On this day in history
December 21
JewishChristianBuddhistScience
- 1891 CEJewish · died
Leon Pinsker, physician and author of the pamphlet 'Auto-Emancipation,' died in Odessa.
- 1807 CEChristian · died
John Newton, the former slave-ship captain turned Anglican minister who wrote 'Amazing Grace,' died in London.
- 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.
- 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.