#Queen Catherine of Westphalia

[royalty-nobility]

Equestrian Portrait of Catherine of Württemberg, Wife of Jerome Bonaparte, Queen of Westphalia

Artist: Antoine-Jean Gros (French, 1771–1835)

Date: 1808

Medium: Oil on Canvas

DESCRIPTION

Princess Katharina of Württemberg (full name: Friederike Katharina Sophie Dorothea; 21 February 1783 – 29 November 1835) was Queen of Westphalia by marriage to Jérôme Bonaparte, who reigned as King of Westphalia between 1807 and 1813.

[microcosme11]

Wedding of Napoleon and Marie-Louise dished by Austrian Prince

[This was originally a letter to his sister or mother. That's the reason he is so blunt.]

The Emperor seemed in a mood like a dog throughout the ceremony. This is because in the morning there were incredible scenes. Queens and princesses, it is said, had tried like the devil not to carry the mantle: tears, prayers, fainting, absolute refusal, it is claimed that they tried all this in vain. The furious master treated them from Turk to Moor, and an emphatic “I want it” finished the affair. The most angry was the Westphalian turkey, who is incredibly proud. Also, nothing was more comical than seeing the way in which they carried out their chore: one pouted, the other, with her bottle under her nose, threatened to feel ill, the third let the mantle drop which was much worse because it had to be picked up. The two sisters, one of whom is fat and the other in truly terrible health, had a great time. The only one who put a good face on a bad game and brought dignity to it was the Queen of Holland, because she has wit and tact; and then “my cousin, Julie” [he jokes that they are related] also carried the mantle very well, but she is such a slut that I would have advised her to do otherwise. I wouldn't have given up this show for anything. It is claimed that one of the porters having dropped her part of the train or not being at her post, the Empress gave her a very imperative look which said: “Well!" I didn't see this.

Sketch by the Prince. Clockwise from bottom: Pauline, Elisa, Hortense, Marie-Louise, Julie Bonaparte, Catherine of Westphalia, Jerome's wife.

Souvenirs du prince Charles de Clary-et-Aldringen

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.24 (before 1900)

1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Rome. 474 – Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland. 843 – The Vikings sack the French city of Nantes. 972 – Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place. 1128 – Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: Forces led by Afonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba. 1230 – The Siege of Jaén begins, in the context of the Spanish Reconquista. 1314 – First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce. 1340 – Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys: The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English fleet commanded in person by King Edward III. 1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. 1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings. 1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England. 1535 – The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded. 1540 – English King Henry VIII commands his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, to leave the court.[ 1571 – Miguel López de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Philippines. 1593 – The Dutch city of Geertruidenberg held by the Spanish, capitulates to a besieging Dutch and English army led by Maurice of Nassau. 1604 – Samuel de Champlain encounters the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present-day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. 1622 – Battle of Macau: The Dutch make a failed attempt to capture Macau. 1663 – The Spanish garrison of Évora capitulates, following the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial. 1717 – The Premier Grand Lodge of England is founded in London, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England). 1724 – On the Feast of St. John the Baptist, Bach leads the first performance of his Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 7, the third cantata of his chorale cantata cycle. 1762 – Battle of Wilhelmsthal: The British-Hanoverian army of Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats French forces in Westphalia. 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. 1793 – The first Republican constitution in France is adopted. 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia. 1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army. 1821 – Battle of Carabobo: Decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain. 1859 – Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy. 1866 – Battle of Custoza: An Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War. 1880 – First performance of O Canada at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français. The song would later become the national anthem of Canada.

[streetglider]

(Dees Nederlandsche Koe, altoos door Waereld-grooten ... | Library of Congressから)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cartoon_about_the_Duke_of_Brunswick_and_William_V_1784.jpg

Dees Nederlandsche Koe. altoos Waereld-grooten. Dutch political cartoon about the partitioning of the Netherlands shows the shorning and dismembering of the Nederlandsche cow. The Neerlands lion. an enraged Louis Bonaparte. King of Holland (with sword drawn). and a Gallic cock watch. while the Britsche Dog chews on a severed leg of a cow. A man with a crown at his feet (possibly Joseph Bonaparte. King of Spain) shears the cow's horns with a large saw; a woman Katryn (possibly Catherine. de Wurtemberg. queen. consort of Jerome Bonaparte. King of Westphalia) takes a knife to the cow's tail. Standing center is a woman holding a pike topped with a hat and standing on another hat. On the right. three women whip the bare buttocks of a man (possibly Frederick William III. King of Prussia) who is prostrate over a wheeled chair or throne. Above this scene floats a balloon with canoe shaped basket with two passengers. (Photo by: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

[gogmstuff]

Late pre-Victorian dress (late 20s (?) to 1836) (from top to bottom) -

Ellen Adderly (1809–1896), Viscountess Dillon of Costello-Gallin (by) Filippo Agricola (1776–1857) National Trust, Basildon Park. From tumblr.com/blog/view/andrayblue.

Miss Reichl by Leopold Fertbauer (private collection). From Wikimedia; erased most obvious spots w Pshop 1452X1913 @300 1Mj.

