’s few significant military victories during the Revolution. Jones was the first American commander to ever claim victory over a military combatant. By overcoming such incredible odds, Ranger’s victory became an important symbol of the American spirit and served as an inspiration for the permanent establishment of the American Navy after the Revolution.

After Ranger

In 1779 Captain Jones took command of USS Bonhomme Richard, a merchant ship rebuilt and gifted to America by the French shipping magnate, Jacques-Donatien Le Ray. On September 23, 1779, the five ship squadron included the 42 gun Bonhomme Richard, 32 gun Pallas, 32 gun Alliance, 12 gun Vengeance and Le Cerf engaged a merchant convoy off the coast of Flamborough Head, in east Yorkshire. The 44 gun British frigate HMS Serapis and the 22 gun Countess of Scarborough counter-engaged, scattering the attacking squadron and allowing the merchants to disengage and attempt escape. Vengeance and Le Cerf unsuccessfully pursued the convoy. Bonhomme Richard, Pallas, and Alliance engaged the British warships. The 44 gun Serapis engaged the smaller 42 gun Bonhomme Richard. The 32 gun Alliance counter-engaged Serapis. Serapis twice raked Bonhomme Richard with broadsides which cut her mainmast and holed her below the waterline, taking individual hits in return. Countess of Scarborough With Bonhomme Richard burning and sinking, it is believed her ensign was shot away. The British commander asked if she had struck her colors. Jones has been quoted as saying, “I have not yet begun to fight.” He then rammed Serapis and tied up to her, his marksmen in the rigging clearing the decks of Serapis so a boarding party was able to cross to Serapis and effect its capture. Meanwhile the 22 gun Countess of Scarborough engaged the 32 gun Pallas and was eventually captured, both ships taking extensive damage. In the following year, the King of France honoured him with the title "Chevalier." Jones the ardent Republican accepted the honour, and desired the title to be used thereafter: when the Continental Congress in 1787 resolved that a medal of gold be struck in commemoration of his "valour and brilliant services" it was to be presented to "Chevalier John Paul Jones". By contrast, in England at this time he was usually referred to as a pirate.
Russia
In 1788, Jones entered the service of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, avowing his intention, however, to preserve the condition of an American citizen and officer. As a rear admiral, he took part in the naval campaign in the Liman (an arm of the Black Sea, into which flow the Southern Bug and Dnieper rivers) against the Turks, but the jealous intrigues of Russian officers caused him to be recalled to St.Petersburg for the pretended purpose of being transferred to a command in the North Sea. Here he was compelled to remain in idleness, while rival officers plotted against him and even maliciously assailed his private character. In August 1789, he left St. Petersburg a bitterly disappointed man.
Final years
In May 1790, Jones arrived in Paris, where he remained in retirement during the rest of his life, although he made several attempts to re-enter the Russian service. Paris]In 1792 Jones was appointed U.S. Consul to Algiers, but he died on July 18, before the commission arrived. He was buried in Paris, but in 1905 his remains were removed from his long-forgotten grave and brought to the United States where, in 1913, he was interred in the Chapel of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.
See also

- United States Navy
- USS John Paul Jones and USS Paul Jones are ships named in his honor.
- John Paul Jones, the 1959 film starring Robert Stack in the title role
References
This entry incorporates public domain text originally from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.
- [http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/moa-cgi?notisid=ABK4014-0011-20 Harpers Monthly Magazine – "John Paul Jones"]
- [http://www.famousamericans.net Virtual American Biographies]
- [http://seacoastnh.com/Maritime_History/John_Paul_Jones/ SeaCoastNH.com – JPJ]
- L. Edward Purcell, "Who Was Who in the American Revolution" (1993).
External links

- [http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/traditions/html/jpjones.html U.S. Navy - John Paul Jones] - [http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq58-1.htm FAQ]
- [http://www.americanrevolution.org/jpj.html Excerpts form the Journals of my Campaign – John Paul Jones]
- [http://www.jpj.demon.co.uk/jpjlife.htm John Paul Jones Museum]
- [http://www.americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/JONES.HTM John Paul Jones]
- [http://seacoastnh.com/arts/please092201.html Unfurling the Flags of John Paul Jones]
- [http://www.numa.net/articles/report_of_john_paul_jones.html Official report by Jones] from aboard Serapis in Holland (1779)
- [http://www.usni.org/navalhistory/Articles04/NHBogleApr.htm The Best Quote Jones Never Wrote]
- [http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/aea/browse/autobio2.html Adams Electronic Archive – Memoirs while commissioner (excerpts relating to the Ranger's historic missions)] Jones, John Paul Jones, John Paul Jones, John Paul Jones, John Paul Jones, John Paul Jones, John Paul Category:Scottish-Americans

1 November

November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining.

