Historical Writings

Death of Agapetus I, bishop of Rome, while in Constantinople, where he had been sent on an embassy to avert war. He had used the occasion of his visit to depose Bishop Anthimus as a monophysite.

John Calvin and William Farel are fired by the town council of Geneva and ordered to leave the city within three days. They had refused to administer the Lord's Supper the day before in part because of notorious sins among the city's folk, and in part because they did not want to follow the lead of Bern in serving unleavened bread.

King Charles II charters the Royal Society of London by that name, "for improving Natural Knowledge." Most of its initial members are Christians and it will become a leading force for scientific inquiry.

Pioneer American Methodist bishop Francis Asbury wrote in his journal: 'I found Christ in me the hope of glory; but felt a pleasing, painful sensation of spiritual hunger and thirst for more of God.'

The motto "In God We Trust" first appeared on U.S. coinage, being struck on a bronze two-cent piece, issued during the American Civil War.

In New York City, the world's largest Jewish daily newspaper, "The Forward," was first published. Abraham Cahan, 43, one of its founders, became editor of the paper in 1903, remaining until his death in 1951.

Patriarch Tikhon raises Justin Lvovich Olshevksy to the rank of Archbishop of Omsk. He takes the name Sylvester. He opposes the Soviets and blesses the White Army that resists Soviet control. Eventually the Soviets will defeat the Whites and arrest and torture Archbishop Sylvester for two months before killing him.

Baptist leader Olisemeke Samuel Wadei "Martin" opens the first of several schools. In his long and useful life, he will also establish a teacher training college and health centers for his Nigerian people.

American Bible teacher and author Kenneth E. Hagin traces his conversion to a saving Christian faith back to this date, at age 16.

Five thousand pastors and laypeople gather in Ulm where they create the "Confessing Church," relying on the Reformation confessions in interpreting Scripture, rather than Nazi racial theories and propaganda.

At a constitutional convention in Minneapolis, three major Lutheran bodies in the U.S. merged to form the American Lutheran Church, with a combined membership of about two million.

Death in North Carolina of J. Edwin Orr, revival historian. His research had showed him that all revivals had sprung from prayer meetings, and he preached and spoke throughout the world to share this vision.