1245 Alexander of Hales (b. ca. 1170), English scholastic theologian, died.

1577 The Formula of Concord was signed at Gotha.

1740 Erik Tobias Björk, Swedish-American Lutheran pastor, died (b. ca. 1668, Westmanland, Sweden).

1741 George Frederick Handel (1685–1759) shut himself up in his home to begin writing the Messiah.

1799 Alexander R. Reinagle, British church organist and composer, was born in Brighton, England (d. 6 April 1877, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, England).

1815 Josef Mohr (1792–1848), hymnist, was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest.

1841 Frederick Cook Atkinson, composer, was born at Norwich, England (d. 30 November 1896, East Dereham, Norfolk, England).

1847 George Henry Gerberding, United Lutheran Church synodical president and professor, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 27 March 1927).

1853 Hans Baagöe Thorgrimson, who helped found the Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran Synod of North America, was born in Eyrarbakki, Iceland (d. 7 February 1942).

1866 Civilla Durfee Martin, teacher and songwriter, was born in Jordan, Nova Scotia (d. 9 March 1948, Atlanta, Georgia).

1868 Karl Immanuel Nitzsch, Lutheran theologian, died (b. 21 September 1787, Borna, Germany).

1874 Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887), a popular Congregational clergyman from Connecticut, was accused of adultery.

1890 Frederick Henry Hedge (b. 1805), the New England clergyman who translated Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” died.

1926 Nils Forsander, Augustana Synod editor and professor, died (b. 11 September 1846, Gladsax, Sweden).