REMEMBERING NON-REVISED HISTORY: OCTOBER 31, 2013

John Adams

Second President of the United States (1797-1801)
Signer of Declaration of Independence,
One of Two Signers of the Bill of Rights

On ‘Unalienable Rights From God’

America’s Christian Heritage

Biography

John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was the second president of the United States (1797–1801), having earlier served as the first vice president of the United States. An American Founding Father, he was a statesman, diplomat, and a leading advocate of American independence from Great Britain. Well educated, he was an Enlightenment political theorist who promoted republicanism and wrote prolifically about his often seminal ideas... » Full Bio

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This Day In History 496 Years Ago
Religion - October 31, 1517

On this day in 1517, the priest and scholar Martin Luther approaches the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, and nails a parchment to it containing the 95 theses that would begin the Protestant Reformation... In his theses, Luther condemned the excesses and corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, especially the papal practice of asking payment—called "indulgences"—for the forgiveness of sins.

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The term "Protestant" first appeared in 1529, when Charles V revoked a provision that allowed the ruler of each German state to choose whether they would enforce the Edict of Worms. A number of princes and other supporters of Luther issued a protest, declaring that their allegiance to God trumped their allegiance to the emperor. They became known to their opponents as Protestants; gradually this name came to apply to all who believed the Church should be reformed, even those outside Germany. By the time Luther died, of natural causes, in 1546, his revolutionary beliefs had formed the basis for the Protestant Reformation, which would over the next three centuries revolutionize Western civilization. » Full Article

Lead Story: Martin Luther Posts 95 Theses

Significant Events This Day In History

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