10th May: Today in Christian History

10th May, 1508

At the insistence of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo begins work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. He writes this note to himself, “On this day, May 10, 1508, I Michelangelo, sculptor, have received on account from our Holy Lord Pope Julius II five hundred papal ducats toward the painting of the ceiling of the papal Sistine Chapel, on which I am beginning work today.”

10th May, 1787

On this day in Christian History, Synesius of Siberia died. At the time of his death, he was a famous monk of the Orthodox Church.

10th May, 1844

On this day in Christian History, Pran Krishna, a zealous evangelist in India, died. A day before his death (9th May, 1844), he had shown showed symptoms of cholera.

10th May, 1908

On this day in Christian History, at her urging, Ana M. Jarvis’s church in Philadelphia held one of the first Mothers’ Day services. Ana supplied the church with white carnations, which had been her mom’s favorite flower.

10th May, 1910

On this day in Christian History, popular hymn writer, Anna Laetitia Waring died in Bristol, England. Born Quaker, she had become an Anglican and was a social reformer active in prison visitation. Her best-known hymn was “In Heavenly Love Abiding.”

10th May, 1917

On this day in Christian History, Bible Scholar, Henry Barclay Swete died in Hitchin, England. In his lifetime, he was an Anglican who had stood firmly for the Bible when modern scholarship attacked it. He was also a founder of the Journal of Theological Studies and wrote The Old Testament in Greek According to the Septuagint. He was described as a “pillar of Christian learning and a pattern of Christian life.”

10th May, 1918

• On this day in Christian History, Edgar Stillman Kelley’s choral work, "The Pilgrim’s Progress", was produced at the Cincinnati May Festival. His music was in the late Romantic tradition.
• On this same day in Christian History, Bishop C.H. Phillips spoke against a movement to unite the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church with the African Methodist Episcopal and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Churches, a plan which he says does not answer crucial questions of belief and organization. As it turns out, the movement later foundered on its inability to agree on a name.

10th May, 1941

On this day in Christian History, German bombers hit the Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London, destroying many documents of historic interest.

10th May, 2001

On this day in Christian History, Subhang Sodemba died of a heart attack. In his lifetime, he was notable for establishing an evangelistic and orphanage work in the Himalayas.

Did you miss out on our Christian History Series? Catch up on significant events that happened on 9th May in Christian History. If you also want to peep into the future at a glimpse of the significant events that happened on May 11 in Christian History, click here!