Dates that live on

On what is sometimes called the "4th of July of Protestantism," Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Cathedral of Wittenberg, Germany. Of course, the theses condemned practices and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

According to Wikipedia, "Luther proposed an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in his Ninety-five Theses of 1517. His refusal to renounce all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Holy Roman Emperor."

That was 500 years ago.

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Rioters/looters across America have been spray-painting the letters "ACAB" on buildings, statues, etc. The letters correlate with the numerals 1312, which have also been found in paint on all kind of structures, vehicles, pavements, etc. 

History.com reports, "Under pressure from King Philip, Pope Clement V reluctantly dissolved the Knights Templar in 1312. The group’s property and monetary assets were given to a rival order, the Knights Hospitallers. However, it’s thought that King Philip and King Edward II of England seized most of the Knights Templar’s wealth . . .

"In the 18th century, some groups, most notably the Freemasons, revived several of the medieval knights’ symbols, rituals and traditions. Currently, there are several international organizations styled after the Knights Templar that the public can join. These groups have representatives around the world and aim to uphold the values and traditions of the original medieval order."

From Assassin's Creed Wiki:

"Jacques de Molay (of the Freemasons) is revered as a figurehead and a hero among the Templars, similar to Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad among the Assassins. For it was due to his actions that the Templars, who were being hunted down by the public, were able to survive and return to secrecy. 

"Pope Clement, hear me! Before this year is out, you will answer for your crimes before God almighty. And you, King Philip, no punishment is too heinous for the great evil you have inflicted upon the Temple. I curse you! Curse you to the thirteenth generation of your blood! You shall be cursed!"

―Jacques de Molay's dying words, 1314.^[src]

"Following the arrest of the Templars, de Nogaret levelled charges against them, including heresy, blasphemy, and the worship of a deity known as Baphomet.

"During his imprisonment, de Molay was tortured by de Nogaret, Philippe de Marigny and William of Paris, and was forced to confess to these charges. As their Grand Master, de Molay understood that the Templars could no longer survive in a public image, and decided to make the ultimate sacrifice. Before his inevitable death, he sent nine of his most trusted men - who possessed knowledge of the Templars, the First Civilization, and the Assassins - out into the world to continue his work. The Templars would fade from public awareness and secretly influence leaders."

The Mental Floss website notes these important events from 1920:

2. America had a de-facto woman president. 

While on the campaign trail pushing for the U.S. to accept the League of Nations, President Wilson suffered a blood clot that caused paralysis, partial blindness, and brain damage. For the remainder of his term—another year and a half—he was, as Burns describes, "an invalid at best, little more than a rumor at worst," totally incapable of meeting with lawmakers, governing, or performing the duties of the presidency; the First Lady, Edith Wilson, stepped in and assumed his role. She controlled access to the president and made policy decisions on his behalf. When something needed to be signed or written, she wrapped her hand around his and scrawled words with a pen. The French ambassador to the United States reported back to his superiors that Wilson was a non-factor in governance. The real power rested with "Mme. President."

3. America sustained the worst terrorist attack in its history. 

On September 16, 1920, a horse-drawn cart carrying a massive, improvised explosive was detonated on the busiest corner on Wall Street. One eyewitness described “two sheets of flame that seemed to envelop the whole width of Wall Street and as high as the tenth story of the tall buildings.” Thirty-eight people were killed in the Wall Street Bombing, and hundreds were injured. It was, at the time, the worst terrorist attack in American history, unsurpassed in horror until the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995. The perpetrators were likely Italian anarchists. 

8. The KKK terrorized the nation. 

The Ku Klux Klan, a genocidal domestic terrorist organization founded during Reconstruction, was revitalized in 1920, the result in part of new Klan leadership with an eye for publicity. The Klan’s activities, Burns describes, were “reigns of terror, spaced widely in time and place,” that could be “loosely compared to latter-day outbreaks of the Inquisition.” But while the Inquisition targeted heretical Roman Catholics, the Klan “hated not only Catholics, but Jews, Asians, African-Americans, and Europeans who were not from the non-Nordic countries of the north.” Fifty years later, President Johnson turned J. Edgar Hoover loose on the KKK, and the FBI would achieve the greatest law enforcement victory in its history, all but eradicating the terrorist organization. 

(new article tomorrow)