1833 Dame in weißem Kleid by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (location ?). From tumblr.com/blog/view/eirene/676188849223958528 2048X2515 @72 898kj.

1836 Catherine Reine de Westphalie, en pied by Antoine Maurin. From the Bibliothèque nationale de France Web site 931X1329 @72 511.kj.

[josefavomjaaga]

Marie Louise on the road (4)

The party has reached Anvers, and I feel like it begins to dawn on Marie Louise that she is not really on a sightseeing trip:

Thursday, 3rd May

On the 3rd, the Emperor went to visit the arsenal, the shipyards and the shops. I stayed at home to be bored by the ladies. I am much too uncouth to be able to stay a whole day in company, there is only the Duchess of Montebello whom I like to be with. She is natural and kind, instead of these ladies who are malicious and full of pretensions. [...]

Friday 4th May

On the 4th, the Emperor went to see another ship. I stayed at home again, my foot hurts too much to walk. As I was limping, I had a good reason not to dance [...].

The weather was very stormy all day, and they despaired of letting us leave. The next day the wind was against us, and we had to cross an inlet to go to Flushing.

Saturday 5th May

We had to be patient again on the 5th.

Ah, patience, Napoleon’s greatest strength!

The weather was very dark and the hurricane was very violent. The Emperor, who got bored of waiting, decided all of a sudden that we would go by land and that we would leave the next day at 5 o'clock in the morning, taking as few people as possible, clothes for two days and two services.

It was decided that only the King and Queen of Westphalia, the Viceroy, the Prince of Neufchatel and the Grand Marshal, the Duke of Istria, the Duchess of Montebello, Messieurs de Beauharnais and de Saint-Aignan, de Bondy and de Montaran would be present.

So, that’s Jérome and Catherine of Württemberg, Eugène, Berthier, Duroc (who will have to organize all this!), Bessières, Louise Lannes, and a couple of guys whose main job is to wear a pretty uniform. (Those, plus their valets, servants, maids, grooms, cooks and imperial kitchen staff, coachmen… I’m probably missing a couple of folks.) Sounds like lotsa fun.

Sunday 6th May

We left Antwerp on the 6th, 3 hours later than the Emperor had ordered (because with him this always happens). The beginning of the journey was quite pleasant [...].

Congratulations, ma’am, you start to sound like a true spouse. Marie Louise then describes the countrysides and adds, as an afterthought:

This country used to belong to Holland.

It did indeed, and Napoleon had only recently annexed it. According to Jérome’s wife Catherine of Württemberg, this was rather obvious by people’s lack of enthousiasm on seeing their emperor pass by. »The people regrets its former master.« (Louis Bonaparte)

The road became a little worse every moment, the sand was so deep that 12 or 16 horses had to be harnessed to each carriage and in spite of this we only went at a trot. [...] As we use peasants' horses, everyone wants to get on his own horse and we sometimes have as many postilions as horses. [...] When we want to force them to go faster, they cry over the fate of these animals and if we press them too much they de-harness, take off with their horses and leave you there in the middle of the sand. This happened to several carriages in our suite.

Lunch time was long past, it was nearly two o'clock, and the Emperor wouldn't allow me to eat in the carriage, and for good reason; he said that a woman should never have to eat. The anger caused by these fine arguments, combined with the hunger, gave me such a terrible headache that when I arrived in Breda at 4 o'clock, I saw the moment when I would be obliged to stay on the road, but the Emperor, who treated us like grenadiers, forced us to carry on after his lunch.

[...] I was in such a bad mood that the Emperor got angry, but I didn't care and I let him scold at his leisure, without answering him. There is nothing that quiets men as much as this means, they are unbearable beings, so if I ever return to another world, I will certainly not remarry.

Which does not lack a certain irony coming from a woman who did not manage to be without a partner for longer than a couple of months and married thrice...

(And just in case somebody wondered, yes, this is the same journey that at one point saw Eugène take a morning jog through town in his underwear. But there’s still some fun before that.)

