215 Clement of Alexandria (b. Titus Flavius Clemens, probably in Athens, ca. 150; d. ca. 215), Greek church father, is commemorated. He isregarded as the founder of the Alexandria school of theology.

401 Pope Anastasius I died.

1498 Andreas Osiander the Elder, theologian of the Reformation who was involved in the controversy on justification, was born in Gunzenhauser, Middle Franconia, West Bavaria, Germany (d. 17 October 1552).

1608 Martin Schalling, hymnist, died at Nuernberg (b. 21 April 1532, Strasbourg).

1734 Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf (1700–1760), founder of the modern Moravian church and a pioneer in ecumenism and
missions, was recognized as a minister by the theology faculty of Tuebingen, Germany.

1749 Francesco Antonio Bonporti, Italian priest and composer whose work influenced Johann Sebastian Bach, died (b. 11 June 1672).

1808 Horatius Bonar, regarded as the most eminent hymn writer of Scotland, also a preacher of great fame and power, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 31 May 1889).

1836 Gottfried Fritschel, prominent and scholarly theologian of the Iowa Synod, was born at Nürnberg, Germany (d. 13 July 1889).

1838 Christian Gottlieb Blumhardt, one of the founders of the Basel Mission Society in 1804 and inspector for the Basel Missionary School, died in Basel (b. 1779).

1842 Bernhard Pick, Presbyterian and Lutheran pastor in the Mid-Atlantic States, author and hymnist, was born at Kempen,
Prussia (d. 10 April 1917).

1843 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was first published.

1864 Eduard Louis Arndt, LCMS China missionary, was born in Bukowne, Pomerania (d. 18 April 1929).

1909 W. A. Criswell, American (Baptist) preacher, died (d. 10 January 2002)

1910 Ulrik Vilhelm Koren, professor at Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) and Iowa District president in the Norwegian Synod, died (b. 22 December 1826).

1912 William H. Van Schaick, captain of the steamship  General Slocum, which caught fire and killed over 1,000 people, many of them members of Saint Mark Lutheran Church, Manhattan, was pardoned by U.S. President William Howard Taft after three-and-a-half-years in Sing Sing prison.

1926 Edward Pfeiffer, professor at Capital University, died (b. 23 November 1857 at Columbus, Ohio).