Pictured on a 20¢ US commemorative postage stamp issued in his honor,
11 November 1983 (500th anniversary year of birth year).
One of the founding fathers of the Protestant Reformation.
While the Lutheran sect was named after him and is based on his
writings and beliefs, he had no role in its formation, since it was
founded years after his death.
Six children: Hans Luther, born June 7 1526; Elisabeth Luther, born
December 10 1527; Magdalena Luther, born May 4 1529; Martin Luther,
born November 9 1531; Paul Luther, born January 29 1533; and Margarethe
Luther, born December 17 1534.
Though he was ordained as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in
1507, he became disillusioned with what he saw as corruption inside the
church and left the priesthood. In 1523 he helped eleven Cistercian
nuns escape from their convent; one of them was Katherina von Bora, who
would become his wife in 1525. They had six children and remained
happily married until his death.
Martin Luther was the founder of the Lutheran Church in the 16th Century. As a composer he also wrote such well known Christian hymns as "A Mighty Fortess Is Our God".