Constantin Tischendorf (1815 to 1874)
He Found the Old Manuscript in the Trash
Constantin Tischendorf was born at Langenfeld, Saxony. He discovered one of the oldest (and most valuable) manuscripts of the Greek Bible at a Sinai monastery in 1844. The manuscript is called the Codex Sinaiticusand dates to the 4th century.
John Stam (1907 to 1934)
Protestant
Martyred by Chinese Communists
Birth of John C. Stam, the seventh child of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Stam, superintendents of the Star of Hope Mission in Patterson, N.J. John became a missionary to China. His wife Betty and he were martyred by the Chinese Communists on Dec. 8, 1934. Their infant daughter, Helen, was rescued.
William Henry Havergal (1793 to 1870)
Church of England
William Composed; Frances Wrote
William H. Havergal was born in Worcester, England. An accomplished musician, he wrote about 100 hymns and composed many tunes for his daughter Frances Havergal's verse. The father is remembered today for the music to which we sing "Oh, for a Faith that Will Not Shrink." His epitaph called him a "faithful minister of the Lord."