Luther Faces the Emperor: Diet of Worms Begins
The Emperor sat in silence while Luther stood alone before a room full of bishops and princes, all expecting him to kneel. He didn't beg for mercy or offer a single word of apology, even when threatened with the fires of Worms. That night, he refused to recant, declaring his conscience was captive to Scripture alone. Now, every person who reads their own Bible without permission traces that defiant stand back to this moment in 1521. It wasn't about changing a church; it was about freeing a mind.
April 16, 1521
505 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on April 16
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