Christian History
The material below has been obtained from CT Newsletters | Christianity Today
The material below has been obtained from CT Newsletters | Christianity Today
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2025
January 6, 548: The Jerusalem church observed Christmas on this date for the last time as the Western church moved to celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25.
January 6, 1412: Joan of Arc, the French peasant mystic Christian who became a national heroine and her country's patron saint, was born.
January 5, 1527: Swiss Anabaptist reformer Felix Manz was drowned in punishment for preaching adult baptism, becoming the first Protestant martyred by other Protestants.
January 4, 1581: James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, was born. Famous for a chronology of the Bible that was reprinted in King James Versions, he was so highly esteemed that Oliver Cromwell gave him a state funeral and had him buried in Westminster Abbey.
January 11, 1759: The first American life insurance company was incorporated in Philadelphia—the ‘Corporation of Poor and Distressed Presbyterian Ministers and of the Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers’.
January 6, 1832: French artist Gustave Dore, known for his drawings and lithographs for the Bible, Dante's Inferno, and other works, was born in Strasbourg, France.
January 6, 1850: Charles Spurgeon, a great preacher, converted to Christianity after receiving a vision, ‘not a vision to my eyes, but to my heart. I saw what a Saviour Christ was,’ he wrote, ‘I can never tell you how it was, but I no sooner saw Whom I was to believe than I also understood what it was to believe, and I did believe in one moment’.
January 11, 1875: The ‘Scandal of the Century’ goes public as journalist Theodore Tilton suesd prominent liberal pastor Henry Ward Beecher for alienating his wife's affections (i.e. having an affair with her). The trial, which became a national sensation, finally ended with a hung jury.
January 6, 1884: Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel, founder of the science of genetics, died.
January 4, 1965: TS Eliot died. He was an influential English writer in the twentieth century and a devout Christian who wove his religious convictions into his work.
January 6, 1412: Joan of Arc, the French peasant mystic Christian who became a national heroine and her country's patron saint, was born.
January 5, 1527: Swiss Anabaptist reformer Felix Manz was drowned in punishment for preaching adult baptism, becoming the first Protestant martyred by other Protestants.
January 4, 1581: James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, was born. Famous for a chronology of the Bible that was reprinted in King James Versions, he was so highly esteemed that Oliver Cromwell gave him a state funeral and had him buried in Westminster Abbey.
January 11, 1759: The first American life insurance company was incorporated in Philadelphia—the ‘Corporation of Poor and Distressed Presbyterian Ministers and of the Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers’.
January 6, 1832: French artist Gustave Dore, known for his drawings and lithographs for the Bible, Dante's Inferno, and other works, was born in Strasbourg, France.
January 6, 1850: Charles Spurgeon, a great preacher, converted to Christianity after receiving a vision, ‘not a vision to my eyes, but to my heart. I saw what a Saviour Christ was,’ he wrote, ‘I can never tell you how it was, but I no sooner saw Whom I was to believe than I also understood what it was to believe, and I did believe in one moment’.
January 11, 1875: The ‘Scandal of the Century’ goes public as journalist Theodore Tilton suesd prominent liberal pastor Henry Ward Beecher for alienating his wife's affections (i.e. having an affair with her). The trial, which became a national sensation, finally ended with a hung jury.
January 6, 1884: Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel, founder of the science of genetics, died.
January 4, 1965: TS Eliot died. He was an influential English writer in the twentieth century and a devout Christian who wove his religious convictions into his work.
December 31, 1384: John Wycliffe, pre-Reformer who initiated the first complete translation of the Bible into English and influenced Hus, Luther and Calvin, died at about 64. He was condemned at the council of Constance (1415), and his body was disinterred and burned.
January 1, 1622: The Roman Catholic church adopted January 1 as the beginning of the year, rather than March 25.
January 1, 1643: English mathematician and physicist Sir Isaac Newton was baptised at St John's Church in Colsterworth, England. Deeply interested in religion throughout his life, Newton (known especially for formulating the laws of gravitation) acknowledged Jesus as Saviour of the world, but not God incarnate.
December 29, 1809: William Gladstone, four-time British prime minister, was born in Liverpool, England. One scholar has called him "the epitome of all that the evangelicals and the English public asked for in their politicians“.
December 29, 1849: The carol ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’, by pastor Edmund H Sears, appeared for the first time in The Christian Register.
December 30, 1852: Future U.S. President Rutherford B Hayes married "Lemonade Lucy," so called because, as first lady, she forbade alcohol in the Executive Mansion. The Hayes were devout Methodists who began each day with prayer and organised Sunday evening worship services at the White House.
December 29, 1876: Hymn writer Philip P Bliss and his wife fell to their deaths when a bridge collapsed under the train they were in in Pennsylvania. Bliss's compositions included ‘Man of Sorrows’ and the music to ‘It Is Well with My Soul’.
