Historical Writings

In France, late this night, Catholic conspirators began massacring thousands of Huguenots (French Protestants), under orders of Catherine de Medici, advisor to her son, Charles IX, King of France.

Addison's hymn "The Spacious Firmament on High" appears in the Spectator at the end of an essay on faith.

Death of Increase Mather, one of America's most famous eighteenth-century clergymen, a president of Harvard College, and the father of Cotton Mather. Mather had published many books, including Cases of Conscience Concerning Witchcraft which helped end executions for witchcraft in New England.

Karl F. A. GÀGÀtzlaff, 20, first arrived in Bangkok the first missionary ever to reach Thailand. Representing the Netherlands Missionary Society, GÀGÀtzlaff and his wife later translated the complete Bible into Siamese, and portions of it into the Lao and Cambodian languages.

Carl Gutzlaff and Jacob Tomlin become the first Protestant missionaries to set foot in Thailand.

The first class graduates from Mt. Holyoke Seminary, the first American college for women, founded by the Christian educator Mary Lyon.

Death of Charles W. Fry, 45, English Salvation Army worker. It was Fry who penned the words to the lyric hymn, "I Have Found a Friend in Jesus" (a.k.a. "Lily of the Valley").

Huang Su'e marries Episcopal missionary Francis Lister Hawks Pott, a leader and educator with the Chinese Anglican Church. Huang will evangelize, teach, and found an orphanage.

Six hundred American teachers arrive in the Philippines to staff schools and begin mass education of Filipinos. With them comes Protestantism, which will eventually make up about 7% of the island nation’s population as compared to 80% Catholic.

Soviets execute Ephraim, the Orthodox bishop of Selenginsk. He had been a fiery preacher, beloved of his people, and had converted Mongols, Buryats, and Koreans to Christianity.

Death in Catonsville, Maryland, of Russell Kelso Carter. A Methodist preacher, he had authored the hymn "Standing on the Promises."

During its Amsterdam Assembly (Aug 22 Sept 4), the newly-formed World Council of Churches officially ratified its Constitution.

Death of Frederick George Kenyon, 89, British archaeologist and language scholar. Kenyon devoted his life to discovering biblical parallels in ancient Greek papyri, convincing critics that science does not disprove the Bible.

Red Guards smash the windows of Moore Memorial Church, burn its books, burn its cross, and confine church leader Sun Yanli and his family in the building where they interrogate and whip them. Later, when they are released, the guards will shave Sun's head and make him sweep and clean the church buildings.

A rampage against Christians begins in Orissa State, India, following the assassination of a Hindu leader which is blamed on Christians. Hindu mobs will kill forty Christians and burn thousands of homes, hundreds of churches, and thirteen schools. They will also rape many Christian women and sell dozens into sexual slavery. Tens of thousands of Christians will flee from the violence.