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Martin Luther is excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church for refusing to recant parts of his Ninety-

Martin Luther is excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church for refusing to recant parts of his Ninety-Five Theses, which started the Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation, and his theological beliefs form the basis of Lutheranism. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Western and Christian history.

Born in Eisleben, Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507. He came to reject various teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, in particular the view on indulgences and papal authority. Luther initiated an international debate on these in works like his Ninety-five Theses, which he authored in 1517. In 1520 Pope Leo X demanded that Luther renounce all of his writings, and when Luther refused to do so, excommunicated him in January 1521.

Historical Significance

Martin Luther was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Augustinian friar.

Key People

Martin Luther

priest, theologian and author

German priest, theologian and author

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Leo X

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Events Before

  1. Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revolt against their rule under Hernán Cortés du

    Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revolt against their rule under Hernán Cortés during "La Noche Triste" (the Night of Sadness). Many soldiers drown in the escape, and Aztec emperor Moctezuma II dies in the struggle.

  2. Hernán Cortés and the Tlaxcalans defeat a numerically superior Aztec force in the Battle of Otumba in Mexico

    The Battle of Otumba was fought between the Aztec and allied forces led by the Cihuacoatl Matlatzincátzin and those of Hernán Cortés made up of the Spanish conquerors and Tlaxcalan allies.

  3. Suleiman the Magnificent succeeds his father, Selim I, as Ottoman Sultan and rules until 1566

    Suleiman I (6 November 1494 – 6 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent, was the Ottoman sultan from 1520 to 1566.

  4. Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan begins crossing the Pacific Ocean

    Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan begins crossing the Pacific Ocean

  5. Martin Luther publicly burns Pope Leo X's papal bull 'Exsurge Domine' which demanded that Luther recant his writings

    Martin Luther was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Augustinian friar.

Events After

  1. Martin Luther begins preaching his "Invocavit Sermons" in the German city of Wittenberg, reminding citizens to trust God

    Martin Luther begins preaching his "Invocavit Sermons" in the German city of Wittenberg, reminding citizens to trust God's word rather than violence, helping bring to a close the revolutionary stage of the Reformation

  2. Ferdinand Magellan's Spanish expedition, now led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, returns to Seville without its captain after

    Ferdinand Magellan's Spanish expedition, now led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, returns to Seville without its captain after a three-year epic voyage, becoming the first to circumnavigate the globe

  3. Suleiman the Magnificent accepts the surrender of the surviving Knights of Rhodes, who are allowed to evacuate. They eve

    Suleiman the Magnificent accepts the surrender of the surviving Knights of Rhodes, who are allowed to evacuate. They eventually settle in Malta and become known as the Knights of Malta.

  4. Adriaan F Boeyens elected only Dutch pope (Adrian VI)

    Pope Adrian VI (Latin: Hadrianus VI; Italian: Adriano VI; German: Hadrian VI.; Dutch: Adrianus/Adriaan VI), born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens (2 March 1459 – 14 September 1523), was head of the Catholic...

  5. Head Inquisitor Adrian Florisz Boeyens is elected pope

    Pope Adrian VI (Latin: Hadrianus VI; Italian: Adriano VI; German: Hadrian VI.; Dutch: Adrianus/Adriaan VI), born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens (2 March 1459 – 14 September 1523), was head of the Catholic...

More from the 1520s

Croatian nobles elect Ferdinand I of Austria as King of Croatia in the Parliament on Cetin

The Kingdom of Croatia (Croatian: Kraljevina Hrvatska; Latin: Regnum Croatiae; Hungarian: Horvát Királyság, German: Königreich Kroatien) was part of the Lands of the Hungarian Crown, but was subject...

Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, rules for 37 years, and becomes known as the "father of the nation"

Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, rules for 37 years, and becomes known as the "father of the nation"

Charles V and Francis I sign the Treaty of Madrid, forcing Francis to renounce his claims to Burgundy, Italy, and Flande

Charles V and Francis I sign the Treaty of Madrid, forcing Francis to renounce his claims to Burgundy, Italy, and Flanders

Swiss Anabaptist movement is born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and a dozen others baptize one anothe

Swiss Anabaptist movement is born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and a dozen others baptize one another in the home of Manz's mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 3, 1521?
Martin Luther was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation, and his theological beliefs form the basis of Lutheranism. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Western and Christian history.
Why is Martin Luther is excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church ... significant?
Martin Luther was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Augustinian friar.
Who was involved in Martin Luther is excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church ...?
Key figures include Martin Luther (priest, theologian and author), Leo X.

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January 3 in HistoryYear 1521