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Martin Luther's Life – A Chronology

• 1483
  • 10 November — Birth at Eisleben
  • 11 November (St. Martin's Day)—Baptism
  
  
  
• 1497
  • Enters school at Eisenach
  
  
  
• 1501
  • Student at Erfurt; full tuition is 20 Groats ($1.60)
  
  
  
• 1505
  • Master of Arts conferred
  • 2 July — Overtaken by storm; makes vow to become monk
  • 17 July — Enters cloister of St. Augustine at Erfurt
  
  
  
• 1507
  • 2 May — Ordained by Bishop John
  
  
  
• 1508
  • November — Instructor at Wittenberg
  
  
  
• 1509
  • 9 March — Bachelor of Theology; returns to Erfurt
  
  
  
• 1511
  • October — Starts trip to Rome on Augustinian business
  
  
  
• 1512
  • May — Sub-prior of Wittenberg cloister; Director of Studies
  • 4 October — Licentiate
  • 19 October — Doctor of Theology
  
  
  
• 1513
  • Spring — Lectures on the Psalms begin
  
  
  
• 1515
  • Vicar, in charge of eleven monasteries
  
  
  
• 1516
  • Publishes The German Theology; lectures on Romans and Galatians
  
  
  
• 1517
  • April — Notes on the Penitential Psalms
  • 4 September — 97 Theses Against Scholastic Theology
  • 31 October, Noon — The 95 Theses
  
  
  
• 1518
  • 26 April — Heidelberg Conference
  • 12 October — Before Cajetan at Augsburg instead of trial at Rome
  
  
  
• 1519
  • January, 1st week — Conference with Miltitz at Altenburg
  • 27 June — Leipzig Disputation begins
  • 4 July — Beginning of Luther's discussions with Eck
  
  
  
• 1520
  • 23 June — To the German Nobility
  • 6 October — The Babylonian Captivity of the Church
  • 4 November — The Execrable Bull of Antichrist
  • 16 December — The burning of the Bull
  
  
  
• 1521
  • 2 April — Starts for Worms
  • 16 April — Enters Worms
  • 17-18 April — Before the Emperor
  • 26 April — Departure from Worms
  • 4 May — "Kidnapped"; taken to Wartburg
  • 2 December — Secret journey to Wittenberg
  
  
  
• 1522
  • 6 March — Returns to Wittenberg
  
  
  
• 1523
  • 21 September — Publication of German New Testament
  
  
  
• 1524
  • August — Conflict with Carlstadt at Jena, Kahlu, and Orlamunde; Hymnal published
  
  
  
• 1525
  • 16 April — In Thuringia, attempting to check the Peasants' Insurrection
  
  
  
• 1526
  • Beginning of the year — The German Mass and Order of Service
  
  
  
• 1527
  • January to March — That the Words "This Is My Body" Stand Firm; "Ein Feste Burg" ["A Mighty Fortress"] is composed
  
  
  
• 1528
  • March — Large Confession Concerning the Lord's Supper
  • October — Visitation of churches
  
  
  
• 1529
  • April — The two Catechisms written to raise religious education level
  • 1-3 October — Marburg Colloquy
  • 16 April — Schwabach Conference
  
  
  
• 1530
  • 3 April — Starts on way to Augsburg
  • 23 April — Reaches Coburg
  • 5 June — Hears of father's death
  • 13 October — Returns to Augsburg
  
  
  
• 1531-34
  • Works steadily on translation of Old Testament
  
  
  
• 1534
  • August — First edition of complete German Bible
  
  
  
• 1535
  • Lectures on Genesis begin; completed only shortly before his death
  • 6 November — Cardinal Vergerius at Wittenberg
  • December — The English commissioners Fox, Heath and Barnes reach Wittenberg
  
  
  
• 1536
  • 22-29 May — "The Wittenberg Concord" with Bucer and Capito
  • December — Preparation of the Schmalkald Articles
  
  
  
• 1537
  • 7-28 February — At Schmalkald; dangerously ill as he leaves, but is preaching by Easter
  
  
  
• 1539
  • Of the Councils and the Church
  
  
  
• 1539-41
  • Revision of translation of the Bible
  
  
  
• 1542
  • 19 January — Consecrates Amsdorf as bishop at Naumburg
  
  
  
• 1543
  • 20 September — Death of his daughter Magdalena
  
  
  
• 1544
  • September — Short Confession Concerning the Lord's Supper; the Hauspostille published
  
  
  
• 1545
  • October and December—Two journeys to Mansfeld [Council of Trent]
  
  
  
• 1546
  • 18 February, 2:45 a.m.—Dies
  • 22 February—Buried at Wittenberg; sermon by Dr. John Bugenhagen; address by Philipp Melanchthon; buried under pulpit