Historical Writings

Death of Ignatius, patriarch of Constantinople. He had held the position twice during a period of turmoil over icons. (He endorsed icons.)

In England, the main cathedral at Wells (begun c.1186) was consecrated. The most striking interior feature of the cathedral are the inverted arches (14th century) by which the piers of the tower are strengthened.

In Germany, the University of Heidelberg was founded under Pope Urban VI as a college of the Cistercian order. (Among its faculties today are theology, law, medicine and philosophy.)

In retaliation for numerous abuses by Protestant overlords, Irish Catholics massacre some English Protestant settlers. The result is a bitter war in which both sides will commit atrocities. The hatreds developed will smolder for centuries.

Judge George Jeffreys has the Anabaptist Elizabeth of Gaunt burned to death for sheltering a man involved in the Rye House Plot (an attempt to kill the king of England).

Henry Martyn, later to become a remarkable missionary, is ordained and given charge of a church at Lolworth, Cambridgeshire, England.

Hiram Bingham, Asa Thurston, and other missionaries sail for the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) to undertake what will be a successful evangelistic work.

Death at age thirty-three of Pliny Fisk, missionary pioneer in Syria. He had just begun a regular Arabic Sunday service, and had nearly completed an English-Arabic dictionary.

Delegates from eight states met in Nashville and organized the Southern Baptist Sunday School Union. The organization proved short-lived, when it was nullified by the onset of the American Civil War.

Birth of Edgar J. Goodspeed, American Greek N.T. scholar. He taught at the University of Chicago 1898-1937. In 1931, he co-authored with JMP Smith "The Bible: An American Translation," better known today as "Smith and Goodspeed."

Under the influence of his mother, Chinese leader Chiang Kai Shek converts to Christianity.

Bishop Manuel Larrain of Chile addresses Vatican II with a call for every member of the church to be a witness to the gospel, and for the church to help the poor.

Death in Sri Lanka of Lakdasa de Mel, the first indigenous bishop of the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

Poisoned in his mind by slander, Urbano Gomez attends a Protestant church with his wife in Peru. Unknown to her he has a pistol and knife hidden in his saddlebag, intending to kill the pastor if he shows any sign of inappropriate behavior. He finds that all is decently done and is drawn to give his heart to Christ during the altar call. He will become an evangelist and teacher with Heart Cry mission.