Origins & Early Life

Eliezer Ben‑Yehuda (born Eliezer Yitzhak Perlman; 7 January 1858 – 16 December 1922) was a Jewish linguist, lexicographer, and journalist who immigrated to Jerusalem in 1881, when the Ottoman Empire ruled it. He is renowned as the lexicographer of the first Hebrew dictionary and also as the editor of Jerusalem-based HaZvi, one of the first Hebrew newspapers published in Mandatory Palestine. Ben-Yehuda was the primary driving force behind the revival of the Hebrew language. Eliezer Yitzhak Perlman (later Eliezer Ben-Yehuda) was born in Luzhki in the Vilna Governorate of the Russian Empire (now Vitebsk Oblast, Belarus) to Yehuda Leib and Tzipora Perlman, who were Chabad hasidim.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His native language was Yiddish. He was one of five siblings. He attended a Jewish elementary school (a cheder) where he studied Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible from the age of three, as was customary among the Jews of Eastern Europe. His father died during his childhood and his mother, lacking the financial means to support five children, sent him to live with his uncle David Wolfson, who was more financially secure. By the age of twelve, he had read large portions of the Torah, Mishna...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Carl Gustaf Mosander — Contemporary (Died in 1858) (1858): Pioneering Swedish chemist known for discovering rare earth elements like lanthanum.
• Eleonora Duse — Contemporary (Born in 1858) (1858): Iconic Italian tragedienne, celebrated for her profound stage conviction and artistry.
• Emmeline Pankhurst — Contemporary (Born in 1858) (1858): Pioneering British suffragette who fought for women's right to vote.
• Aage Bohr — Contemporary (Born in 1922) (1922): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• Agostinho Neto — Contemporary (Born in 1922) (1922): Angolan communist revolutionary, poet, and first President of Angola.
• Alain Resnais — Contemporary (Born in 1922) (1922): Pioneering French filmmaker exploring memory, consciousness, and narrative structure.
• Abd al-Rahman III — Shared historical date (01-07 · Born) (891): Founder of the Caliphate of Córdoba, a period of immense Islamic cultural zenith.
• Adolph Zukor — Shared historical date (01-07 · Born) (1873): Pioneering Hungarian-American film producer, co-founder of Paramount Pictures.
• Adam Riess — Shared historical date (12-16 · Born) (1969): Astrophysicist known for evidence of accelerating universe expansion via supernovae.
• Afonso de Albuquerque — Shared historical date (12-16 · Died) (1515): Portuguese general and conquistador who built the Asian Portuguese Empire.
• 1858 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1858
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• 1922 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1922
• December 16 (12-16) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 16