January 3, 1892: Literature professor JRR Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and a devout Catholic, was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
January 1, 1622: The Roman Catholic church adopted January 1 as the beginning of the year, rather than March 25.
January 1, 1643: English mathematician and physicist Sir Isaac Newton was baptised at St John's Church in Colsterworth, England. Deeply interested in religion throughout his life, Newton (known especially for formulating the laws of gravitation) acknowledged Jesus as Saviour of the world, but not God incarnate.
December 29, 1809: William Gladstone, four-time British prime minister, was born in Liverpool, England. One scholar has called him "the epitome of all that the evangelicals and the English public asked for in their politicians“.
December 29, 1849: The carol ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’, by pastor Edmund H Sears, appeared for the first time in The Christian Register.
December 30, 1852: Future U.S. President Rutherford B Hayes married "Lemonade Lucy," so called because, as first lady, she forbade alcohol in the Executive Mansion. The Hayes were devout Methodists who began each day with prayer and organised Sunday evening worship services at the White House.
December 29, 1876: Hymn writer Philip P Bliss and his wife fell to their deaths when a bridge collapsed under the train they were in in Pennsylvania. Bliss's compositions included ‘Man of Sorrows’ and the music to ‘It Is Well with My Soul’.
January 3, 1892: Literature professor JRR Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and a devout Catholic, was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
2024
December
December 13, 304: Lucy, one of the earliest popular Christian saints, died. According to legend, she renounced marriage out of devotion to Christ, but a spurned suitor convinced Roman authorities to force her into a life of prostitution. When this was unsuccessful, they tried to burn her to death, but she wouldn't catch fire. Finally, she was killed by the sword.
December 11, 1475: Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici, who became Pope Leo X, was born in Florence, Italy. He was best known for his sale of indulgences to help rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica, a practice opposed by Martin Luther in his famous 95 Theses. The dispute between Leo and Luther over indulgences would culminate in Luther’s excommunication by papal bull in 1521, ushering in the Protestant Reformation. Leo died later that same year.
December 12, 1582: Spanish General Fernando Alvarez de Toledo died. The duke had been sent, along with 10,000 troops, by King Philip II of Spain to quell the Reformation in Holland. The duke's "Council of Blood" was responsible for some 18,000 deaths.
December 9, 1608: English poet John Milton was born in London. Though most famous for his epic Paradise Lost, he also wrote an exposition of Christian doctrine, a plan for Christian education, and various political writings.
December 11, 1640: English Puritans introduced a petition with 15,000 signatures to Parliament, seeking to abolish the church episcopacy, "with all its dependencies, roots and branches." The House of Commons accepted what has become known as the Roots and Branch Petition but the House of Lords (many of whom were bishops) rejected it, and the episcopal organisation of the Church of England remained.
December 12, 1712: The colony of South Carolina required "all persons whatsoever" to attend church each Sunday and refrain from skilled labour and travel. Violators of the Sunday Law could be fined 10 shillings or locked in the stocks for two hours.
December 11, 1792: Joseph Mohr, a Catholic priest and author of the poem ‘Silent Night’ was born.
December 13, 1835: Phillips Brooks, Episcopal prelate and author of ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ was born in Boston.
December 9, 1843: The first Christmas cards—actually more like postcards—were created and sold for a shilling.
December 11, 1918: Russian author Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, an Orthodox believer whose works include The Gulag Archipelago, was born.
December 11, 1475: Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici, who became Pope Leo X, was born in Florence, Italy. He was best known for his sale of indulgences to help rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica, a practice opposed by Martin Luther in his famous 95 Theses. The dispute between Leo and Luther over indulgences would culminate in Luther’s excommunication by papal bull in 1521, ushering in the Protestant Reformation. Leo died later that same year.
December 12, 1582: Spanish General Fernando Alvarez de Toledo died. The duke had been sent, along with 10,000 troops, by King Philip II of Spain to quell the Reformation in Holland. The duke's "Council of Blood" was responsible for some 18,000 deaths.
December 9, 1608: English poet John Milton was born in London. Though most famous for his epic Paradise Lost, he also wrote an exposition of Christian doctrine, a plan for Christian education, and various political writings.
December 11, 1640: English Puritans introduced a petition with 15,000 signatures to Parliament, seeking to abolish the church episcopacy, "with all its dependencies, roots and branches." The House of Commons accepted what has become known as the Roots and Branch Petition but the House of Lords (many of whom were bishops) rejected it, and the episcopal organisation of the Church of England remained.
December 12, 1712: The colony of South Carolina required "all persons whatsoever" to attend church each Sunday and refrain from skilled labour and travel. Violators of the Sunday Law could be fined 10 shillings or locked in the stocks for two hours.
December 11, 1792: Joseph Mohr, a Catholic priest and author of the poem ‘Silent Night’ was born.
