Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 October 27

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George Went Hensley (c. 1880–1955) was an American Pentecostal minister. He experienced a religious conversion around 1910 and came to believe that the New Testament commanded all Christians to handle venomous snakes. Although illiterate, he was a licensed minister of the Church of God from 1915 to 1922. He was arrested on moonshine-related charges and sentenced to a term in a workhouse, from which he escaped. He then held revival services in Ohio, and established churches, known as the Church of God with Signs Following, in Tennessee and Kentucky. His services ranged from small meetings in houses to gatherings with hundreds of attendees and media attention. He was arrested for violating laws against snake handling at least twice. He claimed to have survived more than 400 snake bites, but fell ill after being bitten during a service in 1955. He refused medical attention and died the next day. Despite his personal failings—he had conflicts with his family because of his drunkenness, frequent travels, and lack of steady income—Hensley convinced many residents of rural Appalachia that snake handling was commanded by God, and his followers continued the practice after his death. (Full article...)

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October 27

Memorial to the grounding of Soviet submarine S-363 (U 137)

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George Washington Masonic National Memorial

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is a Masonic building and memorial located in Alexandria, Virginia. Dedicated to George Washington, the first President of the United States and a Mason, the memorial was completed in 1932. Designed by Harvey Wiley Corbett, it is 333 ft (101 m) tall.

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