Events in History Dec 10 Sea battle at Dungeness: lt-admiral Maarten Tromp beats English fleet Birthdays in History Dec 9 Augustus Quirinus Rivinus, German physician and botanist, born in Leipzig, Germany (d. 1723) Dec 25 Archibald Pitcairne, Scottish physician (d. 1713) Deaths in History Dec 8 Adriaan W "Joris" van Geel, Flemish missionary, murdered at 35 Dec 23 John Cotton, Puritan clergyman in Massachusetts Bay colony, dies at 68 Dec 31 Frances Cecil, 2nd wife of English earl of Shaftesbury, dies 1651 On This Day in History 1653