On This Day

Today in Mormon History

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Historical Events


Event of interestEvent of Interest

1820-03-26 Future Mormon church leader Joseph Smith has his "First Vision" in a wooded area of New York, according to Mormon scholars

Religious Leader Joseph Smith
Religious Leader
Joseph Smith
  • 1827-09-21 According to Joseph Smith Jr., the angel Moroni gave him a record of gold plates, one-third of which Joseph translated into The Book of Mormon
  • 1830-03-26 The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York
  • 1830-04-06 Joseph Smith and 5 others officially organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fayette, New York
  • 1832-03-24 Mormon Joseph Smith beaten, tarred & feathered in Ohio
  • 1836-03-27 1st Mormon temple dedicated (Kirtland, Ohio)
  • 1837-06-13 1st Mormon missionaries to British Isles leave Kirtland, Ohio
  • 1838-10-27 Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs issues the Extermination Order, which orders all Mormons to leave the state or be exterminated.
  • 1841-04-06 Cornerstone laid for 2nd Mormon temple, Nauvoo, Illinois
  • 1843-07-12 Mormon leader Joseph Smith says God allows polygamy

Event of interestEvent of Interest

1844-08-08 Brigham Young chosen as head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following the death of Joseph Smith

Founder of Salt Lake City and President of the LDS Church Brigham Young
Founder of Salt Lake City and President of the LDS Church
Brigham Young
  • 1846-02-04 Mormons leave Nauvoo, Illinois, for settlement in the west
  • 1846-02-10 Beginning of Mormon march to western US
  • 1846-07-21 Mormons found 1st English settlement in California (San Joaquin Valley)
  • 1847-07-24 Brigham Young and his Mormon followers arrive at Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 1850-05-27 Mormon Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois, destroyed by tornado
  • 1856-06-09 500 Mormons leave Iowa City, Iowa, and head west for Salt Lake City, Utah, carrying all their possessions in two-wheeled handcarts
  • 1857-09-11 Mountain Meadows Massacre, Mormons dressed as Indians murder 120 colonists in Utah
  • 1857-10-05 Mormon pioneer Captain Lot Smith and members of the Utah militia destroy US army supply wagon train in Wyoming during Utah War
  • 1871-10-02 US Mormon leader Brigham Young arrested for bigamy
  • 1890-09-24 The President of the Latter-day Saints Wilford Woodruff issues a manifesto advising members that the teaching and practice of polygamy should be abandoned
  • 1890-10-06 General Conference of the Latter-day Saints outlaws polygamy
  • 1893-01-04 US President Cleveland grants amnesty to Mormon polygamy
  • 1893-04-06 Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City dedicated
  • 1896-01-04 Following Mormon abandonment of polygamy, Utah admitted as 45th state

Event of interestEvent of Interest

1978-06-08 Nevada jury rules Howard Hughes "Mormon Will" is a forgery

Aviator and Businessman Howard Hughes
Aviator and Businessman
Howard Hughes
  • 1978-06-09 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) strikes down 148 year policy of excluding black men from priesthood
  • 2011-06-12 65th Tony Awards: The Book of Mormon & War Horse win
  • 2019-04-04 US Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pledges to roll back anti-LGBT policies, including not baptizing children of gay parents
  • 2019-11-04 Nine members of a US Mexican Mormon family, including six children, shot and killed in attack by criminal gang in Northern Mexico

Famous Birthdays


Person of interestBrigham Young

1801-06-01 Brigham Young, American religious leader (LDS), born in Whitingham, Vermont (d. 1877)

Founder of Salt Lake City and President of the LDS Church Brigham Young
Founder of Salt Lake City and President of the LDS Church
Brigham Young

Person of interestJoseph Smith

1805-12-23 Joseph Smith Jr, American founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, born in Sharon, Vermont (d. 1844)

Religious Leader Joseph Smith
Religious Leader
Joseph Smith
  • 1813-03-21 James Jesse Strang, King of Mormons on Beaver Is, MI (1850-56)
  • 1814-04-03 Lorenzo Snow, 5th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, born in Mantua, Ohio (d. 1901)
  • 1814-10-27 Daniel H. Wells, Mormon leader and 3rd Mayor of Salt Lake City, born in Trenton, New York (d. 1891)
  • 1838-11-13 Joseph F. Smith, 6th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, born in Far West, Missouri (d. 1918)
  • 1856-11-22 Heber J. Grant, 7th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 1945)
  • 1859-03-12 Abraham H. Cannon, Mormon apostle (d. 1896)
  • 1870-04-04 George Albert Smith, American religious leader, 8th President of Latter-day Saints, born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 1951)
  • 1873-09-08 David O. McKay, 9th President of Latter-day Saints, born in Huntsville, Utah (d. 1970)
  • 1895-03-28 Spencer W. Kimball, American 12th President of the Latter-day Saints (1973-1985), born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 1985)
  • 1899-03-28 Harold B. Lee, American religious leader, Head of Latter-day Saints, born in Clifton, Idaho (d. 1973)
  • 1899-08-04 Ezra Taft Benson, 13th President of Latter-day Saints and US Secretary of Agriculture, born in Whitney, Idaho (d. 1994)
  • 1907-11-14 Howard William Hunter, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, born in Boise, Idaho (d. 1995)
  • 1927-08-21 Thomas Monson, 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 2018)
  • 1969-10-19 (Randolph Severn) "Trey" Parker [III], American actor, animator and composer (South Park; The Book of Mormon), born in Conifer, Colorado
  • 1971-05-26 Matt Stone, American actor, animator and producer (South Park, The Book of Mormon), born in Houston, Texas

Famous Deaths


Person of interestJoseph Smith

1844-06-27 Joseph Smith Jr, American founder of the LDS, shot by a mob at 38

Religious Leader Joseph Smith
Religious Leader
Joseph Smith
  • 1856-07-09 James Strang, American Mormon splinter group leader, dies of his wounds three weeks after being attacked by disaffected members at 43

Person of interestBrigham Young

1877-08-29 Brigham Young, 2nd president of Latter-day Saints, dies of peritonitis at 76

Founder of Salt Lake City and President of the LDS Church Brigham Young
Founder of Salt Lake City and President of the LDS Church
Brigham Young
  • 1891-03-24 Daniel H. Wells, Mormon leader and 3rd Mayor of Salt Lake City, dies at 76
  • 1896-07-19 Abraham H. Cannon, American Mormon apostle (b. 1859)
  • 1901-10-10 Lorenzo Snow, 5th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), dies at 87
  • 1951-04-04 George Albert Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies
  • 1970-01-18 David O. McKay, 9th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, dies at 96
  • 1972-07-02 Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 10th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), dies at 95
  • 1973-12-26 Harold B. Lee, American religious leader, Head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 74
  • 1985-11-15 Spencer W. Kimball, American 12th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1973-1985), dies at 90
  • 1992-08-14 Flora Benson, American wife of Ezra Taft Benson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 91
  • 1994-05-30 Ezra Taft Benson, 13th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and US Secretary of Agriculture, dies at 94
  • 1995-03-03 Howard Hunter, US leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1994-95), dies at 87
  • 2018-01-02 Thomas Monson, 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 90

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