Tapestry

Things you didn't know about Martin Luther

Martin Luther kicked off the Protestant Reformation in the 16th-century when he nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of a German church. As the 500th anniversary approaches, we wanted to find out - who WAS this man?

It happened nearly 500 years ago. 2017 will mark the anniversary. A monk named Martin Luther nails a piece of parchment to a cathedral door - the Ninety-Five Theses.

What Luther had in mind was to challenge the Catholic Church from within - not to start a new religion.  But the document nailed to the wooden door in Wittenberg would kick off the Protestant Reformation, one of the biggest upheavals in history.

James Reston, Jr. is the author of Luther's Fortress: Martin Luther and His Reformation Under Siege. His book leaves you with the impression that Luther was a pretty radical dude.