September 28

235 Saint Pontianus, bishop of Rome, died.

929 (or 935) King Wenceslas, ruler and patron saint of Czechoslovakia, died (b. ca. 907).

1197 Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, died (b. November 1165).

1529 Adolph Clarenbach (b. ca. 1500) and Peter Fliesteden, martyrs, were burned in Cologne, Germany.

1687 Francis Turretin, Swiss theologian, died (b. 17 October 1623).

1742 Jean Baptiste Massillon, French churchman, died (b. 24 June 1663).

1788 Joseph Hoskins, hymnist, died (b. 1745).

1808 Andover Theological Seminary was opened in Massachusetts under Congregational auspices.

1822 A convention was held in Harrison Church, Nelson County, Kentucky, for the purpose of establishing a Lutheran synod in Kentucky.

1823 Leo XII (1760–1829) was elected as pope.

1839 Frances Elizabeth Willard, American educator and temperance leader, was born in Churchville, New York (d. 17 February 1898).

1842 Herman Henry Walker was born in Brockhausen, Germany (d. 4 July 1927). He was a graduate of Concordia Seminary (Saint Louis) in 1865 and served as pastor in Paterson, New Jersey, and York, Pennsylvania. He was vice-president of the Eastern District of the LCMS from 1885 to 1899 and president from 1899 to 1915.

1859 Karl J. P. Spitta, hymnist, died at Peine (b. 1 August 1801, Hanover).

1871 Karl Haase was born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 9 May 1955). He graduated from the Missouri Synod's teachers seminary at Addison, Illinois, in 1891 and served as a teacher in Portage and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He became a professor at Concordia Teachers College (Seward, Nebraska) in 1906 and wrote several music books. He was also a fellow of the American Guild of Organists.

1891 H. D. Ganse, hymnist, died (b. 27 February 1822 near Fishkill, New York).

1903 Samuel A. Ward (b. 28 December 1847), American music publisher, died.

1934 The first issue of the fundamentalist Christian newspaper The Sword of the Lord was published. Founded by American evangelist John R. Rice (1895–1980), it was the largest independent Christian weekly for many years.

1978 Pope John Paul I (b. 17 October 1912), 262nd pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, died.