December 13, 1835: Phillips Brooks, Episcopal prelate and author of ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ was born in Boston.
December 9, 1843: The first Christmas cards—actually more like postcards—were created and sold for a shilling.
December 11, 1918: Russian author Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, an Orthodox believer whose works include The Gulag Archipelago, was born.
October
October 20, 1349: Pope Clement VI condemns self-flagellation, speaking out against a flagellation frenzy. The practice, first taught by the Benedictine monk Peter Damian in the mid-eleventh century, gained popularity during the thirteenth-century Black Death scare and continues today in isolated incidences.
October 21, 1663: Virginia colonist John Harlow was fined 50 pounds of tobacco for missing church.
October 22, 4004 BC: According to James Ussher, a seventeenth century, well-respected, scholarly Anglican primate of the Irish Church, God created the universe on this date at 9:00 a.m. GMT.
October 22, 1811: Pianist Franz Liszt, the author of more than 60 religious works (including ‘Fairest Lord Jesus’), was born in Raiding, Hungary (present-day Austria).
October 22, 1844: Between 50,000 and 100,000 followers of Baptist lay preacher William Miller prepared for "The Day of Atonement"—the day Jesus would return. Jesus didn't. Miller blamed human mistakes in Bible chronologies.
October 24, 1260: France's Chartres Cathedral was consecrated. It is the purest example of Gothic architecture.
October 14, 1066: William the Conqueror led the Normans to victory over the English Saxons in the Battle of Hastings. The Norman invasion also had great religious impact. William spent significant effort combating paganism and bringing English Christianity into stricter conformity with Rome (in part by outlawing English Bibles and liturgy). He spent his last days in intense Christian devotion.
October 14, 1656: Massachusetts enacts a law prohibiting "Quakerism" or harbouring Quakers.
October 15, 1932: A small party of supporters gathered in Liverpool, England, to send Gladys Aylward, a 28-year-old parlourmaid, off on a dangerous missionary journey to China. Though she'd been turned down by the missions agency she applied to, she went on to become one of the most amazing single woman missionaries of modern history. Her dramatic rescue of a hundred orphans is told in the movie The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman.
October 18, 1405: Enea Silvio Piccolomini ( Pope Pius II) was born in Italy. He was considered one of the best popes of his age: he wrote an important study of geography and ethnography, a popular love story, and an autobiography. He died in 1464 while planning a battle against the Turks.
October 18, 1867: The United States purchased Alaska for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents an acre. Ten years later, after lax military administration had only worsened the territory's moral condition, an army private stationed in Alaska begged for a missionary to come.
October 21, 1663: Virginia colonist John Harlow was fined 50 pounds of tobacco for missing church.
October 22, 4004 BC: According to James Ussher, a seventeenth century, well-respected, scholarly Anglican primate of the Irish Church, God created the universe on this date at 9:00 a.m. GMT.
October 22, 1811: Pianist Franz Liszt, the author of more than 60 religious works (including ‘Fairest Lord Jesus’), was born in Raiding, Hungary (present-day Austria).
October 22, 1844: Between 50,000 and 100,000 followers of Baptist lay preacher William Miller prepared for "The Day of Atonement"—the day Jesus would return. Jesus didn't. Miller blamed human mistakes in Bible chronologies.
October 24, 1260: France's Chartres Cathedral was consecrated. It is the purest example of Gothic architecture.
October 14, 1066: William the Conqueror led the Normans to victory over the English Saxons in the Battle of Hastings. The Norman invasion also had great religious impact. William spent significant effort combating paganism and bringing English Christianity into stricter conformity with Rome (in part by outlawing English Bibles and liturgy). He spent his last days in intense Christian devotion.
October 14, 1656: Massachusetts enacts a law prohibiting "Quakerism" or harbouring Quakers.
October 15, 1932: A small party of supporters gathered in Liverpool, England, to send Gladys Aylward, a 28-year-old parlourmaid, off on a dangerous missionary journey to China. Though she'd been turned down by the missions agency she applied to, she went on to become one of the most amazing single woman missionaries of modern history. Her dramatic rescue of a hundred orphans is told in the movie The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman.
October 18, 1405: Enea Silvio Piccolomini ( Pope Pius II) was born in Italy. He was considered one of the best popes of his age: he wrote an important study of geography and ethnography, a popular love story, and an autobiography. He died in 1464 while planning a battle against the Turks.
October 18, 1867: The United States purchased Alaska for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents an acre. Ten years later, after lax military administration had only worsened the territory's moral condition, an army private stationed in Alaska begged for a missionary to come.
October 6, 1536: English reformer William Tyndale, who translated and published the first mechanically-printed New Testament in the English language (against the law at the time) was strangled to death. His body was then burned at the stake.
October 6, 1552: Matteo Ricci, the first Roman Catholic missionary to China, was born in Macareta, Italy. Other missionaries criticised his complete adoption of Confucianism which he believed merely a civil cult, unlike Buddhism and Taoism.
