Martin Luther

BORN

November 10, 1483
Eisleben, Germany
(Born on this day)

GERMAN RELIGIOUS LEADER

WRITTEN BY: 

• Hans J. Hillerbrand

LAST UPDATED: Nov 6, 2019 See Article History

Martin Luther, (born November 10, 1483, Eisleben, Saxony [Germany]—died February 18, 1546, Eisleben), German theologian and religious reformer who was the catalyst of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Through his words and actions, Luther precipitated a movement that reformulated certain basic tenets of Christian belief and resulted in the division of Western Christendom between Roman Catholicism and the new Protestant traditions, mainly Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Communion, the Anabaptists, and the Antitrinitarians. He is one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity.