1357- Charles IV issued letters of protection for the Jews of Strasbourg. Two years later, mobs burned 1,000 Jews and baptized many others by force.
1622- In an effort to attract enterprising merchants with disposable capital, King Christian IV of Denmark wrote a formal letter to the Amsterdam Jewish council, inviting Jews of Portuguese descent to settle in Norway. King Christian promised religious freedom for the Jews -- an attractive safe haven as the Thirty Year War raged in central Europe.
December 12, 1941- A house to house search for Jews was conducted by the German occupation army in Paris. The purpose of the search was to arrest the Jewish intellectuals, celebrities and politicians. 1,000 Jews, including the brother of a Senator, the brother of the former Prime Minister and Jean Bernard, the son of writer Tristan Bernard, were imprisoned.
December 12, 1941- Hundreds of Jews were executed by the municipal police for running food to starving people in the ghetto of Chmielnik, Poland.
December 10, 1952- The people of Israel elected their second President - Yitzchak Ben-Zvi.