Historical Events Aug 22 Madras (now Chennai), India, founded by the British East India Company on sliver of land bought from local Nayak rulers Famous Deaths Aug 4 Juan R Alarcon y Mendoza, Mexican/Spanish playwright, dies at 58 Aug 7 Martin van den Hove, Dutch scientist (b. 1605) Aug 20 Martin Opitz, German poet/historian (Troerinnen), dies at 41 Share On Facebook Share On Twitter 1638 History by Year 1640 What Happened in 1639 Great Sacrifice of a Plague-Ridden Village April 28, 1639
