January 16

In January 1275, Edward I allowed his mother, Queen Eleanor of Provence, to eject Jewish residents from Worcester, Marlborough, Cambridge, and Gloucester. This order followed rising tensions over moneylending debts and religious prejudices against Jews in medieval England. Families were forced to abandon homes and livelihoods, facing displacement or migration to less hostile regions. The expulsions foreshadowed the eventual nationwide expulsion of Jews from England in 1290. Surviving records reveal the social and economic upheaval experienced by Jewish communities under royal decree. The 1275 expulsion exemplifies the precarious status of minorities in medieval European societies.

Jan Palach, a 20-year-old philosophy student at Charles University, doused himself with petrol and self-immolated near Wenceslas Square. His act was intended to jolt the Czech public into resisting Soviet-imposed restrictions following the Warsaw Pact invasion. Palach’s protest sparked national mourning and inspired demonstrations, petitions, and further acts of dissent. He succumbed to his injuries three days later, becoming a symbol of sacrifice and the struggle for freedom. Across Czechoslovakia, memorials and gatherings honored his bravery, and his legacy endured through the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Palach remains an enduring emblem of resistance against oppression.