Fact of the Day

Martin Luther (1483-1546) who started the Protestant Reformation, was the son of a miner. He studied Law at Erfurt University. In July of 1505, he was struck by lightning and thrown to the ground. Seeing this as a sign from God, he vowed, on the spot, to become a monk. He did so two weeks later.

He confronted indulgence salesman, Johann Tetzel, with his 95 Theses in 1517. He refused to retract his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1520 and was excommunicated by the Pope.