11 Adar

1434- The pope prohibited anti-Jewish sermons.

1475- Rashi, the most basic commentary on the Torah ( the Five Books of Moses), was printed for the first time, in Reggio di Calabria, Italy. In this first print, the commentary, authored in the 11th century by HaRav Shlomo Yitzchaki, was without the text of the Torah. All subsequent printings - for the next 500 years and counting - includes the text of the Torah above Rashi's commentary. This was the first time that the rounded Hebrew font was used, the font which has since become known as "Rashi Letters."

1488- The Tanach in its entirety was printed for the first time.

Feb. 16, 1799- Haifa was captured by Napoleon, which marked the greatest extent of Napoleon's conquest of Eretz Yisrael.

Feb. 10, 1881- Alexander II of Russia assassinated, 1881, ending a relatively peaceful period for the Jews. He was succeeded by Alexander III who returned to traditional Russian oppression of the Jews. Newspapers in Moscow, Kiev, and Odessa incited anti-Jewish pogroms throughout Russia beginning in 1881 and continuing until 1905, sparking mass emigration of Jews from Russia to the Western Hemisphere at more then 50,000 Jews a year until 1914. By the beginning of World War I, 2,500,000 Russian Jews had left.

March 1, 1920- Joseph Trumpeldor, killed defending Tel-Chai from an attack by its Arab neighbors.