Feb. 19, 1349- The entire Jewish community in the remote German village of Saulgau was wiped out during the Black Death massacres.
1583- Joseph Sanalbo, a ger tzeddek, (convert to Judaism), was burned at the stake in Rome. In the second half of the 16th century, Jews were subject to grave Church-sponsored persecutions: Pope Julius III and Pope Clement VIII condemned the Talmud and other Hebrew writings as "obscene," "blasphemous" and "abominable" -- and ordered them all seized and burned.
Feb. 22, 1656- Jewish burial in a Jewish cemetery became legal in New Amsterdam (New York City).
Feb. 2, 1943- The surrender of the German army in Stalingrad, marked a significant turning point in World War II.