The day was celebrated as an annual holiday. Tiferet Bachurim, a secret religious youth center was opened in the Kovno ghetto, 1942. The British government ordered the removal of all illegal immigrants to E. Yisrael to Cyprus, 1946. Arabs attacked Jews throughout Eretz Yisrael, among whom were students of the Yeshiva in Hebron, 1929. The date was observed as a fast day.
Tradition is that the Western Lamp never went out.
It was used to light the other lamps that were rekindled each evening. The Ner Tamid of our shuls is based on the Ner Maaravi of the Menora. He had removed the Copper Mizbei'ach from the Beit HaMikdash and replaced it with one modeled after an Assyrian altar. This was not only a desecration, but it removed the source of fire used to relight the Menora if the Ner Maaravi ever went out. Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yaakov Kuli, author of Me'Am Lo'ez, 1732.