John Zephaniah Holwell (1711-1798) was a survivor of the so-called Black Hole of Calcutta and gained fame for his account of the incident. However, in recent years, his version of the event has been seriously called into question by many historians. He was also one of the first Europeans to study Indian antiquities. // Events February 24 - The London premiere of Rinaldo by George Friderich Handel, the first Italian opera written for the London stage. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small dungeon where Indian troops held British prisoners of war after the capture of Fort William on June 20, 1756. ...

Born in Dublin, he grew up in London and gained employment as a surgeon in the English East India Company and was sent to India in 1732 serving in this capacity until 1749. He then served as a member of the Council of Fort William (Calcutta) and defended the settlement against Siraj Ud Daulah in 1756. He later succeeded Robert Clive as temporary Governor of Bengal in 1760, but was dismissed from the Council in 1761 for remonstrating against the appointment of Henry Vansittart as Governor of Bengal. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1767. The British East India Company, popularly known as John Company, was founded by a Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600. ... Fort William may refer to Fort William, Scotland, a town in the Scottish Highlands. ... This article is on Calcutta/Kolkata, the city. ... Mîrzâ Mah. ... Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive of Plassey (September 29, 1725 - November 22, 1774) was the statesman and general who established the empire of British India. ... A governor is also a device that regulates the speed of a machine. ... Bengal, known as Bôngo (Bengali: বঙ্গ), Bangla (বাংলা), Bôngodesh (বঙ্গদেশ), or Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশ) in Bangla (Bengali), is a region in the northeast of South Asia. ... Henry Vansittart (June 3, 1732 - 1770 or 1771) was Governor of Bengal and a notorious rake. ... The premises of the Royal Society in London. ...

Author of:

A Genuine Narrative of the Deplorable Deaths of the English Gentlemen and others who were suffocated in the Black Hole (London, 1758)

Interesting Historical Events, Relative to the Provinces of Bengal, and the Empire of Indostan With a seasonable hint and perswasive to the honourable the court of directors of the East India Company. As also the mythology and cosmogony, fasts and festivals of the Gentoo's, followers of the Shastah. And a dissertation on the metempsychosis, commonly, though erroneously, called the Pythagorean doctrine, 3 vols. (London, 1765-1771)