1118
Birth of a future pope
Pope Urban III, born Uberto Crivelli, was born on this day. He served as pope from 1185 to 1187, during a period of conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
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All Events
1271
Kublai Khan requests missionaries
Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, through the Polos, asked Pope Gregory X for 100 Christian missionaries to be sent to his court. This request led to later Franciscan missions to China, though the response was limited.
1537
Pope Paul III issues a decree on Indian evangelization
Pope Paul III issued the bull 'Altitudo divini consilii' on this date, addressing the evangelization of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and affirming their humanity and capacity for faith.
1574
Birth of a reformer
Johann Arndt, a German Lutheran theologian and mystic, was born on this day. His book 'True Christianity' influenced Pietism and Protestant devotional life.
1620
Puritan leader John Cotton ordained
John Cotton, a prominent Puritan minister, was ordained as vicar of St. Botolph's Church in Boston, Lincolnshire, on this date. He later became a leading figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
1878
Founding of the Salvation Army in the United States
The Salvation Army, founded by William and Catherine Booth in London, officially began its work in the United States with the arrival of Commissioner George Scott Railton and seven women officers in New York City on this date.
1912
Canonization of a saint
Pope Pius X canonized the Italian friar and preacher John of Capistrano on this date. John was known for his efforts to reform the Franciscan order and his role in the defense of Belgrade in 1456.
1958
Dedication of the first church in space age
The Chapel of the Astronauts, a non-denominational Christian chapel, was dedicated at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on this date. It was built to serve the spiritual needs of the space program's personnel.
1965
Closing of Vatican II's fourth session
The fourth and final session of the Second Vatican Council concluded on this date, having promulgated key documents including 'Nostra Aetate' on relations with non-Christian religions and 'Gaudium et Spes' on the Church in the modern world.
1987
Beatification of a martyr
Pope John Paul II beatified the Polish priest and martyr Jerzy Popiełuszko on this date. Popiełuszko was murdered by the communist secret police in 1984 for his support of the Solidarity movement.