Sir John Templeton Dies

Sir John Templeton has died at the age of 95 from pneumonia in the Bahamas. Templeton was a philanthropist best know for his foundation’s award called the Templeton Prize. It was awarded each year for “progress in religion”. Mother Teresa was the first recipient in 1973. She was given $85,000 for her charities. The winner now gets more than a million dollars. Templeton got the "Sir" in front of his name when he was knighted by the Queen of England for his efforts to encourage spiritual thinking.

Born in Tennessee, Templeton made a fortune in global stocks and developing mutual funds. His charities give away more than $70 million each year. Despite serving as a elder in the Presbyterian Church, USA, Templeton argued that the Bible revealed little about God, so he encouraged spiritual exploration through his charitable giving.