On October 31st, 1517, a man posted a manuscript on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. His name was Martin Luther, and this simple action was about to change the world.
This manuscript, known as the Ninety-Five Theses, marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. It called into question some practices of the Catholic Church, most notably asserting that the Bible, rather than the Pope, should be the ultimate source of truth. This was not necessarily a novel idea; multiple priests had questioned this in the past. But for the first time, humanity had a new tool to spread ideas: the printing press.
As a result, Protestantism spread like wildfire, particularly close to Wittenberg. This connection would still be evident centuries later, with a clear correlation between the number of Protestants and proximity to Wittenberg. The most lasting change brought about by Protestantism was the push for everyone to make their own interpretation of the Bible. This meant that people had to be taught how to read and be educated. As a result, Protestant communities often became wealthier due to their more educated human capital, an effect that persists to this day.
The most powerful actions of humans are often the spreading of ideas. As we continue building better tools to disseminate ideas, from the printing press to today's Internet, we can challenge the status quo and strive to improve the world.
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