March 30- Ronald Reagan Assassination attempt.

1492   

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sign a decree expelling all Jews from Spain.

Several months after the fall of Granada an Edict of Expulsion was issued against the Jews of Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella (March 31, 1492). It ordered all Jews of whatever age to leave the kingdom by the last day of July (Tisha B'Av)), but permitted them to remove their property provided it was not in gold, silver, or money. The reason alleged for this action in the preamble of the edict was the relapse of so many "conversos," owing to the proximity of unconverted Jews who seduced them from Christianity and kept alive in them the knowledge and practises of Judaism. No other motive is assigned, and there is no doubt that the religious motive was the main one. It is claimed that Don Isaac Abravanel, who had previously ransomed 480 Jewish Moriscos of Malaga from the Catholic monarchs by a payment of 20,000 doubloons, now offered them 600,000 crowns for the revocation of the edict. It is said also that Ferdinand hesitated, but was prevented from accepting the offer by Torquemada, the grand inquisitor, who dashed into the royal presence and, throwing a crucifix down before the king and queen, asked whether, like Judas, they would betray their Lord for money. Whatever may be the truth of this story, there were no signs of relaxation shown by the court, and the Jews of Spain made preparations for exile. In some cases, as at Vitoria, they took steps to prevent the desecration of the graves of their kindred by presenting the cemetery to the municipality�a precaution not unjustified, as the Jewish cemetery of Seville was later ravaged by the people. The members of the Jewish community of Segovia passed the last three days of their stay in the city in the Jewish cemetery, fasting and wailing over being parted from their beloved dead.

The number of those who were thus driven from Spain has been differently estimated by various observers and historians. Father Mariana, in his history of Spain, claims as many as 800,000. Isidore Loeb, in a special study of the subject in the "Revue des Etudes Juives" (xiv. 162-183), reduces the actual number of emigrants to 165,000. Bern�ldez gives details of about 100,000 who went from Spain to Portugal: 3,000 from Benevente to Braganza; 30,000 from Zamora to Miranda; 35,000 from Ciudad Rodrigo to Villar; 15,000 from Miranda de Alc�ntara to Marbao; and 10,000 from Badajoz to Yelves. According to the same observer, there were altogether 160,000 Jews in Aragon and Castile. Abraham Zacuto reckons those who went to Portugal at 120,000. Lindo asserts that 1,500 families of Jewish Moriscos from the kingdom of Granada were the first to leave the country. It may be of interest to give the following estimates of Loeb's of the numbers of those who were in Spain before the expulsion and of those who emigrated to different parts of the world: see table

These estimates can possibly be regarded as a minimum; it is fairly probable that at least 200,000 fled the country, leaving behind them their dead and a large number of relatives who had been forced by circumstances to conceal their religion and to adopt Christianity. About 12,000 appear to have entered Navarre, where they were allowed to remain for a short time only. The ports of Cartagena, Valencia, and Barcelona were provided by Ferdinand with ships to take the fugitives where they would; but the Jews often found difficulty in landing, owing to disease breaking out among them while on board ship. Thus at Fez the Moors refused to receive them, and they were obliged to roam in an open plain, where many of them died from hunger. The rest returned to Spain and were baptized. Nine crowded vessels arrived at Naples and communicated pestilence. At Genoa they were only allowed to land provided they received baptism. Those who were fortunate enough to reach Ottoman Empire had a better fate, the Sultan Bayezid II was known to sarcastically send his gratitude to Ferdinand for sending him some of his best subjects, thus "impoverising his own lands while enriching his (Bayezid's)". Jews arriving in Ottoman Empire were mostly resettled in and around Selanik (Thessaloniki in Greek) and to some extent in Istanbul and Izmir.

1840    "Beau" Brummell, the English dandy and former favorite of the prince regent, dies in a French lunatic asylum for paupers.

1870    The 15th amendment, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race, passes.

1885    Texas is the last Confederate state readmitted to the Union.

1885    In Afghanistan, Russian troops inflict a crushing defeat on Afghan forces Ak Teppe despite orders not to fight.

1909    The Queensboro Bridge in New York opens. It is the first double decker bridge and links Manhattan and Queens.

1916    Mexican bandit Pancho Villa kills 172 at the Guerrero garrison in Mexico.

1936    Britain announces a naval construction program of 38 warships. This is the largest construction program in 15 years.

1941   

The German Afrika Korps under General Erwin Rommel begins its first offensive against British forces in Libya.

The Afrika Korps was formed, on February 19, 1941, after the German Armed Forces High Command (OKW) had decided to send an expeditionary force to Libya to support the Italian army, which had been routed by an Allied counteroffensive, Operation Compass. The German expeditionary force, commanded by Erwin Rommel, at first consisted only of the 5th Panzer Regiment and various other small units. These elements were organized into the 5th Light Division when they arrived in Africa in February. In the spring the 5th Light Division was joined by the 15th Panzer Division, though it did not arrive until Rommel had already re-taken most of Cyrenaica and gone back over to the defensive. At this time the Afrika Korps consisted of the two divisions plus various smaller supporting units, and was officially subordinated to the Italian chain of command in Africa (though Rommel had conducted his offensive without any authorization).

On October 1, 1941, the German 5th Light Division was redesignated as the 21st Panzer Division, still attached to the Afrika Korps.

1944    The U.S. fleet attacks Palau, near the Philippines.

1945    The Red Army advances into Austria.

1946    The Allies seize 1,000 Nazis attempting to revive the Nazi party in Frankfurt.

1950    President Harry S Truman denounces Senator Joe McCarthy as a saboteur of U.S. foreign policy.

1957    Tunisia and Morocco sign a friendship treaty in Rabat.

1972    Hanoi launches its heaviest attack in four years, crossing the DMZ.

1975    As the North Vietnamese forces move toward Saigon, desperate South Vietnamese soldiers mob rescue jets.

1981    President Ronald Reagan is shot and wounded in Washington, D.C. by John W. Hinkley Jr.

Born on March 30

1719    Sir John Hawkins, author of the first history of music.
1820    Anna Sewell, English novelist (Black Beauty).
1853    Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch impressionist artist.
1880    Sean O'Casey, Irish playwright.
1883    Jo Davidson, American sculptor.

http://www.historynet.com/tih/tih0330/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_in_Spain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Corps

1981 Ronald Reagan Assassination attempt.

Mr. Reagan and 3 others off his staff were shot  and seriously wounded by John Hinckley outside at a hotel at washington, DC

What's remarkable of this event ?

both ,the offender and the victim had a history of mental illness , but only hinckley was locked up for beeing insane !

 

Mortica, to have different perceptions is not unusual among intelligent people. Reagan , a lousy actor ,who spoke a lot of crap ,during his terms and even before, was a great cold-warrior. and to get and to be president of the usa , you need more criminal resolve then a single icelander can imagine. so ,it is allowed to asked the question ,whether they send the right one into the nuthouse .

Originally posted by ulrich von hutten Mortica, to have different perceptions is not unusual among intelligent people. Reagan , a lousy actor ,who spoke a lot of crap ,during his terms and even before, was a great cold-warrior. and to get and to be president of the usa , you need more criminal resolve then a single icelander can imagine. so ,it is allowed to asked the question ,whether they send the right one into the nuthouse .

Well, Ulrich, obviously, I was not aware of your deep-rooted ill-feelings towards Reagan or that you could be so judgmental about a man which you never even knew. Yes, we all have different perceptions, but I find that for you to insinuate him "insane" or put him in the same category as a "maniac" such as Hinckley is just ludicrous. That's my perception.

1856: Crimean War ends with the Treaty of Paris