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Wellsprings
On this day in history

December 21

JewishChristianBuddhistScience
  1. 1891 CEJewish · died

    Leon Pinsker, physician and author of the pamphlet 'Auto-Emancipation,' died in Odessa.

  2. 1807 CEChristian · died

    John Newton, the former slave-ship captain turned Anglican minister who wrote 'Amazing Grace,' died in London.

  3. 1965 CEBuddhist · died

    Kodo Sawaki, the itinerant Soto Zen teacher known as 'Homeless Kodo' for bringing zazen to lay practitioners, died on this day in 1965.

  4. 1968 CEScience

    Apollo 8 lifted off from Florida carrying the first humans to leave Earth's orbit and travel to the Moon, which they would orbit three days later on Christmas Eve.