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.24

1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Rome. 474 – Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland. 843 – The Vikings sack the French city of Nantes. 972 – Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place. 1128 – Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: Forces led by Afonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba. 1230 – The Siege of Jaén begins, in the context of the Spanish Reconquista. 1314 – First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce. 1340 – Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys: The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English fleet commanded in person by King Edward III. 1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. 1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings. 1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England. 1535 – The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded. 1540 – English King Henry VIII commands his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, to leave the court. 1571 – Miguel López de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Philippines. 1593 – The Dutch city of Geertruidenberg held by the Spanish, capitulates to a besieging Dutch and English army led by Maurice of Nassau. 1604 – Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present-day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. 1622 – Battle of Macau: The Dutch make a failed attempt to capture Macau. 1663 – The Spanish garrison of Évora capitulates, following the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial. 1717 – The Premier Grand Lodge of England is founded in London, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England). 1762 – Battle of Wilhelmsthal: The British-Hanoverian army of Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats French forces in Westphalia. 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. 1793 – The first Republican constitution in France is adopted. 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia. 1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army. 1821 – Battle of Carabobo: Decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain. 1859 – Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy. 1866 – Battle of Custoza: An Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War. 1880 – First performance of O Canada at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français. The song would later become the national anthem of Canada. 1894 – Marie François Sadi Carnot, President of France, is assassinated by Sante Geronimo Caserio. 1913 – Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria. 1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract. 1918 – First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto. 1922 – The American Professional Football Association is renamed the National Football League. 1932 – A bloodless revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand). 1938 – Pieces of a meteorite land near Chicora, Pennsylvania. The meteorite is estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth's atmosphere and exploded. 1939 – Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the country's third prime minister. 1940 – World War II: Operation Collar, the first British Commando raid on occupied France, by No 11 Independent Company. 1943 – US military police attempt to arrest a black soldier in Bamber Bridge, England, sparking the Battle of Bamber Bridge mutiny that leaves one dead and seven wounded. 1947 – Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington. 1948 – Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible. 1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is aired on NBC. 1950 – Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed, formally segregating races. 1954 – First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass: Viet Minh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê. 1957 – In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. 1960 – Assassination attempt of Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt. 1963 – The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government. 1973 – The UpStairs Lounge arson attack takes place at a gay bar located on the second floor of the three-story building at 141 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, US. Thirty-two people die as a result of fire or smoke inhalation. 1975 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft. 1981 – The Humber Bridge opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It remained the world's longest bridge span for 17 years. 1982 – "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 009 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. 1989 – Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. 1994 – A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashes at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington, killing four. 1995 – Rugby World Cup: South Africa defeats New Zealand and Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup in an iconic post-apartheid moment. 2002 – The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. 2004 – In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional. 2010 – At Wimbledon, John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France, in the longest match in professional tennis history. 2010 – Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia. 2012 – Death of Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise. 2013 – Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and engaging in sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison. 2021 – The Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida suffers a sudden partial collapse, killing 98 people inside. 2022 – In Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the U.S. Constitution does not assign the authority to regulate abortions to the federal government, thereby returning such authority to the individual states. This overturns the prior decisions in Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992).

[josefavomjaaga]

Marie Louise on the road (11)

We’re quickly approaching the end of Marie Louise’s diary, I fear. This is probably the pre-to-last installment.

Thursday, May 10th

I did not wake up on the 10th until noon, and the Emperor pleasantly surprised us by saying that he wanted to take us out at 2 o'clock to see the ocean. [He gave us an appointment at the Haag fort at three o'clock]. The Queen of Westphalia kept me waiting for more than an hour, which caused me to be at least as impatient as she was. I was so angry thinking of the anger the Emperor would have against me if I did not arrive, that I was in a bad mood all day.

This reminds me of an unusually harsh letter Duroc wrote a couple of weeks earlier to somebody about how a particular task needed to be accomplished faster, because if it didn’t »this will put His Majesty in a bad mood, and he will take it out on me again.« - It seems Marie Louise had already joined all the other people trembling before the imperial master and his whims. (Lannes, you’re missed!)

I am usually a good person, perhaps too weak, [...]

Perhaps.

[...] but when I get angry (as I very rarely do), I am perhaps much meaner than other women. [...]

We arrived at four o'clock at the Fort of Haag, behind which are the dunes. These are sand hills of various shapes. In spite of that, we could see the little points of the masts which told us that the sea was not far away. As I was very impatient at not being able to see it at once, whilst we waited, we had some cream given to us, which is excellent in this country, and which is kept in green bottles of a singular composition.

So, what do you do to distract the kids if they don’t stop asking »Are we there yet?« Give them a treat. Apparently in Marie Louise’s case, it worked.

The Emperor wanted to show us the ocean at once, but the dunes were impassable at that place, and we were obliged to mortify our impatience by taking another two-hour drive to find a place where we could climb. At last we found it and I was very surprised to find my leg buried halfway in the sand. Each step cost us so much effort, but it was nothing for such intrepid travellers as we were, so we were well rewarded by the beautiful view we discovered when we reached the top of the hills.

We saw the ocean, which appeared as a huge surface of water bounded only by the horizon. The sun was setting, colouring the sea like a rainbow. In the distance we saw a few fishing boats returning from their journey, protected by a sloop. They are obliged to send one with them, for the English permit themselves to abuse the poor when they take their fish and do not pay them. The sea was very calm, except on the shore where it broke with quite some force against the rocks.

I’ve quoted this paragraphie in its entirety because I think Marie Louise’s excitement at seeing the sea really comes across here. You can really tell how enchanted she is. And you have to admit that, for once, Napoleon has been very considerate towards the ladies in taking them on such a delightful pleasure tri...

The Emperor had maps brought to him and conferred with the engineers.

Oh. Okay then.

The Queen of Westphalia and I amused ourselves by collecting the shells that covered the shores of the sea. There were some charming ones, but it is said that those of the Mediterranean and the Indies are infinitely more beautiful. The shells, together with the unhealthy air, caused me, thanks to the King's malice, three attacks of fever.

I’m not sure what she’s referring to here. »Le Roi«, the King, could only mean Jérôme. But I’m unsure what he has to do with it, unless Marie Louise means that it had been him who had prevented Catherine from showing up on time, thus causing her to be in a bad mood and all out of breath all day.

