Christian History Today
Christian History Today
April 17, 387 – Augustine Baptized
Augustine is acknowledged as one of the greatest theologians in Christian history. He thought critically about how the church should operate, and he was the first to articulate the doctrine of predestination. He also held the belief that parts of Apocrypra were...
April 16, 1118 – Erlend, Co-Ruler of Orkney Islands, Murdered
The Orkney Islands of Scotland were once ruled by Norway, and at one point they were jointly ruled by twin brothers Erlend and Paul. Eventually, Paul died, and his son Haakon and Erlend co-ruled under the approval of the King of Norway. However, Haakon desired to rule...
April 15, 1889 – Father Damien Dies of Leprosy
Father Damien, a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium, is regarded as a hero in Hawaii because of the work he did on the former leper colony on Molokai. Damien greatly improved the living conditions for the lepers there and eventually died of leprosy himself on April...
April 14, 1950 – Mitsuo Fuchida Gives His Life to Christ
Mitsuo Fuchida was the leader of the Japaense bomber unit that attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He is famous for giving the directive “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (short for the Japanese word for “lightning attack”). One day after the war, he read a pamphlet by...
April 13, 1742 – Handel Debuts “Hallelujah”
The Duke of Devonshire invited George Frederic Handel to perform a benefit concert for charity on April 13, 1742, at the Fishamble Street Music Hall (pictured) in Dublin, Ireland. Handel wanted this to be easily performed by a smaller orchestra, so he constructed a...
April 12, 1850 – Adoniram Judson Dies
Adoniram Judson was a pioneer in the world of foreign missions. He spent many years in Burma with his wife Ann by his side. He died on April 12, 1850, as the first American missionary to Burma and having translated parts of the Bible into the Burmese language. Judson...
April Deeper Dive – Thomas Aquinas
No deep dive into Christian History would be complete without considering Thomas Aquinas. He was a 13th-century Dominican friar, philosopher, and theologian whose influence on Western thought remains profound. His synthesis of Christian theology with Aristotelian...
April 11, 1861 – Sarah Platt Doremus Founds the WMUS
The Women’s Union Missionary Society of America for Heathen Lands was created by Sarah Platt Doremus on April 11, 1861. She and other women were moved by a talk from a missionary to Burma about the plight of women there. The male-dominated mission societies believed...
April 10, 1868 – Brahms’ “German Requiem” First Played in its Entirety
Johannes Brahms wrote numerous symphonies and concertos, as well as his famous “Lullaby.” One of his most important works was the "German Requiem," which was first played in its entirety on April 10, 1868, at the cathedral in Bremen, Germany (pictured). He used...
April 9, 1934 – Louisa Lee Becomes First Missionary of Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions
Louisa Lee graduated from college with a teaching degree in 1911, and she began using this degree for the Lord soon after. Louisa Lee finished her first tour of duty with Presbyterian USA Missions in India in 1934. However, after she completed this, the Mission told...
April 8, 1548 – Vulgate Translation Declared Official Bible of the Catholic Church
“Sola Scriptura,” one significant motto of the Protestant Reformation, is Latin for “only Scripture,” demonstrating the reformers belief that doctrine should be based on the Bible alone. The counter-reformation undertaken by the Roman Catholic Church had its...
April 7, 2007 – Johnny Hart, Author of B.C. Comic, Dies
Millions have read the B.C. comic strip created by cartoonist Johnny Hart. Though he was raised in a Christian home, he did not take his faith seriously as a young man. However, later in his life, he became serious about his faith and used the popularity of his comic...