October 9, 1000: Leif "the Lucky" Eriksson, who later evangelised Greenland, is said to have been the first European to reach North America on this date. But while he was certainly a member of an early Viking voyage to "Vinland" (probably Nova Scotia), it's doubtful he led the initial expedition. October 9, 1776: 247 Spanish colonists consecrated their California mission of San Francisco.
October 6, 1552: Matteo Ricci, the first Roman Catholic missionary to China, was born in Macareta, Italy. Other missionaries criticised his complete adoption of Confucianism which he believed merely a civil cult, unlike Buddhism and Taoism.
October 9, 1000: Leif "the Lucky" Eriksson, who later evangelised Greenland, is said to have been the first European to reach North America on this date. But while he was certainly a member of an early Viking voyage to "Vinland" (probably Nova Scotia), it's doubtful he led the initial expedition. October 9, 1776: 247 Spanish colonists consecrated their California mission of San Francisco.
October 2, 1187: Muslim general Saladin captured Jerusalem from the crusaders.
October 2, 1800: Slave and lay preacher Nat Turner was born in Virginia. Inspired by biblical texts, the deeply religious and ascetic Turner had visions of liberating his people. On August 22, 1831, he led a major revolt with 60 other slaves, killing 57 white Virginians.
October 3, 1226: Francis of Assisi died. He is remembered as a preacher and mystic who created monastic communities for men and women devoted to poverty and serving the poor.
October 3, 1692: Puritan clergy in Salem, Massachusetts agreed there would be no more executions resulting from the witch trials. More than 150 suspected witches had been put on trial in the previous year, and 19 had been hanged.
October 4, 1669: Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn died. He was known as the "painter of the soul" for his unsurpassed Christian art.
October 4, 1890: Catherine Booth, English "mother of the Salvation Army," died. Besides preaching as a Salvation Army minister, she persuaded her husband, William, to make women an integral part of Salvation Army leadership and work.
October 4, 1965: Paul VI becomes the first pope to visit the United States and to address the United Nations.
October 2, 1800: Slave and lay preacher Nat Turner was born in Virginia. Inspired by biblical texts, the deeply religious and ascetic Turner had visions of liberating his people. On August 22, 1831, he led a major revolt with 60 other slaves, killing 57 white Virginians.
October 3, 1226: Francis of Assisi died. He is remembered as a preacher and mystic who created monastic communities for men and women devoted to poverty and serving the poor.
October 3, 1692: Puritan clergy in Salem, Massachusetts agreed there would be no more executions resulting from the witch trials. More than 150 suspected witches had been put on trial in the previous year, and 19 had been hanged.
October 4, 1669: Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn died. He was known as the "painter of the soul" for his unsurpassed Christian art.
October 4, 1890: Catherine Booth, English "mother of the Salvation Army," died. Besides preaching as a Salvation Army minister, she persuaded her husband, William, to make women an integral part of Salvation Army leadership and work.
October 4, 1965: Paul VI becomes the first pope to visit the United States and to address the United Nations.
September
September 24, 1794:
Russian Orthodox priest-monk Father Juvenaly, his brother Stephen, and eight other monks arrived at Kodiak Island, Alaska. After two years of ministry, the team had led 12,000 Alaskans to embrace the gospel. Juvenaly then extended his mission to the mainland, where he was reportedly martyred in 1796.
September 28, 929 (or 935):
King Wenceslas, ruler and patron saint of Czechoslovakia died. During his brief reign as king (before his brother murdered him) Wenceslas sought peace with surrounding nations, reformed the judicial system, and showed particular concern for his country's poor. Good King Wenceslas looked out On the Feast of Stephen When the snow lay round about Deep and crisp and even.
September 29, 1413:
Sir John Oldcastle was a follower of John Wycliffe, translator of the scriptures into English. Archbishop Arundel accused Oldcastle of heresy. Refusing to recant, he hid in Wales for a year until betrayed. Oldcastle was captured and roasted to death.
Russian Orthodox priest-monk Father Juvenaly, his brother Stephen, and eight other monks arrived at Kodiak Island, Alaska. After two years of ministry, the team had led 12,000 Alaskans to embrace the gospel. Juvenaly then extended his mission to the mainland, where he was reportedly martyred in 1796.
September 28, 929 (or 935):
King Wenceslas, ruler and patron saint of Czechoslovakia died. During his brief reign as king (before his brother murdered him) Wenceslas sought peace with surrounding nations, reformed the judicial system, and showed particular concern for his country's poor. Good King Wenceslas looked out On the Feast of Stephen When the snow lay round about Deep and crisp and even.
September 29, 1413:
Sir John Oldcastle was a follower of John Wycliffe, translator of the scriptures into English. Archbishop Arundel accused Oldcastle of heresy. Refusing to recant, he hid in Wales for a year until betrayed. Oldcastle was captured and roasted to death.
