May 29, 1453 - Constantinople Falls to the Ottoman Turks

While many believe the Protestant Reformation began the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Castle Church doors in Wittenberg, Germany, in 1517, this is not necessarily the case. The influence of Greek thought and literature, combined with an emphasis on critical thinking and humanism, increased the divide between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Greek Orthodox Church. On May 29, 1453, the city of Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks and became what is today known as Istanbul, Turkey. This further increased the separation between these two branches of Catholicism and eventually led to many questioning the traditions of the church. Thus began the tension that sparked the Protestant Reformation.