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The Bar Kochba Revolt, the last vestige of Jewish resistance against occupying Roman forces, is defeated by Roman General Sextus Julius Severus under the order of Emporer Hadrian. Hundreds of Jews are killed and exiled.
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Hillel II, also known as Hillel the Prince, created the formal Hebrew calendar, altering the calendar system to one based on math instead of one baesed on lunisolar observation.
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Maimonides, the foremost commentator on Jewish scripture and author of one of the most comprehensive works on Jewish law, is born in Spain. In addition to his religious work, he was also one of the most famous physicians of the Middle Ages, authoring various works on asthma and toxicology.
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The Kingdom of Spain decides to force all non-Catholics, specifically Jews, to either convert to Catholicism or be banished from Spain, upon pain of death. Many Jews convert to Christianity in earnest, while some converted and practiced Judaism in secret. Thousands more fled the country in exile.
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Rabbi Yosef Karo, Spanish-Jewish scholar, publishes the "Code of Jewish Law," the most popular compilation of Jewish law to date, in Venice.
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Rabbi Israel Ba'al Shem Tov, founder of Hasidic Judaism, is born in Ukraine. The Hasidic movement he founded in the 18th century would eventually revive Jewish observance in Eastern Europe and whose adherents would eventually be responsible for the overwhelming revival in Jewish observance in the Western world in teh late 20th century.
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The Holocaust takes place over this period. During this 3-year span, over six million Jews were exterminated in camps throughout Eastern Europe, namely in Germany and Poland, with thousands killed by the German Army as they marched through Russia and westward into France, Belgium, and Austria.
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The modern State of Israel is created on this day after occupying British forces formally relinquish control of the area to the new Jewish government