September 19, 821:
Theodulf, poet, scholar, secretary of education, and bishop of Orleans during Charlemagne's reign was buried. He wrote hymns, among which his best remembered is "Gloria Laus et Honor" or "All Glory, Laud and Honour / To you Redeemer King.”
September 19, 1853:
At the age of 21, Baptist missionary pioneer J. Hudson Taylor set sail from England for China.
September 19, 1888:
Missionary Jonathan Goforth began a tour of the Henan region of China, where he would spend the rest of his life preaching, establishing churches, and ministering to the needy.
September 19, 1955:
Mission Aviation pilot Nate Saint saw Auca villages in the Amazon jungle. The Auca massacred him and his companions on January 8, 1956.
September 20, 1224:
On or about this date, on Italy's secluded Mount Alvernia, Francis of Assisi reportedly prayed, "O Lord, I beg of you two graces before I die—to experience in myself in all possible fullness the pains of your cruel passion, and to feel for you the same love that made you sacrifice yourself for us." Soon his heart was filled with both joy and pity, and wounds appeared on his hands, feet, and side. He reportedly carried these scars (called stigmata) until his death in 1226.
September 20, 1565:
Spanish sea captain Pedro Menendez de Aviles reportedly wiped out French Huguenots in Florida.
Theodulf, poet, scholar, secretary of education, and bishop of Orleans during Charlemagne's reign was buried. He wrote hymns, among which his best remembered is "Gloria Laus et Honor" or "All Glory, Laud and Honour / To you Redeemer King.”
September 19, 1853:
At the age of 21, Baptist missionary pioneer J. Hudson Taylor set sail from England for China.
September 19, 1888:
Missionary Jonathan Goforth began a tour of the Henan region of China, where he would spend the rest of his life preaching, establishing churches, and ministering to the needy.
September 19, 1955:
Mission Aviation pilot Nate Saint saw Auca villages in the Amazon jungle. The Auca massacred him and his companions on January 8, 1956.
September 20, 1224:
On or about this date, on Italy's secluded Mount Alvernia, Francis of Assisi reportedly prayed, "O Lord, I beg of you two graces before I die—to experience in myself in all possible fullness the pains of your cruel passion, and to feel for you the same love that made you sacrifice yourself for us." Soon his heart was filled with both joy and pity, and wounds appeared on his hands, feet, and side. He reportedly carried these scars (called stigmata) until his death in 1226.
September 20, 1565:
Spanish sea captain Pedro Menendez de Aviles reportedly wiped out French Huguenots in Florida.
August
August 22, 565:
Celtic missionary and abbot Columba reportedly confronted the Loch Ness Monster and became the first recorded observer of the creature. “At the voice of the saint, the monster was terrified,” wrote his biographer, “and fled more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes.”
August 22, 1741:
George Frideric Handel shut himself up in his home to begin writing Messiah. He finished the composition 24 days later. "Whether I was in the body or out of the body when I wrote it, I know not," he later said.
August 24, 410:
Alaric and the Goths sacked Rome. Pagans blamed pacifist Christians and the Christian God for the defeat. Augustine, in his City of God, repudiated this claim and blamed Rome's corruption.
August 24, 1662:
The deadline arrived for all British ministers to publicly agree to the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). The Act of Uniformity, passed on May 19, 1662, required the BCP to be used exclusively from this date forward. The act remains on Britain's Statute Book, though it has been modified over the years.
Celtic missionary and abbot Columba reportedly confronted the Loch Ness Monster and became the first recorded observer of the creature. “At the voice of the saint, the monster was terrified,” wrote his biographer, “and fled more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes.”
August 22, 1741:
George Frideric Handel shut himself up in his home to begin writing Messiah. He finished the composition 24 days later. "Whether I was in the body or out of the body when I wrote it, I know not," he later said.
August 24, 410:
Alaric and the Goths sacked Rome. Pagans blamed pacifist Christians and the Christian God for the defeat. Augustine, in his City of God, repudiated this claim and blamed Rome's corruption.
August 24, 1662:
The deadline arrived for all British ministers to publicly agree to the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). The Act of Uniformity, passed on May 19, 1662, required the BCP to be used exclusively from this date forward. The act remains on Britain's Statute Book, though it has been modified over the years.
June
June 19, 325:
Bishop Hosius, a delegate at the Council of Nicea, announced the newly written Nicene Creed. Arius taught that "there was a time when the Son was not," but the Nicene creed describes Christ as "God from very God, begotten not made."
June 19, 1566:
James VI of Scotland, who later became King James I of England, was born. He wrote treatises on the divine right of kings, witchcraft, biblical themes, and set into motion a translation of the Bible known as the King James Version.
