On November 8, 1520, the infamous Stockholm Bloodbath took place.

The legislation whereby the church inherited the estate of anyone who died without a will, made the bishops of Sweden rich and powerful. Once the influence of the bishops became greater they were found less in support of the monarchy, and were more in favour of the regent system used in Denmark.

Swedish Archbishop Gustavus Trolle supported the Swedish Union and Danish rule. Following the Swedish Riksdag (parliament) removing him and destroying his castle, Trolle turned to Danish King Christian II for revenge.

After the defeat and assassination of the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Younger, Trolle had about 80 Swedish nobles and two Catholic bishops arrested and called them to a council in Stockholm, where they were killed.

The slaughter triggered a bloody rebellion by Gustavus Vasa, whose father had been among the victims. Vasa expelled the Danes, achieved independence for Sweden and subsequently instituted the Lutheran Reformation.

The Stockholm Bloodbath became a turning point in Swedish history.

Also On This Day

1881: Future Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple—known for advocating for the common man and addressing social issues—was christened.

1905: George Williams, the founder of the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association), died in London after establishing a global movement to provide young people with faith-based alternatives to secular recreation.

1935: Billy Sunday, a former baseball player who became one of America’s most famous early 20th-century revivalist evangelists, died at age 73.

1977: The Kelly Barnes Dam burst near Toccoa Falls, Georgia, tragically killing 38 students and instructors at a local Christian college.