|
||
0600
Pope Gregory the Great decreed that the phrase "God bless You" is an appropriate response to a sneeze. This was begun by the people due to the widespread presence of the plague in society at the time.
1391
Death of John V Palaeologus, Byzantine emperor. He is succeeded by his son, Manuel II Palaeologus, who is at this time is a hostage at the court of the Ottoman emperor Beyazid I at Bursa. Manuel is able to escape and return to Constantinople.
1536
John of Leyden, leader of the Anabaptists who had taken control of Munster before it was captured by German forces, is executed.
1559
Pope Paul IV called for the deposition of any sovereign who supported heresy and, hence, opposed papal authority.
1600
Giordano Bruno was executed for heresy by being burned at stake.
1801
The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church officially separated from its parent, the Methodist Episcopal Church. The denomination later became part of the AME Church, created by Richard Allen.
1834
Ernst Haeckel was born in Potsdam, Germany. Haeckel was an influential zoologist whose work on evolution served to inspire some of the racist theories of the Nazis.
1950
The Polish government places Bishop Kazimierz Kowalski under house arrest, accusing him of ordering Catholic priests not to support state authorities.
1965
The only grandchild of Madalyn Murray (later O'Hair) is born. Her name is Robin.
1999
Decided: ACLU v. Schundler
The Third Circuit Court ruled that a holiday display with a menorah, a creche, and a holiday tree was unconstitutional. However, the addition of a sign indicating a secular purpose to the display made it constitutional.
2004
L. Paul Bremer, United States administrator of Iraq, declared that he would veto any interim constitution that would have made Islam "the chief source of law", as opposed to "a source of inspiration for the law." Many Iraqi women expressed fears that their civil rights under Iraq's secular system could be denied them under an the interim constitution where Islam was "the chief source of law."
Do you have any suggestions for additions to this date? If so, you are encouraged to write and say so - the more information that can be added, the more complete and informative the calendar will be.
