1. Arthur Owen Blessitt was an American traveling Christian preacher who was known for carrying a cross through every nation of the world.
16 Facts About Arthur Blessitt
1. 2.
Arthur Blessitt studied at Mississippi College and Golden Gate Baptist Seminary, but abandoned his studies to serve as a pastor in several Baptist churches across the US.
3.
Arthur Blessitt was perhaps best known for his "cross walks" - travelling on foot, he dragged a wooden cross that he had originally built in 1968 to hang on the wall of "His Place" on Sunset Strip, Hollywood.
4.
In May 1971, Arthur Blessitt made his first overseas cross-walk, beginning in Northern Ireland.
5.
Arthur Blessitt carried the cross to all parts of the world.
6.
Arthur Blessitt visited the Soviet Union with his cross for the only time in 1988, visiting Moscow for five days.
7.
Arthur Blessitt carried the cross through such places as Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, China, South Africa, Lebanon, India, Antarctica, Palestine, Israel, Cuba, Libya, Northern and Southern Yemen, Vietnam and Mongolia.
8.
Arthur Blessitt was arrested 24 times and lost his cross twice.
9.
On June 13,2008, Arthur Blessitt walked his 38,102nd mile in Zanzibar, completing the goal he had set for himself to walk to every "country and island group" in the world.
10.
Arthur Blessitt claimed to have covered over 43,000 miles through 324 "nations, island groups and territories".
11.
Arthur Blessitt claimed to have traveled every ocean and walked on all seven continents.
12.
Blessitt has been the subject of various documentaries, such as The Cross Museum of Arthur and Denise Blessitt, Arthur: A Pilgrim, and The Cross: The Arthur Blessitt Story, directed by Matthew Crouch.
13.
Arthur Blessitt practiced within the evangelical tradition of Protestant Christianity and sat within the Charismatic wing of that tradition.
14.
Arthur Blessitt made a failed bid for the 1976 Democratic nomination for President.
15.
Arthur Blessitt withdrew from the contest after contesting the New Hampshire and Florida primaries.
16.
Arthur Blessitt died on January 14,2025, at the age of 84.