The Mysteries of History (January 3 Edition)
Martin Luther, King Tut, and Alaska
1521 — Martin Luther Excommunicated but Refuses to Recant
Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther on this date in 1521 for castigating the Catholic church’s practice of selling indulgences (allowing people to buy their way out of hell or purgatory). Actually, that was just the primary beef Luther had with the church. He had nailed 95 complaints (“theses”) against the church on the door of a church in his native Germany four years previously, in 1517. Three months after his excommunication from the church, the “Holy” Roman Emperor Charles V labeled Luther an outlaw and a heretic. However, the Protestant movement Luther gave impetus to had gained enough traction in Germany by that time that Princes there protected him from being further harassed or harmed by church or State.
Questions: What Catholic teachings did Luther reject, and why? What book did Luther translate into German? How long after his excommunication did Luther live? When did Pope Leo X die? Are there more Catholics or Lutherans in modern-day Germany?1924 — King Tut’s Sarcophagus Excavated
Two years after King Tut’s tomb was discovered in 1922, his sarcophagus was unearthed and opened, leading to the discovery of Tut’s solid gold coffin inside a stone sarcophagus (a sarcophagus is a stone coffin; thus, there was a gold coffin inside the stone coffin).
Questions: Was King Tut one of the more prominent Kings of Egypt? Did he live a long life? How long had Tut been dead at the time his mummified body was discovered? Where is the solid gold coffin now?1959 — Alaska Becomes the 49th State
Alaska became the penultimate (49th) U.S. State on this date. It is by far the largest State, being more than twice the size of Texas.
Questions: Why was Alaska Territory at one time called “Seward’s Folly”? How much did the U.S. pay for the land, and in what year? What is the capital of Alaska, and how can you reach it?
