Blessed Teresa: The Nun of Calcutta Is Beatified
On October 19, 2003, Pope John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa in St. Peter's Square, six years after the death of the nun who served Calcutta's poorest.
Tagged: religion
Ninety-Five Theses and a Church Door: Luther's Challenge
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther set out his 95 Theses disputing the sale of indulgences — the spark traditionally dated as the start of the Reformation.
'God Wills It': The Call for the First Crusade, 1095
On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II addressed a crowd at Clermont and called Christendom to march for Jerusalem — a speech that set two centuries of crusades in motion.
The Pope Who Opened the Windows: Vatican II Begins, 1962
On October 11, 1962, Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council before more than 2,000 bishops, launching the most consequential religious gathering of the twentieth century.
Murder in the Cathedral
On December 29, 1170, four knights of Henry II murdered Archbishop Thomas Becket inside Canterbury Cathedral — a killing that horrified Christendom.
The Peasant Girl Born to Save a Kingdom
Tradition holds that on January 6, 1412, a peasant girl was born in Domrémy, France, who would crown a king, save a nation, and be burned at the stake before her twentieth birthday.
A Dying King's Gift: Westminster Abbey Is Born
On December 28, 1065, Edward the Confessor's great new abbey at Westminster was consecrated — eight days before the king's death, planting the seed of a thousand years of English history.
Cast Out: Martin Luther Is Excommunicated
On January 3, 1521, Pope Leo X issued the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem, formally excommunicating Martin Luther and sealing the split that would become the Protestant Reformation.
A Mob, a Jail, and a Martyr: Joseph Smith's Last Day
On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed the jail in Carthage, Illinois, and murdered Joseph Smith — the first American presidential candidate ever assassinated — and his brother Hyrum.
The Nun Who Left the Convent to Serve the Slums
On October 7, 1950, Mother Teresa's new order, the Missionaries of Charity, was officially established in Calcutta — and grew from thirteen sisters into one of the world's largest charities.
The Pope Who Came to America to Plead for Peace
On October 4, 1965, Pope Paul VI spent one whirlwind 14-hour day in New York — the first reigning pope ever to set foot in the United States — to beg the world's leaders for peace.
The Ten Days That Never Happened
On October 4, 1582, the last day of the Julian calendar, Pope Gregory XIII's reform deleted ten days overnight — the next morning was Friday, October 15.
Nine Days That Shook an Empire: The Pope Comes Home
On June 2, 1979, Pope John Paul II began his first pilgrimage to his native Poland, the first papal visit ever to a communist country.
The Day Ten Days Disappeared
On February 24, 1582, Pope Gregory XIII signed the decree that deleted ten days from the calendar - the one the world still uses today.
The Shot in St. Peter's Square
On May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot in St. Peter's Square and survived; his public forgiveness of the gunman and devotion to Our Lady of Fátima defined the event's legacy.
The Reformer They Burned: Jan Hus and the Fire That Started a Movement
On July 6, 1415, a Czech preacher was burned at the stake for refusing to take back his words — and his ideas outlived the fire.