April 1 in Christian History

Apr 01, 2009 04:55 AM EDT

1693 - Colonial clergyman Cotton Mather's first-born son died at the age of four days. Mather suspected witchcraft as the cause, and had previously published "Wonders of the Invisible World," affirming his belief in spectral phenomena.


1925 - On Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem, British statesman Lord (Arthur James) Balfour dedicated Hebrew University.


1927 - Eurovision was founded in Chicago. Headquartered today in Pasadena, CA, this Protestant overseas missions agency specializes in supporting national churches through evangelistic radio, literature and relief work.


1932 - German scholar Gerhard Kittel published the first partial volume of "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament." With WWII and Kittel's death in 1948 intervening, this monumental 10-volume work was not completed until the late 1960s.


1956 - Death of William R. Newell, 88, American Congregational pastor and Bible teacher. He is remembered today as author of the hymn, "At Calvary" ("Years I Spent in Vanity and Pride").


© 1987-2009, William D. Blake. Used by permission of the author, from

Almanac of the Christian Church