Cotton Mather was born on February 12, 1663 to Increase Mather and Maria Cotton. His grandfathers were prominent New England Puritan ministers Rev. John Cotton and Rev. Richard Mather. Cotton Mather began his schooling at Harvard at only 12 years of age after excelling in his entrance exams in Latin and Greek. After receiving his M.A. at age 18, he felt called to a life of service in the clergy. Mather preached his first sermon in August of 1680, and went on to be ordained by 1685 at age 22. Besides involvement with the witch trials in Salem, Mass. during the 1690s, Cotton Mather is remembered as one of the most influential religious leaders of his day having written over 450 books and pamphlets. He died on February 13, 1728 at age 66, survived by only one of his three wives and two of his fifteen children.