July 6, 1415 - Jan Hus Burned at the Stake

One of the major precursors to the Protestant Reformation was Jan Hus of Prague. He was one of the first to challenge the authority of the pope and the priesthood, but his main concern was the well-being and spiritual growth of the common churchgoer. One of his chief complaints was that mass was performed in Latin, not the common language of the congregation, and therefore he believed very few could genuinely understand its depth. His outspokenness was ultimately his undoing, and he was sentenced to death by the Council of Constance and burned at the stake on July 6, 1415. Pictured is a statue dedicated to him in Prague.