2014 Event The Islamic State captures the Iraqi town of Sinjar, home to the country's Yazidi religious minority population; residents fled in advance of the extremists, who have demanded that non-Muslim residents convert to Islam or face death 2014 Event German company Linde begins constructing a facility to convert wind power to hydrogen; the plant will help Germany in its efforts to increase reliance on renewable energy sources 2013 Event Pope Francis canonizes a record-breaking number of new Catholic Church saints; Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI submitted the 813 'Martyrs of Otranto' who were beheaded by Ottoman soldiers for refusing to convert to Islam 1965 Event France announces it will convert $150 million of its currency to gold 1951 Event 1st battery to convert radioactive energy to electrical announced 1628 Event Emperor Ferdinand II demands Austria Protestant convert to Catholicism 1583 Death Jeseph Sanalbo, Jewish convert in Rome, burned at stake
