Martin Luther

1483��1546 · German (Eisleben, Saxony) · Reformation Era

Known for: Nailed 95 Theses to a church door and accidentally split Christianity in half — the original disruptor

Martin Luther was a German Augustinian monk and theology professor who triggered the Protestant Reformation in 1517 by publishing his 95 Theses criticizing the Catholic Church's sale of indulgences. What began as an academic dispute escalated into a continental revolution when Luther, protected by German princes and enabled by the printing press, challenged papal authority, translated the Bible into German, and developed a theology of salvation by faith alone (sola fide).

He was excommunicated by Pope Leo X and declared an outlaw by Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms, where he reportedly said: 'Here I stand. I can do no other.' (He probably didn't say exactly this, but it captures his character.) His translation of the Bible standardized the German language. Protestantism, in all its forms, traces back to his revolt.

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