April 05
582 – Passing away of Eutychius, patriarch of Constantinople, who had held the view that after the resurrection the body will be more subtle than air and no longer palpable; later, Pope Gregory the Great opposed this view vehemently.
1614 – Pocahontas, an Indian Princess and a convert to Christianity, ties the knot with English colonist John Rolfe.
1735 – Demise of William Derham, a Church of England clergyman and scientist; he had measured the speed of sound with more accuracy than any other scientist before him.
1802 – Francis Asbury, pioneer Methodist bishop, stated in his journal, “I am often drawn out in thankfulness to God, who hath saved a mother of mine and, I trust, a father also, who are already in glory, where I hope to meet them both.”
1803 – The debut complete performance of Beethoven’s oratorio “Christ on the Mount of Olives” takes place in Vienna.
1811 – Demise of Robert Raikes, the English philanthropist considered by some as the founder (in 1780) of the modern Sunday School system.
1834 – Matthew Simpson leaves the medical profession to become a Methodist wandering preacher. He later became a notable educator and bishop.
1922 – Death of Pandita Ramabai in Bombay, an Indian intellectual, evangelist, and philanthropist.
1940 – Demise of Charles Freer Andrews in Calcutta, India, an Anglican priest and missionary and a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi. He served the poor and pursued social justice.
1953 – President Dwight Eisenhower inaugurates the Presidential Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. Later it was renamed as the Annual National Prayer Breakfast.
1956 – Authorities in East Germany demolish the ruins of the Ulrich church in Magdeburg, despite Christian protests. The pleas to rebuild this historic sanctuary from 1023 damaged in the war, are ignored.
1969 – Pope Paul VI abolishes the galero (red hat) and red shoes and buckles for Roman Catholic cardinals, which were customarily worn by them.
Edited by: T. Chempilayil MCBS
Courtesy:Â www.studylight.org