December
29

584 BCE
(10 Tevet 3175): The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar,
began his siege of Jerusalem leading to the destruction of the first Temple.
This day is commemorated as one of the “minor” fasts, lasting from
sunrise to sunset.  Of cours…

December 27

175 BCE (Tevet 3585): This day
marked the completion of the Septuagint
translation of the Bible into the Greek language. According to a letter from
Aristeas to Philocrates, 72 sages, (six from each Israelite tribe) were brought
to by Ptole…

December 24

1166: King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine gave
birth King John of England, the brother of Richard the Lionheart whom he
followed to the throne in 1199 and who was such a rapacious monarch that the
English nobles banne…

December 21

69: The
Senate acknowledged Vespasian as emperor. This marked the end of the so-called
The Year of the Four Emperors during which four individuals – Galba, Otho,
Vitellius and Vespasian – held the position of imperial leadership. &nbs…

December 17

520 BCE (24th of Kislev): “The
foundation-stone of the Temple was laid” (As reported by Jewish Encyclopedia)

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4902-darius-i

630: Modestus of Jerusalem who replaced Zacharias as
Greek Orthodox Pat…

December 16

1316:
Öljaitü, the eighth Ilkhanid dynasty ruler in Tabriz, Iran, whom the former
vizer Rashid-al-Din Hamadani the Jewish convert to Islam was found of guilty of
trying to poison, passed away today.

1431:
King Henry VI of England named Ki…

DECEMBER 7

43 BCE: The famous orator Marcus Tullius Cicero
died.  Cicero was a Patrician, member of
the Senate and opponent of Julius Caesar. 
Following Caesar’s assassination, Mark Anthony and Octavian executed
those whom they viewed as ene…