But Jérôme is not the only one to play tricks on unsuspecting empresses:

In the midst of our amusement, I saw that the Viceroy and the Duke of Istria [Eugène and Bessières] looked at us in a very peculiar manner, and laughed at us a lot. I did not have time to ask them why when the sea came in with such force, faster than we could flee, and drenched us to our knees. Fortunately it returned as quickly as it had come. They explained to us that this was the ordinary effect of the tide, but the gentlemen might well have been gallant enough to warn us in advance.

Can anybody else picture those two overgrown schoolboys standing on the dune, looking down on the beach, grinning from ear to ear and waiting for the first large wave to come in (»Three - two - one - YES!«), before dutifully hurrying to the ladies' rescue once those were properly drenched? (»Gotta wait until the damsel is truely in distress before showing up as her knight in shining armour, that's how it works.«)

We abandoned our search and went to ask the Emperor for permission to change. The answer was »stay, ladies, this bath will do you good«, and he made us wait until eight o'clock. [...]

And here we go again. The master has spoken.

[josefavomjaaga]

Marie Louise on the road (12)

We left the imperial tourists in Middelburg after a delightful (if a bit wet, thanks to Eugène and Bessières) afternoon at the ocean. Marie Louise continues:

Friday 11th May

On the 11th, the weather was dreadful all day. That did not prevent the Emperor from going a second time to see Flushing. I remained in bed with a good fever.

Now look at what you’ve done, Eugène and Bessie!

I don't know what happened to my iron health, it's all gone.

Beg your pardon, Madame, you’ve been talking about nothing but your precious health failing ever since you left Vienna in March!

I'm sure I owe it to the doctors who did nothing but drug me during the whole trip. [...]

Bessières and Eugène: Absolutely. We’re sure it was them!

Doctors: It was either drugging her or listening to her wailing...

Samedi 12 mai

On the morning of the 12th the Emperor held council. It is really not our fault that we heard everything, because the salon was near my room and the Emperor was of an awful intensity.

And the fact we pressed our ears to the door had nothing to do with it at all!

According to Catherine of Württemberg, Napoleon at this meeting once more dreamt of an expedition to England. His bad mood and subsequent shouting may also be explained by bad news from Holland: smuggling still going on and secret peace negotiations behind his back through Fouché and Ouvrard.

I was still feverish all night, and as I was very tired and the weather was terrible, I did not leave until two o'clock to take a carriage ride around the town [Middelbourg]. [...] On my way home I found the Queen of Westphalia in a very bad mood because I had not taken her with me, but she annoys me. She keeps asking me "Do you still love the Duchess of Montebello?" I have known her for two months and I have become quite attached to her. I couldn't help answering the Queen: "Sister, I don't change my friends like my underwear". What she told me there was a Queen's words. It is said that we don't know how to be really attached, but I am willing to show that there are exceptions in our ranks.

Apparently, this unexpectedly close friendship of a Habsburg princess and the cold and reserved daughter of some obscure gentry family did already raise some eyebrows this early on. But of course Catherine had her own reasons why she could not understand how Marie Louise would be this close to any of her ladies:

It is also true that the poor Queen is very unhappy with her friends. No sooner does she have one than the King makes her his mistress, and that is hardly the way to stay attached to them.

Which also explaines Catherine’s attitude towards the countess Liverstein two days earlier, as the countess apparently had just replaced another of Jérôme’s mistresses who had been sent home to Cassel. Apparently Jérôme mistook the household of his wife for his personal harem.

In the evening, the Viceroy led the Duchess of Montebello to engage in some contraband [...]

Eugène?!

Napoleon: Tu quoque, fili?

[...] and see the bell tower of the cathedral church which is said to be very old.

I love the combination. Apparently, buying smuggled goods was something you could easily do while on a sightseeing tour through town. And I assume the duchess was sure that the viceroy of Italy at least would not visit any »maisons closes«. He could invite the ladies to his place.

It was decided that we would leave the next day regardless of the weather. I am very happy because although the island is certainly very attractive, I did not feel very comfortable to be obliged to stay four days in the same clothes.

In the evening we received the authorities, who are not very numerous and most of whom do not know French.

And this is where Marie Louise ended her diary, despite the fact that the journey continued for two more weeks. Maybe she did not have the time to resume it, or it was left behind in one of the many accidents that seem to have been a natural part of Napoleon’s travels. The imperial couple went via the chateau de Laeken on to Bruxelles next, and in the following two weeks (among other towns) to Ostende, Lille, Calais, Boulogne, Dieppe, Le Havre, Rouen and finally returned to Saint-Cloud on June 1st.

Despite her many complaints, she seems to have won a mostly positive first impression of the country, according to Savary. And she had probably also learned what to expect of her impetous husband, and that it would be a good idea to always have some fresh undergarments with her when travelling in his company.

An abridged and edited version of Marie Louise’s diaries was first published by Frédéric Masson. An English translation can be found here: The private diaries of empress Marie Louise. The first complete edition, with many additional footnotes, was published by Charles-Éloi Vial and is, as far as I know, only available in French: L’adieu à l’empereur.