Events

- 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk, Bishop of Freising, which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi (Austria in Old High German).
- 1512 - The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, is exhibited to the public for the first time.
- 1520 - The Strait of Magellan, the passage immediately south of mainland South America, connecting the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, is first navigated by Ferdinand Magellan during his global circumnavigation voyage.
- 1530 - An approximated 400,000 die after the Netherlands' dikes fail.
- 1592 - At the Battle of Busan, the outnumbered Korean navy defeats a larger Japanese army.
- 1604 - William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello is presented for the first time, at Whitehall Palace in London.
- 1611 - William Shakespeare's romantic comedy The Tempest is presented for the first time, at Whitehall Palace in London.
- 1612 - (22 October O.S.) Time of Troubles in Russia: Moscow Kitai-gorod taken by Russian troops under command of Dmitry Pozharsky
- 1683 - The British crown colony of New York is subdivided into 12 counties.
- 1755 - Lisbon earthquake: In Portugal, Lisbon is destroyed by a massive earthquake and tsunami, killing between sixty and ninety thousand people.
- 1765 - The British Parliament enacts the Stamp Act on the 13 colonies in order to help pay for British military operations in North America.
- 1790 - Edmund Burke publishes Reflections on the Revolution in France, in which he predicts that the French Revolution will end in disaster.
- 1800 - US President John Adams becomes the first President of the United States to live in the Executive Mansion (later renamed the White House).
- 1848 - In Boston, Massachusetts, the first medical school for women, The Boston Female Medical School (which will later merge with Boston University School of Medicine), opens.
- 1859 - The current Cape Lookout, North Carolina, lighthouse is lighted for the first time. Its first-order Fresnel lens can be seen for 19 miles (30 kilometers).
- 1861 - American Civil War: US President Abraham Lincoln appoints George McClellan as commander of the Union Army, replacing the aged General Winfield Scott.
- 1870 - In the United States, the Weather Bureau (later renamed the National Weather Service) makes its first official meteorological forecast.
- 1871 - The Stamford to Bourne, Lincolnshire turnpike road was freed from tolls.
- 1876 - New Zealand's provincial government system is dissolved.
- 1894 - Nicholas II becomes the new Tsar of Russia after his father, Alexander III, dies.
- 1896 - A picture showing the naked breasts of a woman appears in National Geographic magazine for the first time.
- 1901 - Sigma Phi Epsilon, a national men's collegiate fraternity is established at Richmond College, in Richmond, VA.
- 1914 - World War I: the first British naval defeat of the war, the Battle of Coronel is fought off of the coast of Chile.
- 1918 - Malbone Street Wreck: the worst rapid transit accident in US history occurs under the intersection of Malbone Street and Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, New York City, with at least 93 dead. Western Ukraine gains independence from Austria-Hungary
- 1922 - The last sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed VI, abdicates.
- 1939 - The first rabbit born after artificial insemination is shown to the world.
- 1943 - World War II: Operation Goodtime launched - United States Marines invade Bougainville in the Solomon Islands.
- 1944 - World War II: Operation Infatuate launched - The British Army land at Walcheren in the Netherlands.
- 1945 - The official North Korean newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, is first published under the name Chongro.
- 1948 - Off southern Manchuria, 6,000 are killed as a Chinese merchant ship explodes and sinks.
- 1950 - Puerto Rican nationalists Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo attempt to assassinate US President Harry S. Truman at Blair House.
- 1950 - Pope Pius XII claims Papal Infallibility when he formally defines the dogma of the Assumption of Mary.
- 1951 - US soldiers are exposed to an atomic explosion for training purposes in Desert Rock, Nevada; participation was not voluntary.
- 1952 - Operation Ivy - The United States successfully detonates the first hydrogen bomb, codenamed "Mike" ["m" for megaton], at Eniwetok island in the Bikini atoll located in the Pacific Ocean.
- 1954 - The Front de Libération Nationale fires the first shots of the Algerian War of Independence.
- 1955 - A United Airlines DC-6B explodes in mid-air and crashes near Longmont, Colorado, killing 44 people
- 1956- Formation of the Indian state of Karnataka (1973), formerly known as Mysore State.
- 1956 - Formation of Kerala state in India.
- 1957 - The Mackinac Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge between anchorages at the time, opens to traffic connecting Michigan's two peninsulas.
- 1960 - While campaigning for President of the United States, John F. Kennedy announces his idea of the Peace Corps.
- 1963 - The Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, with the largest radio telescope ever constructed, officially opens.
- 1969 - After seven years off the top of the charts, Elvis Presley hits number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his song "Suspicious Minds."
- 1970 - A fire at a dance hall in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, France kills 144 young people.
- 1973 - Watergate Scandal: Leon Jaworski is appointed as the new Watergate Special Prosecutor.
- 1973 - Formation of Karnataka state in India.
- 1980 - Wayanad district formed in the state of Kerala, India.
- 1981 - Antigua and Barbuda gain independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1990 - A New York City civil jury awards Sandra Miller $100 for battery after an incident in which Mike Tyson grabbed her breasts and insulted her; the jury found Tyson's behavior "not outrageous".
- 1993 - The Maastricht Treaty takes effect, formally establishing the European Union.
- 1994 - George Lucas leaves the day-to-day operations of his filmmaking business and starts a sabbatical. While on sabbatical, he writes the prequel section of the Star Wars movies.
- 1994 - The Chijon Family is sentenced to death in South Korea for murdering and eating five people.
- 1998 - The European Court of Human Rights is instituted.
- 2004 - The Bank of Japan issues a new series of 1000, 5000, and 10,000 yen notes. Both old and the new series will circulate together.
- 2005 - ITV PLC's new digital channel, ITV4, lanches on Freeview, NTL digital, and Sky Digital.
- 2005 - Makybe Diva wins her third consecutive Melbourne Cup race.
- 2005 - First part of the Gomery Report, which discusses allegations of political money manipulation, is released in Canada.
- 2005 - The U.S. Senate enters a rare closed session to discuss the Plame affair and intelligence in the Iraq disarmament crisis.

