The Diet of Worms was an assembly opened by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to deal with the question of Martin Luther’s recalcitrant behavior. Luther was asked to retract his teachings condemned by the pope, but he refused. Various theologians argued with him for a week, but he would not change his position. On May 25, Luther was formally declared an outlaw in the Edict of Worms, and the lines of the Reformation were thereby hardened. More…

It also created an English schoolchild’s joke that has persisted for nearly 500 years.