These volumes actually contain some more travel journals, from 1813 (to Cherbourg) and from Rambouillet to Vienna after the fall of the empire in spring 1814. But while probably more interesting for the historian, they’re far less entertaining. Despite the duchess’s valiant efforts Marie Louise by that time seems to have picked up enough Parisian court etiquette to not write down things all too inappropriate.

[josefavomjaaga]

Marie Louise on the road (7)

Another short insight into the daily life while travelling with Napoleon’s court:

The following morning, we left Bois-le-Duc, we passed through the whole town, which is rather pretty, […]

The road was just as ugly as on the previous day as far as the spot where we took our lunch, and we were unable to proceed faster than a walking pace. […] While the Emperor visited the fortifications we continued our journey still at the same pace. I was with the Queen of Westphalia [Catherine of Württemberg), who was in a very bad mood, perhaps for good reason, against the king [Jérôme]. I pity her for having such a husband. This must cause a lot of grief.

It would seem rather natural for Marie Louise and Catherine of Württemberg to become friends. After all, they were both Germans and could converse in their native tongue. However, as Marie Louise would soon find out, the range of topics Catherine wanted to talk about was limited. - In the meantime, the road and the countryside both get somewhat better, and the travellers find themselves

[…] only 15 leagues from Amsterdam. What would I not have given to have been able to visit this fine capital … But with the emperor, it is necessary to give up all pleasant projects.

Definitely not a sightseeing trip. Got it.

We were obliged to cross some more dykes in ferry boats, arriving at last at nine in the evening at Bergen-op-Zoom, which is well fortified and has from 8,000 to 12,000 inhabitants.

The houses here are dreadful. Those where we were lodged were the best in town. We had a beautiful wooden ladder for a staircase, and two rooms for a flat. Nevertheless, the Emperor wanted to stay there another day. […]

The first person I met was M. Bourdier, […]

Ah! The doctor we’ve lost on the road in part 5 of this ongoing road movie!

[…] who had established himself in my room. He was furious at being left at Breda, and declared he would send in his resignation. No matter what I said to him, I was unable to calm him. I got angry myself now and told him to go away because he was annoying me. Happily he obeyed immediately, but did not expect that a similar fate was waiting for him on the morrow.

Come to think of it: The funniest part is probably that Monsieur Bourdier, despite having been left behind on the road, still managed to get to Berg-op-Zoom faster than his impatient emperor.

We sat down to dinner. The Emperor was in a horrible mood because of his quarters, and as he could not lay the blame on any of us, all his wrath fell upon the dinner. At each dish he remarked, »What a disgusting stew, if only there were a leg of mutton!« This was brought to him; so he said, »If only there were some salad!«, that, too, was brought, [and he said the same]. When he saw that the same thing happened each time, he retired to bed. But what amused me most was the Duchesse de Montebello, who was bursting with laughter in spite of the signs I made to her. She is really not courtier enough for the country in which we live, besides, she has one great fault which will not work out well for her, and that is that she is too attached to me.

The original passage is »Elle a un grand défaut qui lui réussira mal, c'est qu'elle m'est trop attachée.« I’m not sure what Marie Louise is hinting at here ( @maggiec70 – do you happen to know?). It does sound a bit as if Louise had committed a fauxpas already, apparently out of what Marie Louise considered friendship for her.

That being said – I’m sorry, but I love the duchess in this scene (as a matter of fact, it was one of the first things I ever read about her and it may have shaped my impression of her in an unduly positive way 😊). But bursting out with laughter when Monsieur Empereur desperately – and without success – tries to find a reason to vent his anger on someone is a reaction I find highly understandable. (At least that was one thing she had in common with her late husband; apparently they both were ill-suited for life at court.)

[microcosme11]

A Gourgaud mention

6 Nov 1818. Letter to Queen Hortense from Catherine of Westphalia, wife of Jerome Bonaparte:

Vous avez sans doute connaissance de la lettre du général Gourgaud qui se trouve dans le Vrai Libéral du 20 octobre ? Elle nous a émus jusqu'aux larmes. Nous ignorons si elle a été remise à sa destination, mais nous sommes enchantés de voir que le général Gourgaud est resté fidèle à ses principes et que s'il a eu quelques différends avec les alentours de l'empereur, il n'en conserve pas moins le dévouement et le sentiment de son devoir vis-à-vis de son bienfaiteur. M. Las Cases a de même adressé une lettre à l'impératrice Marie-Louise, et il est douteux de la manière dont elle est entourée et surveillée qu'on lui en remette de pareilles.

--

You are no doubt aware of the letter from General Gourgaud which is in the Vrai Libéral of October 20? It moved us to tears. We do not know if it was delivered to its destination [Marie-Louise], but we are delighted to see that General Gourgaud remained faithful to his principles, and that if he had some disagreements with the Emperor’s surroundings (i.e. with the Emperor?), he nonetheless retains a devotion and sense of duty to his benefactor. M. Las Cases has likewise sent a letter to the Empress Marie-Louise, and it is doubtful the way in which she is surrounded and supervised that any such letters are given to her.

Correspondance inédite de la reine Catherine de Westphalie

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.24

1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. 217 BC – The Romans, led by Gaius Flaminius, are ambushed and defeated by Hannibal at the Battle of Lake Trasimene. 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Rome. 474 – Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland. 972 – Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place. 1128 – Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: Forces led by Afonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba. 1230 – The Siege of Jaén begins, in the context of the Spanish Reconquista. 1314 – First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce. 1340 – Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys: The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English fleet commanded in person by King Edward III. 1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. 1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings. 1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England. 1535 – The Dominion of Münster, a radical communal Anabaptist state in the independent German city of Münster, is conquered by Franz von Waldeck, the Catholic Prince-Bishopric of Münster in a night attack. 1571 – Miguel López de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Philippines. 1604 – Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present-day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. 1622 – Battle of Macau: The Dutch make a failed attempt to capture Macau. 1663 – The Spanish garrison of Évora capitulates, following the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial. 1717 – The Premier Grand Lodge of England is founded in London, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England). 1762 – Battle of Wilhelmsthal: The British-Hanoverian army of Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats French forces in Westphalia. 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. 1793 – The first Republican constitution in France is adopted. 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia. 1813 – War of 1812: Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army. 1821 – The Battle of Carabobo takes place. It is the decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain. 1859 – Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy. 1866 – Battle of Custoza: An Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War. 1880 – First performance of O Canada at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français. The song would later become the national anthem of Canada. 1894 – Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated by Sante Geronimo Caserio. 1902 – King Edward VII of the United Kingdom develops appendicitis, delaying his coronation. 1913 – Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria. 1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract. 1918 – First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto. 1922 – The American Professional Football Association is renamed the National Football League. 1932 – A bloodless revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand). 1938 – Pieces of a meteorite land near Chicora, Pennsylvania. The meteorite is estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth's atmosphere and exploded. 1939 – Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the country's third prime minister. 1940 – World War II: Operation Collar, the first British Commando raid on occupied France, by No 11 Independent Company. 1943 – US military police attempt to arrest a black soldier in Bamber Bridge, England, sparking the Battle of Bamber Bridge mutiny that leaves one dead and seven wounded. 1947 – Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington, leading to the coining of the phrase "flying saucer". 1948 – Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible. 1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is aired on NBC. 1950 – Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed, formally segregating races. 1954 – First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass: Viet Minh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê. 1957 – In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. 1963 – The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government. 1973 – The UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, is attacked by an arsonist during a church service, and 32 people die from smoke inhalation or fire. 1975 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft. 1981 – The Humber Bridge opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It remained the world's longest bridge span for 17 years. 1982 – British Airways Flight 9 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines.[10] 1989 – Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. 1995 – Rugby World Cup: South Africa defeats New Zealand and Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup in an iconic post-apartheid moment. 2002 – The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. 2004 – In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional. 2010 – At Wimbledon, John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France, in the longest match in professional tennis history. 2010 – Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia. 2012 – Death of Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise. 2013 – Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and engaging in sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.24

1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. 217 BC – The Romans, led by Gaius Flaminius, are ambushed and defeated by Hannibal at the Battle of Lake Trasimene. 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Rome. 474 – Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland. 843 – The Vikings sack French city of Nantes. 972 – Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place. 1128 – Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: Forces led by Afonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba. 1230 – The Siege of Jaén begins, in the context of the Spanish Reconquista. 1314 – First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce. 1340 – Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys: The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English fleet commanded in person by King Edward III. 1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. 1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings. 1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England. 1535 – The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded. 1540 – English King Henry VIII commands his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, to leave the court. 1571 – Miguel López de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Philippines. 1593 – The Dutch city of Geertruidenberg held by the Spanish, capitulates to a besieging Dutch and English army led by Maurice of Nassau. 1604 – Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present-day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. 1622 – Battle of Macau: The Dutch make a failed attempt to capture Macau. 1663 – The Spanish garrison of Évora capitulates, following the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial. 1717 – The Premier Grand Lodge of England is founded in London, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England). 1762 – Battle of Wilhelmsthal: The British-Hanoverian army of Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats French forces in Westphalia. 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. 1793 – The first Republican constitution in France is adopted. 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia. 1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army. 1821 – Battle of Carabobo: Decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain. 1859 – Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy. 1866 – Battle of Custoza: An Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War. 1880 – First performance of O Canada at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français. The song would later become the national anthem of Canada. 1894 – Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated by Sante Geronimo Caserio. 1901–present 1913 – Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria. 1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract. 1918 – First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto. 1922 – The American Professional Football Association is renamed the National Football League. 1932 – A bloodless revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand). 1938 – Pieces of a meteorite land near Chicora, Pennsylvania. The meteorite is estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth's atmosphere and exploded. 1939 – Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the country's third prime minister. 1940 – World War II: Operation Collar, the first British Commando raid on occupied France, by No 11 Independent Company. 1943 – US military police attempt to arrest a black soldier in Bamber Bridge, England, sparking the Battle of Bamber Bridge mutiny that leaves one dead and seven wounded. 1947 – Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington. 1948 – Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible. 1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is aired on NBC. 1950 – Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed, formally segregating races. 1954 – First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass: Viet Minh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê. 1957 – In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. 1960 – Assassination attempt of Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt. 1963 – The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government. 1973 – The UpStairs Lounge arson attack takes place at a gay bar located on the second floor of the three-story building at 141 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Thirty-two people die as a result of fire or smoke inhalation. 1975 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft. 1981 – The Humber Bridge opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It remained the world's longest bridge span for 17 years. 1982 – "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 9 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. 1989 – Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. 1995 – Rugby World Cup: South Africa defeats New Zealand and Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup in an iconic post-apartheid moment. 2002 – The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. 2004 – In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional. 2010 – At Wimbledon, John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France, in the longest match in professional tennis history. 2010 – Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia. 2012 – Death of Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise. 2013 – Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and engaging in sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison. 2021 – The Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida suffers a sudden partial collapse, killing 98 people inside.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.24

