Greek Jews were heavily affected by the Holocaust. Prior to World War II, some 72,000 to 77,000 Jews lived in Greece, around 50,000 of them in Salonica. In April 1941, Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria invaded and occupied Greece. In March 1943, more than 4,000 Jews were deported from the Bulgarian occupation zone to Treblinka extermination camp. From 15 March through August, almost all of Salonica's Jews were deported to Auschwitz concentration camp. After the Italian armistice in September 1943, Germany took over the Italian occupation zone. In March 1944, Athens and other parts of mainland Greece witnessed the deportation of their Jewish communities. In mid-1944, Jews living in the Greek islands were targeted. Around 10,000 Jews survived the Holocaust either by going into hiding, fighting with the Greek resistance, or surviving their deportation. By 1945, between 83 and 87 percent of Greek Jews had been murdered, one of the highest proportions in Europe.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust_in_Greece

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1147:

Reconquista: Portuguese troops under King Afonso I captured the city of Santarém from the Almoravids. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conquest_of_Santar%C3%A9m

1875:

John McCloskey, the archbishop of New York, was created the first cardinal from the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCloskey

1956:

The musical My Fair Lady, based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, debuted at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York City. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Fair_Lady

1990:

Iraqi authorities hanged Iranian freelance reporter Farzad Bazoft on charges of spying for Israel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farzad_Bazoft

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

notorious: 1. Senses with an unfavourable connotation. 2. Of a person or entity: generally or widely known for something negative; infamous. 3. Of an act, situation, etc.: blameworthy in an obvious and offensive way; blatant, flagrant. 4. Senses with a favourable or neutral connotation. 5. Generally or widely known; of common knowledge; famous or well-known. 6. (obsolete) 7. Clear, evident, obvious. 8. Generally or widely knowable. 9. (obsolete) Synonym of notoriously https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/notorious

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Dissents speak to a future age. It's not simply to say, "My colleagues are wrong and I would do it this way." But the greatest dissents do become court opinions and gradually over time their views become the dominant view. So that's the dissenter's hope: that they are writing not for today but for tomorrow.   --Ruth Bader Ginsburg https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg