The Holy Innocents, Martyrs

1524 Johann von Staupitz, German monastic educator and Martin Luthers friend, died (b. 1460).

1568 Duke Christoph of Wuerttemberg, Lutheran who worked for the unity of Reformed and Lutherans theologians, died (b. 1515).

1735 Hark the Glad Sound was written by  Philip Doddridge (1702-1751) to accompany his Christmas sermon delivered on this date.

1810 Samuel Sprecher, president of Wittenberg College (Springfield, Ohio), was born near Williamsport and Hagerstown, Maryland (d. 10 January 1906).

1832 Saint Louis University was chartered under the Roman Catholic Church at Saint Louis, Missouri.

1838 Greensborough Female College was chartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, under the Methodists. In 1913 the name of the school was changed to Greensboro College for Women and was changed again in 1920 to Greensboro College.

1847 Samuel A. Ward, American music publisher, was born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 28 September 1903 at Newark).

1864 The Addison, Illinois, teachers seminary of the Missouri Synod was dedicated. The college later moved to River Forest, Illinois.

1866 John M. P. Smith, American Baptist Bible scholar, was born in London, England (d. 1932).

1916 Hermann Speckhard, vice-president of the Missouri Synod and of the Synodical Conference, died in Saginaw, Michigan (b. 5 August 1859, Friedberg, Hesse).

1944 The Society for the Promotion of Mohammedan Missions was organized.

1997 Dr. Walter O. Forster, author of Zion on the Mississippi, died in West Lafayette, Indiana. His definitive history of the Saxon immigration, was written in 1953 and published by Concordia Publishing House.

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