May 27, 1939
Just prior to the SS St. Louis departing Germany, the Cuban government changes its visa entry laws to include a payment per immigrant. Upon arrival in Cuba, the refugees are not allowed to disembark; their captain tries but fails their entry into the US. Permission to do so is denied by State Department officials. The passengers return to Germany where many are sent to Nazi work and concentration camps. The inability of Jews to emigrate from regions of distress to a safe haven is a continuous motivation for Zionists to create a state.