1601 - The first (Catholic) priests of the newly established Christian Church in Japan -- Sebastian Chimura and Aloysius Niabara -- were ordained in their hometown of Nagasaki.
1692 - During the famous Salem Witch Trials, the last 8 "witches" were hanged in Massachusetts. When the turmoil finally settled, 13 women and 7 men had been executed, and over 150 others remained in jail through the next summer.
1827 - The angel Moroni reportedly revealed the golden tablets (containing the "Book of Mormon") to Joseph Smith. They were hidden near the family farm, in Palmyra, NY. Smith's English translation of their strange hieroglyphics became the literary foundation for the new Mormon religion.
1871 - Death of Charlotte Elliott, 82, English devotional writer and author of the enduring hymn, "Just As I Am." (A serious illness at 33 had left her an invalid her remaining 50 years.)
1950 - Basil and Esther Miller incorporated World-Wide Missions in California. Headquartered today in Pasadena, this evangelical missions agency specializes in providing relief and medical aid to over 30 countries worldwide.
© 1987-2011, William D. Blake. Used by permission of the author, from
Almanac of the Christian Church