Bishop Hosius, a delegate at the Council of Nicea, announced the newly written Nicene Creed. Arius taught that "there was a time when the Son was not," but the Nicene creed describes Christ as "God from very God, begotten not made."
June 19, 1566:
James VI of Scotland, who later became King James I of England, was born. He wrote treatises on the divine right of kings, witchcraft, biblical themes, and set into motion a translation of the Bible known as the King James Version.
April
April 5, 1811:
Robert Raikes, founder of English Sunday schools in 1780, died. Raikes built his Sunday schools not for the respectable children of believers, but for "the multitudes of wretches who, released on that day from employment, spent their day in noise and riot." In 4 years, 250,000 students were attending the schools and by 1831, 1.25 million.
April 6, 1528:
Albrecht Durer, German painter, engraver, and designer of woodcuts, died. Famous for his religious scenes, he may have been so influenced by Luther that he converted to Protestantism. His most popular work is Praying Hands.
April 6, 1801:
The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church recognised the new African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). Blacks who were denied membership and/or recognition within white Methodist churches, particularly in Philadelphia and New York, formed the original AME
Robert Raikes, founder of English Sunday schools in 1780, died. Raikes built his Sunday schools not for the respectable children of believers, but for "the multitudes of wretches who, released on that day from employment, spent their day in noise and riot." In 4 years, 250,000 students were attending the schools and by 1831, 1.25 million.
April 6, 1528:
Albrecht Durer, German painter, engraver, and designer of woodcuts, died. Famous for his religious scenes, he may have been so influenced by Luther that he converted to Protestantism. His most popular work is Praying Hands.
April 6, 1801:
The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church recognised the new African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). Blacks who were denied membership and/or recognition within white Methodist churches, particularly in Philadelphia and New York, formed the original AME
March
March 20, 1852:
Abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, daughter of Congregational minister Lyman Beecher, published Uncle Tom's Cabin (which had been serialised in an antislavery newspaper). The book sold one million copies and was so influential in arousing antislavery sentiment that Abraham Lincoln is reputed to have said upon meeting Stowe in 1863: "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!"
March 21, 1685:
German organist and composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany. Though largely unrecognised in his day and forgotten for years after his death, he has since become recognised as one of history's unequalled musical masters. But music was never just music to Bach. Nearly three-quarters of his 1,000 compositions were written for use in worship.
March 21, 1788:
Charles Wesley, brother of John and author of 8,989 hymns (including ‘Hark! The herald angels sing,’ ‘And can it be,’ ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing,’ ‘Love divine, all loves excelling,’ ‘Jesus, lover of my soul,’ ‘Christ the Lord is risen today,’ and "Rejoice! the Lord is King!"), died at age 81. March 21, 1844:
William Miller's first proposed date of Christ's return between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844 ended with little fanfare. Miller soon changed the date to October 22, 1844, but when that passed his followers became disillusioned and premillennialism experienced a massive setback. The Adventist churches grew from the Millerite movement.
March 21, 1871:
Journalist Henry M Stanley, on assignment for the New York Herald, began his search for David Livingstone in Africa. After he found him (and uttered the famous words ‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’), the Scottish missionary converted him. Stanley was persuaded to return to Africa years later to continue missionary work and exploration.
March 21, 1965:
Baptist minister Martin Luther King, Jr., lead more than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators on a march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery. By the time they reached their destination four days later, the group had expanded to 25,000.
March 24, 1816:
Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury, age 71, preached his last sermon. The sermon, delivered at the Old Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia, lasted an hour—even though Asbury, weakened, spoke while lying on a table.
Abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, daughter of Congregational minister Lyman Beecher, published Uncle Tom's Cabin (which had been serialised in an antislavery newspaper). The book sold one million copies and was so influential in arousing antislavery sentiment that Abraham Lincoln is reputed to have said upon meeting Stowe in 1863: "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!"
March 21, 1685:
German organist and composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany. Though largely unrecognised in his day and forgotten for years after his death, he has since become recognised as one of history's unequalled musical masters. But music was never just music to Bach. Nearly three-quarters of his 1,000 compositions were written for use in worship.
March 21, 1788:
Charles Wesley, brother of John and author of 8,989 hymns (including ‘Hark! The herald angels sing,’ ‘And can it be,’ ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing,’ ‘Love divine, all loves excelling,’ ‘Jesus, lover of my soul,’ ‘Christ the Lord is risen today,’ and "Rejoice! the Lord is King!"), died at age 81. March 21, 1844:
William Miller's first proposed date of Christ's return between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844 ended with little fanfare. Miller soon changed the date to October 22, 1844, but when that passed his followers became disillusioned and premillennialism experienced a massive setback. The Adventist churches grew from the Millerite movement.
March 21, 1871:
Journalist Henry M Stanley, on assignment for the New York Herald, began his search for David Livingstone in Africa. After he found him (and uttered the famous words ‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’), the Scottish missionary converted him. Stanley was persuaded to return to Africa years later to continue missionary work and exploration.