1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. 217 BC – The Romans, led by Gaius Flaminius, are ambushed and defeated by Hannibal at the Battle of Lake Trasimene. 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Rome. 474 – Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland. 843 – The Vikings sack French city of Nantes. 972 – Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place. 1128 – Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: Forces led by Afonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba. 1230 – The Siege of Jaén begins, in the context of the Spanish Reconquista. 1314 – First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce. 1340 – Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys: The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English fleet commanded in person by King Edward III. 1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. 1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings. 1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England. 1535 – The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded. 1540 – English King Henry VIII commands his 4th wife, Anne of Cleves, to leave the court. 1571 – Miguel López de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Philippines. 1604 – Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present-day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. 1622 – Battle of Macau: The Dutch make a failed attempt to capture Macau. 1663 – The Spanish garrison of Évora capitulates, following the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Ameixial. 1717 – The Premier Grand Lodge of England is founded in London, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England). 1762 – Battle of Wilhelmsthal: The British-Hanoverian army of Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats French forces in Westphalia. 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. 1793 – The first Republican constitution in France is adopted. 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia. 1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army. 1821 – The Battle of Carabobo takes place. It is the decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain. 1859 – Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy. 1866 – Battle of Custoza: An Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War. 1880 – First performance of O Canada at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français. The song would later become the national anthem of Canada. 1894 – Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated by Sante Geronimo Caserio. 1902 – King Edward VII of the United Kingdom develops appendicitis, delaying his coronation. 1913 – Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria. 1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract. 1918 – First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto. 1922 – The American Professional Football Association is renamed the National Football League. 1932 – A bloodless revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand). 1938 – Pieces of a meteorite land near Chicora, Pennsylvania. The meteorite is estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth's atmosphere and exploded. 1939 – Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the country's third prime minister. 1940 – World War II: Operation Collar, the first British Commando raid on occupied France, by No 11 Independent Company. 1943 – US military police attempt to arrest a black soldier in Bamber Bridge, England, sparking the Battle of Bamber Bridge mutiny that leaves one dead and seven wounded. 1947 – Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington. 1948 – Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible. 1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is aired on NBC. 1950 – Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed, formally segregating races. 1954 – First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass: Viet Minh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê. 1957 – In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. 1963 – The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government. 1973 – The UpStairs Lounge arson attack takes place at a gay bar located on the second floor of the three-story building at 141 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Thirty-two people die as a result of fire or smoke inhalation. 1975 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 encounters severe wind shear and crashes on final approach to New York's JFK Airport killing 113 of the 124 passengers on board, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash at the time. This accident led to decades of research into downburst and microburst phenomena and their effects on aircraft. 1981 – The Humber Bridge opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It remained the world's longest bridge span for 17 years. 1982 – "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 9 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. 1989 – Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. 1995 – Rugby World Cup: South Africa defeats New Zealand and Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup in an iconic post-apartheid moment. 2002 – The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. 2004 – In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional. 2010 – At Wimbledon, John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France, in the longest match in professional tennis history. 2010 – Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia. 2012 – Death of Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise. 2013 – Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and engaging in sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.24

