Born: 10 November 1483 · Died: 18 February 1546 · Age: 62
German monk whose Ninety-five Theses of 1517 sparked the Protestant Reformation and who translated the Bible into German
Did you know?He translated the Bible into the common German language, making it accessible to ordinary people for the first time.
Quick facts
Date of birth10 November 1483
Date of death18 February 1546
Age at death62
NationalityGerman
BirthplaceEisleben, Germany
Occupationtranslator, theologian, lawyer
Editor's Take:
Luther is a striking example of how one person's conscience, combined with new technology, can change a continent. When he challenged the sale of indulgences in 1517, the recently invented printing press carried his arguments across Europe faster than the Church could respond. His refusal to back down before the Holy Roman Emperor turned a theological dispute into a political earthquake that split Western Christianity. The Protestant churches that followed reshaped religion, education and even the idea of individual faith. His legacy is complicated, as his later writings against Jewish people are rightly condemned, but his impact on European history is beyond doubt.
Key Milestones
1505: Enters an Augustinian monastery
1517: Posts the Ninety-five Theses
1521: Refuses to recant at the Diet of Worms
1522: Publishes his German New Testament
1525: Marries Katharina von Bora
1534: Completes the full German Bible
Martin Luther ( LOO-thər; German:; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) 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.
Martin Luther's birthday is November 10. He was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany.
How old was Martin Luther when he died?
Martin Luther died on February 18, 1546, aged 62.
Who shares a birthday with Martin Luther?
Famous people who share Martin Luther's November 10 birthday include Friedrich Schiller, Paracelsus, Mikhail Kalashnikov, Ennio Morricone and Richard Burton.
