Hong Xiuquan, a failed Confucian scholar, had a vision from God to overthrow the Qing dynasty and establish a new kingdom based on his interpretation of Christianity. On this fateful day, he proclaimed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, sparking the Jintian Uprising, a 14-year civil war that would ravage southern China and claim millions of lives. Hong's mix of Christian and Chinese beliefs resonated with the poor and marginalized, who saw him as a messianic figure. His rebellion would go on to become one of the deadliest conflicts of the 19th century.