1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. 217 BC – The Romans, led by Gaius Flaminius, are ambushed and defeated by Hannibal at the Battle of Lake Trasimene. 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north-west of Rome. 474 – Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland. 972 – Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place. 1128 – Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: Forces led by Afonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba. 1230 – The Siege of Jaén begins, in the context of the Spanish Reconquista. 1314 – First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce. 1340 – Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys: The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English fleet commanded in person by King Edward III. 1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. 1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings. 1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England. 1535 – The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded. 1571 – Miguel López de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Philippines. 1604 – Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. 1622 – Battle of Macau: The Dutch attempt but fail to capture Macau. 1717 – The Premier Grand Lodge of England, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England), is founded in London. 1762 – Battle of Wilhelmsthal: The British-Hanoverian army of Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats French forces in Westphalia. 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. 1793 – The first Republican constitution in France is adopted. 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia. 1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army. 1821 – The Battle of Carabobo takes place. It is the decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain. 1859 – Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy. 1866 – Battle of Custoza: An Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War. 1880 – First performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français. 1894 – Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated by Sante Geronimo Caserio. 1902 – King Edward VII of the United Kingdom develops appendicitis, delaying his coronation. 1913 – Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria. 1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract. 1918 – First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto. 1922 – The American Professional Football Association is renamed the National Football League. 1932 – A bloodless revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand). 1938 – Pieces of a meteorite, estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth's atmosphere and exploded, land near Chicora, Pennsylvania. 1939 – Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the country's third prime minister. 1940 – World War II: Operation Collar, the first British Commando raid on occupied France, by No 11 Independent Company. 1943 – US military police attempt to arrest a black soldier in Bamber Bridge, England, sparking the Battle of Bamber Bridge mutiny that leaves one dead and seven wounded. 1947 – Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington. 1948 – Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible. 1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, is aired on NBC starring William Boyd. 1950 – Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act formally segregating races is passed. 1954 – First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass: Viet Minh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê. 1957 – In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. 1963 – The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government. 1973 – The UpStairs Lounge arson attack takes place at a gay bar located on the second floor of the three-story building at 141 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Thirty-two people die as a result of fire or smoke inhalation. 1981 – The Humber Bridge opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It would be the world's longest bridge span for 17 years. 1982 – "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 9 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. 1989 – Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. 1995 – Rugby World Cup: South Africa defeats New Zealand and Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup in an iconic post-apartheid moment. 2002 – The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. 2004 – In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional. 2010 – John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, in the longest match in professional tennis history. 2010 – Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia. 2012 – Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise, dies. 2013 – Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and having sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.24

1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. 217 BC – The Romans, led by Gaius Flaminius, are ambushed and defeated by Hannibal at the Battle of Lake Trasimene. 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north-west of Rome. 474 – Julius Nepos forces Roman usurper Glycerius to abdicate the throne and proclaims himself Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in the history of Ireland. 972 – Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place. 1128 – Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães: Forces led by Afonso I defeat forces led by his mother Teresa of León and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba. 1230 – The Siege of Jaén started in the context of the Spanish Reconquista. 1314 – First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn concludes with a decisive victory by Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce. 1340 – Hundred Years' War: Battle of Sluys: The French fleet is almost completely destroyed by the English fleet commanded in person by King Edward III. 1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion. 1497 – John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland leading the first European exploration of the region since the Vikings. 1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned King and Queen of England. 1535 – The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded. 1571 – Miguel López de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Philippines. 1597 – The first Dutch voyage to the East Indies reaches Banten, Java.[citation needed][1] 1604 – Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. 1622 – Battle of Macau: The Dutch attempt but fail to capture Macau. 1717 – The Premier Grand Lodge of England, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England), is founded in London. 1762 – Battle of Wilhelmsthal: The British-Hanoverian army of Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats French forces in Westphalia. 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. 1793 – The first Republican constitution in France is adopted. 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia. 1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams: A British and Indian combined force defeats the United States Army. 1821 – The Battle of Carabobo takes place. It is the decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain. 1859 – Battle of Solferino (Battle of the Three Sovereigns): Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy. 1866 – Battle of Custoza: An Austrian army defeats the Italian army during the Austro-Prussian War. 1880 – First performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français. 1894 – Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated by Sante Geronimo Caserio. 1902 – King Edward VII of the United Kingdom develops appendicitis, delaying his coronation. 1913 – Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria. 1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract. 1918 – First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto. 1922 – The American Professional Football Association is renamed the National Football League. 1932 – A bloodless revolution instigated by the People's Party ends the absolute power of King Prajadhipok of Siam (now Thailand). 1938 – Pieces of a meteorite, estimated to have weighed 450 metric tons when it hit the Earth's atmosphere and exploded, land near Chicora, Pennsylvania. 1939 – Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the country's third prime minister. 1940 – World War II: Operation Collar, the first British Commando raid on occupied France, by No 11 Independent Company. 1943 – US military police attempt to arrest a black soldier in Bamber Bridge, England, sparking the Battle of Bamber Bridge mutiny that leaves one dead and seven wounded. 1947 – Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington. 1948 – Cold War: Start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union makes overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible. 1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, is aired on NBC starring William Boyd. 1950 – Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act formally segregating races is passed. 1954 – First Indochina War: Battle of Mang Yang Pass: Viet Minh troops belonging to the 803rd Regiment ambush G.M. 100 of France in An Khê. 1957 – In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. 1963 – The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government. 1973 – The UpStairs Lounge arson attack takes place at a gay bar located on the second floor of the three-story building at 141 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Thirty-two people die as a result of fire or smoke inhalation. 1981 – The Humber Bridge opens to traffic, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It would be the world's longest bridge span for 17 years. 1982 – "The Jakarta Incident": British Airways Flight 9 flies into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines. 1989 – Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. 1995 – "Rugby World Cup final": South Africa defeats New Zealand, Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb-Ellis trophy in an iconic post-apartheid moment. 2002 – The Igandu train disaster in Tanzania kills 281, the worst train accident in African history. 2004 – In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional. 2010 – John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, in the longest match in professional tennis history. 2010 – Julia Gillard assumes office as the first female Prime Minister of Australia. 2012 – Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise, dies. 2013 – Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is found guilty of abusing his power and having sex with an underage prostitute, and is sentenced to seven years in prison.