1900: The Hahambashi of Turkey presents an address to Sultan Abdul Hamid on the occasion of his 25 anniversary of his accession to the thrown.

1938: Anti-Jewish laws are annouced on the Island of Rhodes in the newspapers. Ritual slaughter was banned & all Jews who came after 1919 must leave the island.

1905: A disastrous fire in Adrianople, Turkey destroys 1500 Jewish homes and 13 synagogues. 10,000 Jews were rendered homeless along with the 40,000 who already were.

1903: Fire destroys a synagogue at Travnik, Bosnia.

1918: In San Sebastian, Spain, Jewish New Year services are held for the first time in 400 years. The services were attended by 30 worshipers.

1654: A petition by Jacques de la Motthe, the French master of the ship St. Charles requested payment for Jews and their freight which he brought to New Amsterdam from Cape St. Anthony. He said their were "23 souls, big and little, who must pay equally." After a week passed, the Jews belongings were put up for auction, and it was said many Christians bought the Jews belongings, only to give them back to the Jews.

1909: Jews in Aleppo telegraph the Hahambashi requesting he intervene with the government respecting taxes for exemption for military service, on account of their precarious financial situation. The Hahambashi prevailed and the Minister of Finance telegraphed the Aleppo authorities to collect only 20% of debt Jews owed, and to release prisoners from prison who could not pay.

1916: Salonica government declares compulsory military service is now required and that all Jews over 21 cannot leave from its newly acquired provinces.

1910: New Ladino newspaper El Desperter appears in Tetuan. It is the first Jewish newspaper in Morocco.

1910: Turkish government tax sales of kosher meat by local communities. Proceeds were promised to go to philanthropic purposes. Governors of all vilayets (provinces) informed and directed to assist chief rabbis in enforcing payment.

1685: Jews in New Amsterdam petition to be allowed to worship their religion publicaly. Their wishes were not approved, because they did not, "profess faith in Christ." During this time strict Christian observance was mandatory.

1912: King of Italy makes Commanders Guido, Rava, Sforni, Mantua and Signor Sereni, Presidents of the Jewish Community at Rome, Grand Officers in the Crown of Italy.

1915: Hilfsverein der deutschen Juden was informed the inhabitants of Strumitza, fearing its occupation by Bulgarians, set fire to the town and fled. One hundred families went to Salonica and Doiran.

1909: At the request of the Hahambashi, authorities take important steps to suppress the White Slave Trade. Both Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews did have involvement with this, but when Chief Rabbi Nahum provided the Turks with lists of names for investigations, they did nothing with them.

1655: Indians had assaulted Manhattan with, "murder, robbery and fire." Public defenses which were built the year prior and ran along Wall Street were reinforced. The Jews were ordered to pay a high contribution to the fund for defense.

1847: Died at Frankfort-on-the Main, the poet Grace Aguilar at age 31. She was the oldest child of parents descended from Portuguese Marranos who sought asylum in England in the eighteenth century. A prominent poet and writer, her words graced Jewish journals around the world. She was a staunch defender of Judaism, and a Torah loving woman. "Her last words, spelled on her fingers, were, 'Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him,'"

1910: Jews of Salonica compel editors of Turkish paper that published anti-Semitic remarks to send a public retraction to every Turkish journal.

1769: Born, Benjamin Gomez in New York. The Gomez family was one of the most prominent families of all early Sephardim in America. Benjamin traced his family to Isaac Gomez who fled Spain in 1660. In New York the family were wealthy ship owners and merchants, as well as leaders in the Jewish community. Benjamin was the first Jewish bookseller in America.

1761: On the exact anniversary of the first auto-de-fe in Portugal, Gabriel Malagrida was burned alive on the Terreiro do Paço at Lisbon. He was to be the last victim burned in Portugal at any auto-de-fe.

1918: M. Politis, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announces Greek governmental approval of the suggestion by Dr. Haim Weizmann to the Greek representative in Egypt, that a volunteer military corps be developed for Palestine, from among the Jews of Salonica.

1916: Rabbis in Palestine declare that all Jews should not fast on Yom Kippur, but eat due to the epidemics which were rampant.

1943: Germans announce through their puppet Greek press that all Jews have only five days to register their names, or face a penalty of death. Christians were told if they hide Jews they would be shot.

1912: Anti-Jewish demonstrations took place in Sophia, Bulgaria in response to statements by the Chief Rabbi. Police were instructed to repress further disorders.

1943: The Chief Rabbi of Athens, Ilia Barzilai, escaped from the city disguised as a peasant. He reached Thessaly where he promoted the Greek partisans, saving some 600 Jews by smuggling them across the Aegean to Turkey. The smuggled boats and money came from the Jewish Labor Federation in Palestine.

1920: For the first time since 1492, the Spanish government formally recognizes the Jewish community, according to it all privileges of other religious bodies.

1577: The Sultan ordered a census of the Jews of Safed for the purposes of raising taxes.

1911: Oscar S. Strauss of New York City who is a member of the Hague Tribunals appeals to the United States government to extend help in establishing peace between Italy and Turkey.

1909: Both Sephardic and Ashkenazic rabbis in Jerusalem pledge to work hand in hand in the interest of the entire Jewish community. Together they found a relief committee to benefit Jewish families whose heads will be called to military service.