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Today in 1302,  Italy's finest poet and some say the father of the Italian language, Dante Alighieri was exiled from Florence. In exile, he wrote the Divine Comedy, the greatest poem of the middle ages, and an allegory of the Soul's journey to God. Hear all about it in today's pod. 

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In 1950 on Jan 26 the Constitution of India came into force, forming a republic.  One of the oldest civilisations in the world, India is officially a secular country nut with a deeply religious population. With 80% of the huge population identifying as Hindu with Christians about 2% of the population, but with a huge impact on education. Today's pod looks at how a Christian leader H.C. Mukherjee, became the Vice-President of the Constituent Assembly of India.

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A group of Jesuit missionaries built a mission on top of a steep hill on the Piratiningha plains.  As part of the mission they founded the Colégio de São Paulo de Piratininga today on January 25, 1554. Around the mission, grew up the Portuguese village of São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga which is now the most populous city in Brasil, and the fourth in the world.... This it's story

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Today in 1918 the Gregorian calendar was introduced in Russia by decree of the Council of People's Commissars making its coverage almost universal.  Today's pod looks at the history of it, why it was needed and how it was rolled out.... Enjoy! 

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Seismic events in Northern Europe today on the 23rd of January and the Union of Utrecht effectively unites the northern provinces of the Netherlands. A radical experiment in Religious Freedom leads to the waning of Spain as an international force and heralds the beginning of the Dutch empire and the start of a Dutch Golden Age 

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 On Jan 22 1506 the first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrives at the Vatican. Todays pod looks at the historical context for their arrival, their famous colourful uniforms and how their role is changing all the time. 

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On this day in Christian History, we go back to the year 1621 and the Pilgrims from England left their ship the Mayflower and gathered on shore at Plymouth, Massachusetts, for their first religious service.  The story of their grueling journey and what motivated them. 

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Today in 1918 we remember how the Bolshevik-controlled government in Russia enacted the Decree that proclaimed the separation of church and state .   This effectively meant that all church property in Russia was confiscated and all religious instruction in schools was abolished.

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Today in 1829 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust receives its premiere performance, we look at the story behind the greatest work of German Literature.  

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The final session of the Council of Trent opened today in 1562. This would define Catholicism for the next four hundred years, a sadly mark the definite rupture with Protestantism.