Births

- 846 - Louis the Stammerer, King of West Francia (d. 879)
- 1339 - Duke Rudolf IV of Austria (d. 1365)
- 1351 - Duke Leopold III of Austria (d. 1386)
- 1500 - Benvenuto Cellini, Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and writer (d. 1571)
- 1530 - Étienne de La Boétie, French judge and writer (d. 1563)
- 1539 - Pierre Pithou, French lawyer and scholar (d. 1596)
- 1567 - Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, conde de Gondomar, Spanish diplomat (d. 1626)
- 1578 - Dmitry Pozharsky, Russian prince (d. 1642)
- 1585 - Jan Brożek, Polish mathematician, physician, and astronomer (d. 1652)
- 1607 - Georg Philipp Harsdorffer, German poet (d. 1658)
- 1611 - François-Marie, comte de Broglie, Italian-born French commander (d. 1656)
- 1636 - Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, French poet and critic (d. 1711)
- 1643 - John Strype, English historian and biographer (d. 1737)
- 1661 - Florent Carton Dancourt, French dramatist and actor (d. 1725)
- 1704 - Paul Daniel Longolius, German encylopedist (d. 1779)
- 1720 - Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte, French admiral (d. 1791)
- 1762 - Spencer Perceval, Prime Minister of Great Britain (d. 1812)
- 1778 - Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (d. 1837)
- 1808 - John Taylor, American religious leader (d. 1887)
- 1860 - Boies Penrose, United States Senator from Pennsylvania (d. 1921)
- 1871 - Stephen Crane, American writer (d. 1900)
- 1877 - Roger Quilter, British composer (d. 1953)
- 1878 - Konrad Mägi, Estonian painter (d. 1925)
- 1878 - Carlos Saavedra Lamas, Argentine politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1959)
- 1880 - Sholom Asch, Polish-born American writer (d. 1957)
- 1880 - Grantland Rice, American sports writer (d. 1954)
- 1880 - Alfred Wegener, German meteorologist and geophysicist (d. 1930)
- 1886 - Hermann Broch, Austrian author (d. 1951)
- 1887 - L. S. Lowry, British painter of industrial scenes (d. 1976)
- 1889 - Philip Noel-Baker, Baron Noel-Baker, Canadian-born peace activist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1982)
- 1892 - Alexander Alekhine, Russian-born many times World Champion chess player (d. 1946)
- 1902 - Eugen Jochum, German conductor (d. 1987)
- 1923 - Gordon R. Dickson, Canadian author (d. 2001)
- 1923 - Victoria de los Angeles, Catalan soprano (d. 2005)
- 1929 - Betsy Palmer, American actress
- 1929 - Nicholas Mavroules, United States Congressman from Massachusetts (d. 2003)
- 1934 - Umberto Agnelli, Swiss-born automobile executive (d. 2004)
- 1934 - William Mathias, British composer (d. 1992)
- 1935 - Gary Player, South African golfer
- 1935 - Edward Said, Palestinian-born literary critic (d. 2003)
- 1939 - Barbara Bosson, American actress
-