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Martin Luther was born to a peasent family in Eisleben in the Holy Roman Empire, which is today part of eastern Germany. He was born to Hans and Magarete (Lindemann) Luther. Hans was a successful miner and smelter and moved the family to Mansfeld which was a larger mining town. He was one of four sons, two of which died during plague outbreaks.
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Martin Luther entered the University of Erfurt
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Martin Luther received his Bachelor's degree after just one year.
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Three years after recieving his Bachelor's degree, and four years after entering the University, Martin Luther received his Master's degree
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According to his father's wishes, Martin enrolled in the law school of that university. That changed during a thunderstorm in the summer of 1505. A lightening bolt struck near to him as he was returning to school. Terrified, he cried out, "Help, St. Anne! I'll become a monk!" Spared of his life, but regretting his plea, Luther kept his word, dropped out of law school and entered the monastery there.
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Martin Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507.
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In 1508 Martin Luther began teaching theology at the University of Wittenberg.
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Luther earned his Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies.
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The University of Wittenberg conferred upon Martin Luther the degree of Doctor of Theology
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Luther changed the course of human history when he nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, accusing the Roman Catholic church of heresy upon heresy. Many people cite this act as the primary starting point of the Protestant Reformation. Before long, Luther’s 95 Theses of Contention had been copied and published all over Europe.
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Luther's Protestant views were condemned as heretical by Pope Leo X in the bull Exsurge Domine.
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Luther was summoned to either renounce or reaffirm them at the Diet of Worms. When he appeared before the assembly, Johann von Eck, by then assistant to the Archbishop of Trier, acted as spokesman for Emperor Charles the Fifth. He presented Luther with a table filled with copies of his writings. Eck asked Luther if he still believed what these works taught. He requested time to think about his answer.
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The Emperor issued his Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw.
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In 1524, Luther left the monastery.
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In 1525, he married Katharina von Bora.
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Martin Luther escaped martyrdom, and died of natural causes. His last written words were, "Know that no one can have indulged in the Holy Writers sufficiently, unless he has governed churches for a hundred years with the prophets, such as Elijah and Elisha, John the Baptist, Christ and the apostles... We are beggars: this is true."
