Historical eventSeptember 28235

Pope Pontian

Pope Pontian (pictured) resigned after being exiled to Sardinia, becoming the first pope to relinquish the position.

Everything on September 28Original source

In context

When
Monday, September 28 2351791 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
3rd century · 230s
Calendar
Julian — as recorded at the time
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Dates before 15 October 1582 are in the Julian calendar, so the weekday shown follows the Julian reckoning of the time.

At a glance

Dates: From 235.

What happened

Pope Pontian was the bishop of Rome from 21 July 230 to 28 September 235. In 235, during the persecution of Christians in the reign of the Emperor Maximinus Thrax, Pontian was arrested and sent to the island of Sardinia.

September 28 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 235Pope Pontian
  2. 20092009 Guinean protests
  3. 2012Sita Air Flight 601
  4. 2012Battle of Kismayo (2012)
  5. 2012Somali Civil War (2009–present)
  6. 20142014 Hong Kong protests
  7. 20162016 South Australian blackout
  8. 20182018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami
  9. 2022Hurricane Ian
  10. 2023Sycamore Gap tree
  11. 20232023 Rotterdam shootings

Sources

Cite this page

“Pope Pontian”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/pope-pontian-235-september-28, accessed October 29, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Pope Pontian happen?

September 28 235 — 1791 years ago, on a Monday.

Is this a Julian or a Gregorian date?

It is the date as recorded at the time, on the Julian calendar. The Gregorian equivalent falls about ten days later; sources from different countries may give either.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.