November 2, 1917: The Balfour Declaration

November 2, 1917: Arthur Balfour, Foreign Secretary to Prime Minister David Lloyd George of Britain, writes a letter to Walter, 2nd Baron Rothschild, a leader of the country's Jewish community, to give to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. It was published on November 9:

His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.

Whether the British government truly did "use their best endeavours," what becomes known as the Balfour Declaration was a big step forward in the process that led to the establishment and the independence of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, the day the British Mandate of Palestine ran out.

Arthur Balfour served in the House of Commons from 1874 to 1922. He had previously served as Prime Minster from 1902 to 1905, and First Lord of the Admiralty in 1915 and '16 (succeeding a young Winston Churchill). He left the House of Commons upon being named First Earl of Balfour in 1922, and served in the House of Lords for the rest of his life, until 1930.

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November 2, 1917 was a Tuesday. Baseball season was over. Football was in midweek. Hockey season hadn't started yet. And professional basketball barely existed. So there were no scores on this historic day.