1804 – Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He was an enormously influential early American writer. His works include Twice Told Tales, The Scarlet Letter, House of the Seven Gables, and Mosses from an Old Manse. Hawthorne married Sophia Peabody, sister of Elizabeth, and belonged to Transcendentalist circles. He worked at a variety of … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History July 4
1816 – John Cordner was born near Belfast in Ireland. With aid from the American Unitarian Association a church was built in Montreal in May 1845 for the Unitarian Society, and Cordner was appointed minister. He preached there for nearly 50 years, both morning and evening every Sunday, and refused calls to other churches. Read … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History July 3
1855 – Theodore Chickering Williams was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. He served churches in Winchester, Massachusetts, and New York City. He founded Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York. He later became the headmaster of Roxbury Latin School, now in Boston. After his death, his widow founded Senexet House, a Unitarian retreat in Connecticut. Williams died … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History July 2
1858 – Charles Darwin presented his paper The Origin of Species to the Linnaean Society in London. He was descended from Unitarian families on both sides. In his youth he attended the Unitarian church in Shrewsbury, England. From 1831 to 1836 Darwin sailed as the official naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle. He published The Origin … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History July 1
1992 – At General Assembly in Calgary, Canada, the Unitarian Universalist Association passed the Racial and Cultural Diversity in Unitarian Universalism Resolution, which affirmed the vision of a Unitarian Universalist faith that reflects the reality of the global village, rather than that of a narrower band of people and culture. The post June 30 first appeared … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History June 30
1835 – Celia Thaxter was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Daughter of the lighthouse keeper at Isle of Shoals, New Hampshire, she helped her family turn it into a summer retreat for New England’s literary Unitarians. She also wrote poems aimed at consolation and comfort, such as “The Day Shall Yet Be Fair” and “Good-bye, … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History June 29
1655 – Maria Mitchell, an American astronomer and the first woman to be a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, died at age 70. She was a Unitarian. Read more about Maria Mitchell at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism. The post June 28 first appeared on Harvard Square … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History June 28
1984 – At General Assembly in Columbus, Ohio, the Unitarian Universalist Association passed the historic Gay and Lesbian Services of Union Resolution. This resolution affirmed the conducting of services of union for gay and lesbian couples by UUA ministers, and asked UUA faith communities to support these unions. The post June 27 first appeared on … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History June 27
1796 – David Rittenhouse died at age 64. A devout Universalist, he was a mathematician and prolific astronomer and is credited with making the first telescope in America. He was also treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and director of the United States Mint. The post June 26 first appeared on Harvard Square Library. Read … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History June 26
1863 – The St. Lawrence Association of Universalists ordained Olympia Brown making her the first woman in America ordained as a minister with full denominational authority. The Harvard Square Library collection includes both a short biography of Brown as well as a digital version of her autobiography. The post June 25 first appeared on Harvard Square … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History June 25
