This Day in History - April 18th

1521: Luther defiant at the Diet of Worms

Martin Luther, the chief catalyst of Protestantism, defies the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V by refusing to recant his writings. He had been called to Worms in Germany to appear before the Diet (assembly) of the Holy Roman Empire and answer to charges of heresy. Martin Luther was a professor of biblical interpretation at the University of Wittenberg in Germany. In 1517, he drew up his 95 theses condemning the Catholic Church for its corrupt practice of selling indulgences, the forgiveness of sins. Luther followed up his revolutionary work with equally controversial and groundbreaking theological works, and his fiery words set off religious reformers across Europe. In 1521, the pope excommunicated him and he was called to appear before the emperor at the Diet of Worms to defend his beliefs. Refusing to recant or rescind his positions, Luther was declared an outlaw and a heretic. Powerful German princes protected him, however, and by his death in 1546, his ideas had significantly altered the course of western thought.

Also On This Day

1996

In Cairo, gunman from the Islamic group, al-Gamaa al-Islamiya, shot dead 15 German tourists and one Egyptian.

1994

Ethnic violence spreads throughout Rwanda as Hutu gang’s attack Tutsi’s, after the death of the Rwandan president, Juvenal Habyarimana.

1988

In Israel, Ukraine-born John Demjanjuk is convicted of Nazi War crimes. Demjanjuk who was supposedly “Ivan the terrible” later had his sentence quashed by the Israeli Supreme Court in 1993.

1983

The United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon is destroyed by a suicide bomber. 63 people are killed by the attack.

1978

The U.S. Senate votes in favour of returning control of the Panama Canal to the government of Panama.

1974

Italian prosecutor Mario Sossi is kidnapped by the Red Brigade in Italy.

1960

In London, up to 100,000 people rally in Trafalgar Square in support of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

1956

British Prime Minister Harold McMillan announces the introduction of the premium bond scheme.

1955

Albert Einstein dies in America aged 76.

1949

Ireland becomes officially known as the Republic of Ireland.

1945

The Second World War: Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Ernie Pyle is killed whilst reporting in Japan.

1942

The Second World War: In a symbolic rather than strategic attack, 15 American B-52 bombers attack the Japanese mainland.

1942

The Second World War: Pierre Laval becomes Prime Minister of Vichy France.

1915

The First World War: French aviator, Roland Garros, is shot down over Flanders, France and it captured by German soldiers.

1906

The Great San Francisco earthquake hits the city, spreading firestorms across San Francisco and killing hundreds of people.