Good morning and welcome to Today In History. Your daily dose of history and nostalgia.

Read time ~ 4 min

• Martin Luther Sparks the Protestant Reformation

• World

• U.S.

• Just For Fun

• Birthdays & Deaths

Martin Luther send his Ninety-five Theses (1517)

Setting The Scene

Today we’re turning back the clock 506 years to 1517, an interesting period in history to say the least. The Renaissance is in full swing with Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci creating masterpieces while Copernicus studies early astronomy. European explorers like Ferdinand Magellan are undertaking voyages that would eventually circumnavigate the globe, despite the fact that horses and ships are the main modes of transportation.

Focusing in on Europe, our scene for today, the Holy Roman Empire, Spanish Empire, and Ottoman Empire reign supreme, often in conflict with each other. The Columbian Exchange facilitates the exchange of goods, cultures, and even diseases between the Old and New worlds. In Western Europe, the Catholic Church holds the dominant position, creating conflict with the Protestants.

What Happened?

Let’s zero in on Wittenberg, Germany. It’s a typical cold day, many people waking up to take care of their farms and head into town for supplies and trade. Little do they know that a professor by the name of Martin Luther is about to spark what will be known as the Protestant Reformation.

Luther heads into town and goes straight the Castle Church, posting a paper on the front door titled “95 Theses”. Although originally written in Latin, the document would be translated into German and widely circulated throughout Germany and Europe, thanks to the invention of the printing press. At this time, the Catholic Church sells Indulgences. In other words, people were paying the church money in order to reduce the time their souls would spend in purgatory. Luther argued that the sale of these Indulgences exploited people for financial gain, spreading corruption throughout the Catholic Church. Luther argued against the church in many other aspects, and his ideas became popularized throughout Europe.

Impact

Luther’s 95 Theses would be the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation as many called for reform within the Catholic Church. Consequently, there was a significant divide within Western Christianity as new Protestant denominations emerged, like Lutheranism. Luther laid the groundwork for religious freedom and challenged the notion of a single, unified religious authority.

What else happened?

World

• Statue of Unity, the world’s biggest statue at 597 feet, depicting Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is unveiled. (2018)

• Benito Mussolini takes power as the prime minister of Italy. The first of Europe’s fascist dictators in the 20th century. (1922)

• The world reaches a population of 7 billion according to the United Nations. (2011)

U.S.

• Nevada becomes the 36th state of the United States. (1864)

• Spanish flu kills 21,000 in the US in just one week. (1918)

• Mount Rushmore is completed in South Dakota, depicting George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. (1941)

Just For Fun

• Michelangelo finishes “The Last Judgment” painting in the Sistine Chapel. (1541)

• Earl Lloyd becomes the first African-American to play a game in the NBA, suiting up for the Washington Capitols. (1950)

• Bethany Hamilton has arm bitten off in shark attack while surfing in Hawaii at the age of 13. (2003)

Birthdays

• Juliette Gordon Low (1860)

• Bumpy Johnson (1905)

• John Candy (1950)

Deaths

• Harry Houdini (1926)

• Indira Gandhi (1984)

• Sean Connery (2020)