March 21, 1965:
Baptist minister Martin Luther King, Jr., lead more than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators on a march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery. By the time they reached their destination four days later, the group had expanded to 25,000.
March 24, 1816:
Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury, age 71, preached his last sermon. The sermon, delivered at the Old Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia, lasted an hour—even though Asbury, weakened, spoke while lying on a table.
March 15, 1517:
Needing money to rebuild St. Peter's basilica, Pope Leo X announced a special sale of indulgences. A Dominican named Johann Tetzel led the way by promoting the sale in Germany and erroneously declared that indulgences would cover future sins (Leo's forgave all past sins). The teaching angered monk Martin Luther, who soon posted his 95 Theses in response.
March 17, 461 (traditional date):
Patrick, missionary to Ireland and that country's patron saint, died. Irish raiders captured Patrick, a Romanised Briton, and enslaved him as a youth. He escaped to Gaul (modern France) but returned to Ireland after experiencing a vision calling him back to preach. Patrick enjoyed great success there as a missionary, and only the far south remained predominantly pagan when he died.
March 17, 1780:
Thomas Chalmers, pastor, social reformer, and one of the founders of the Free Church of Scotland (FCS), was born. By his death in 1847, he had started missions in hundreds of poor urban settings, and he led a third of the Scottish clergy and a half of the laity of the church of Scotland into FCS in 1843. His chief concern throughout his life was the evangelisation of the urban poor.
March 18, 1861:
London's Metropolitan Tabernacle, the sanctuary of English Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, opened. Spurgeon had insisted that the enormous building employ Greek architecture because the New Testament was written in Greek—a decision that influenced church architecture throughout the world.
Needing money to rebuild St. Peter's basilica, Pope Leo X announced a special sale of indulgences. A Dominican named Johann Tetzel led the way by promoting the sale in Germany and erroneously declared that indulgences would cover future sins (Leo's forgave all past sins). The teaching angered monk Martin Luther, who soon posted his 95 Theses in response.
March 17, 461 (traditional date):
Patrick, missionary to Ireland and that country's patron saint, died. Irish raiders captured Patrick, a Romanised Briton, and enslaved him as a youth. He escaped to Gaul (modern France) but returned to Ireland after experiencing a vision calling him back to preach. Patrick enjoyed great success there as a missionary, and only the far south remained predominantly pagan when he died.
March 17, 1780:
Thomas Chalmers, pastor, social reformer, and one of the founders of the Free Church of Scotland (FCS), was born. By his death in 1847, he had started missions in hundreds of poor urban settings, and he led a third of the Scottish clergy and a half of the laity of the church of Scotland into FCS in 1843. His chief concern throughout his life was the evangelisation of the urban poor.
March 18, 1861:
London's Metropolitan Tabernacle, the sanctuary of English Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, opened. Spurgeon had insisted that the enormous building employ Greek architecture because the New Testament was written in Greek—a decision that influenced church architecture throughout the world.
March 7, 203:
Perpetua, a Christian about 22 years old, with her slave, Felicitas, and several others were martyred at the arena in Carthage. They were flogged, attacked by hungry leopards, and finally beheaded.
March 7, 1530:
Pope Clement VII rejected Henry VIII's request to divorce Catherine of Aragon. Henry eventually responded by declaring himself supreme head of England's church.
March 7, 1964:
At a Roman parish church, Pope Paul VI celebrated mass in Italian instead of Latin, a significant change of the Second Vatican Council—worship in the vernacular.
March 8, 1782:
Ninety-six Native Americans, who had converted to Christianity and were living peacefully in the Moravian Brethren town of Gnadenhutten (near New Philadelphia), Ohio, were killed by militiamen in "retaliation" for Indian raids made elsewhere in the Ohio territory.
March 8, 1948:
The US Supreme Court found religious education in public schools was in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
March 9, 320 (traditional date):
Roman soldiers left Christian soldiers naked on the ice of a frozen pond in Sebaste, Armenia. They placed baths of hot water around them to tempt them to renounce their faith. When one did so, a pagan guard—inspired by the fortitude of the remaining Christians—converted and joined the freezing Christians. They were all killed.
March 9, 395 (traditional date):
Gregory of Nyssa died. An outstanding thinker, theologian, and orator, he was very influential in developing the theology of the Trinity.
March 9, 1831:
Evangelist Charles Finney ended a six-month series of meetings in Rochester, New York. The meetings, which have been called "the world's greatest single revival campaign," led to the closing of the town's theatre and taverns, a two-thirds drop in crime, and a reported 100,000 conversions.
March 10, 1748:
John Newton was the captain of a slave ship. He converted to Christianity during a huge storm at sea. He became an Anglican clergyman, the author of the famous hymn ‘Amazing Grace’, and a zealous abolitionist.
