February 15: Today in Christian History

February 15, 670

Death of King Oswy of Northumbria. Oswy was involved in the treacherous murder of his main rival, Oswin, who had raised forces to oust him. However, under Oswy’s rule much of the middle of England converted to Christianity and his armies were triumphant against sizable pagan forces.

February 15, 1386

Baptism of Jagiello (Jagaila), King of the Lithuanians, in Poland.

February 15, 1621

Death in Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel of Michael Praetorius, German composer, on his fiftieth birthday. He wrote many beautiful pieces of Christian music, such as “In Dulci Jubilo.”

Read: 5 Lessons from the Life of Asher

February 15, 1643

John Campanius, Lutheran pastor and missionary to the American Indians, arrives in America (New Sweden on the Delaware River).

February 15, 1739

Five slaves on St. Thomas Island, writing in behalf of 650 persecuted Christian brothers and sisters, address a letter to the king of Denmark telling of the violence they have experienced from white owners; their owners also burn their books and declare that a “baptized black is no more than kindling wood for the fires of hell.”

February 15, 1905

Death at Crawfordsville, Indiana, of Lew Wallace, author of Ben Hur. The novel had been conceived on a train ride while arguing about Christ’s divinity with famous agnostic Robert Ingersoll. It sold more than 300,000 copies in a decade, making it one of the best-selling religious books of the 1800s.

February 15, 1960

Repose (death) of Anthimus of Chios. After years of ascetic living and service to others, he had founded the Monastery of Panagia Voithia on the Island of Chios to take women and nuns displaced in a population swap between Turkey and Greece.

February 15, 1994

The last hostile soldiers depart from Tavane Mission, a Nazarene work in Mozambique, leaving it in ruins. Nazarenes in Mozambique had suffered much persecution with the coming of revolution and expulsion of missionaries. Benjamin Langa, who had been left in charge of Tavane Mission, once preached with guns pointed at him.