Five hundred years ago today (October 31, 1517), a monk named Martin Luther went to a church in Wittenberg -- a small town in Germany -- and nailed a list of criticisms of the Catholic Church to its doors, according to the Time website.
Luther had just sparked what would become the Protestant Reformation. His list of criticisms -- known as the 95 theses -- would have a powerful impact on world history.
The birth of Protestant Christianity led to the translation of the Bible into languages other than Latin, allowing many people to engage with scripture for the first time.
Luther also played a major role in ending the church's sale of "indulgences" -- payments to the church to speed up entrance into heaven of loved ones who had died -- which Luther regarded as corrupt.
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