March 10, 1898:
George Mueller, English philanthropist and evangelist, died. In his 93 years he helped more than 10,000 English orphans.
March 10, 1913:
Harriet Tubman, known as ‘Grandma Moses’ for her work rescuing slaves and guiding them to the north on what was dubbed the Underground Railroad, died. Her 19 rescues (of about 300 slaves) were successful, she said, because God showed her the way.
Perpetua, a Christian about 22 years old, with her slave, Felicitas, and several others were martyred at the arena in Carthage. They were flogged, attacked by hungry leopards, and finally beheaded.
March 7, 1530:
Pope Clement VII rejected Henry VIII's request to divorce Catherine of Aragon. Henry eventually responded by declaring himself supreme head of England's church.
March 7, 1964:
At a Roman parish church, Pope Paul VI celebrated mass in Italian instead of Latin, a significant change of the Second Vatican Council—worship in the vernacular.
March 8, 1782:
Ninety-six Native Americans, who had converted to Christianity and were living peacefully in the Moravian Brethren town of Gnadenhutten (near New Philadelphia), Ohio, were killed by militiamen in "retaliation" for Indian raids made elsewhere in the Ohio territory.
March 8, 1948:
The US Supreme Court found religious education in public schools was in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
March 9, 320 (traditional date):
Roman soldiers left Christian soldiers naked on the ice of a frozen pond in Sebaste, Armenia. They placed baths of hot water around them to tempt them to renounce their faith. When one did so, a pagan guard—inspired by the fortitude of the remaining Christians—converted and joined the freezing Christians. They were all killed.
March 9, 395 (traditional date):
Gregory of Nyssa died. An outstanding thinker, theologian, and orator, he was very influential in developing the theology of the Trinity.
March 9, 1831:
Evangelist Charles Finney ended a six-month series of meetings in Rochester, New York. The meetings, which have been called "the world's greatest single revival campaign," led to the closing of the town's theatre and taverns, a two-thirds drop in crime, and a reported 100,000 conversions.
March 10, 1748:
John Newton was the captain of a slave ship. He converted to Christianity during a huge storm at sea. He became an Anglican clergyman, the author of the famous hymn ‘Amazing Grace’, and a zealous abolitionist.
March 10, 1898:
George Mueller, English philanthropist and evangelist, died. In his 93 years he helped more than 10,000 English orphans.
March 10, 1913:
Harriet Tubman, known as ‘Grandma Moses’ for her work rescuing slaves and guiding them to the north on what was dubbed the Underground Railroad, died. Her 19 rescues (of about 300 slaves) were successful, she said, because God showed her the way.
February
February 27, 280:
Constantine, the first Roman emperor converted to Christianity, was born on this day, although some scholars question the authenticity of Constantine's conversion.
February 27, 380:
Roman emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official law of the land. ‘It is our will,’ he decreed, ‘that all the peoples we rule shall practise that religion that Peter the Apostle transmitted to the Romans.’
February 28, 1944:
Nazi soldiers arrested Dutch Christian Corrie ten Boom and her family for harbouring Jews. The Jews hiding in her house escaped. Corrie was the only member of her family who survived internment in concentration camps.
February 29, 1528:
Patrick Hamilton, a follower of Martin Luther who had returned to his native Scotland to preach the Reformation, was burned at the stake on orders from Cardinal David Beaton. In retaliation, Protestant nobles assassinated the cardinal. This event effectively began the Scottish Reformation.
February 29, 1692:
The Salem witch trials in colonial Massachusetts began when Tituba, the female Indian servant of Reverend Samuel Parris, and Sarah Good were accused of witchcraft. Parris initiated the hysteria. By the time calm was restored, 19 suspected witches had been hanged and 150 imprisoned.
Constantine, the first Roman emperor converted to Christianity, was born on this day, although some scholars question the authenticity of Constantine's conversion.
February 27, 380:
Roman emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official law of the land. ‘It is our will,’ he decreed, ‘that all the peoples we rule shall practise that religion that Peter the Apostle transmitted to the Romans.’
February 28, 1944:
Nazi soldiers arrested Dutch Christian Corrie ten Boom and her family for harbouring Jews. The Jews hiding in her house escaped. Corrie was the only member of her family who survived internment in concentration camps.
February 29, 1528:
Patrick Hamilton, a follower of Martin Luther who had returned to his native Scotland to preach the Reformation, was burned at the stake on orders from Cardinal David Beaton. In retaliation, Protestant nobles assassinated the cardinal. This event effectively began the Scottish Reformation.
February 29, 1692:
The Salem witch trials in colonial Massachusetts began when Tituba, the female Indian servant of Reverend Samuel Parris, and Sarah Good were accused of witchcraft. Parris initiated the hysteria. By the time calm was restored, 19 suspected witches had been hanged and 150 imprisoned.
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