This Day in History – 21 Iyar/May 1

21 Iyar

In 2449/1312 B.C.E., Bnei Yisrael received double portions of mann, on Friday; Moshe Rabbeinu informed the Bnei Yisrael of the holiness of the Shabbos (Shemos 16:22).

In 5709/1949, Kfar Chabad, the Lubavitch village located five miles south of Tel Aviv, was founded by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Harav Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, zt”l. The first settlers were mostly recent immigrants from the Soviet Union, survivors of the terrors of World War II and Stalinist oppression.

Yahrtzeiten

5543/1783, Harav Yitzchak Eizek Segal, zt”l, mechaber of Raza Meheimna

5662/1902

Harav Yaakov Yosef Hakohen Rabinowitz, zt”l

Harav Yaakov Yosef was a son of the Chessed L’Avraham of Radomsk who, in turn, was a son of the Tiferes Shlomo, zt”l, of Radomsk. He was born in 5633/1873, and was the younger brother of the Knesses Yechezkel of Radomsk.

Reb Yaakov Yosef was an oved Hashem of true stature. Despite various obstacles, he served Hashem with mesirus nefesh. In his short life he served as Rav in two towns, Breznitza and Klobitzk.

His brother the Knesses Yechezkel, zt”l, wrote a lengthy hakdamah in his sefer Emes L’Yaakov about his great mesirus nefesh for Torah and kedushah. He went on to write how beloved he was in the eyes of all the Gedolei Hador. Tzaddikim attested that he did not derive any pleasure from this world.

Unfortunately, as mentioned, Reb Yakov Yosef was not maarich yamim, and was niftar at the young age of 29. His chiddushei Torah are printed in Emes L’Yaakov.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

May 1

In 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain was created as a treaty merging England and Scotland took effect.

In 1931, New York’s Empire State Building was dedicated.

In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane over Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

In 1961, the first U.S. airline hijacking took place as Antulio Ramirez Ortiz, a Miami electrician, commandeered a National Airlines plane that was en route to Key West, Fla., and forced the pilot to fly to Cuba.

In 1963, the Coca-Cola Co. began marketing TaB, its first low-calorie beverage.

James W. Whittaker became the first American to conquer Mount Everest as he and Sherpa guide Nawang Gombu reached the summit.

In 1982, the World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tenn., was opened by President Ronald Reagan.

In 1992, on the third day of the Los Angeles riots, a visibly shaken Rodney King appeared in public to appeal for calm, pleading, “Can we all get along?”