December 20th Major News Events

1957 U.S.A. -- Rockets In Europe

1957 : The U.S. wanted defensive rockets placed in Europe by 1959 and it sought to surround the Soviet Union with missiles. Production of 1,500 missiles made cut backs in the military's home base operations. The U.S. had become nervous since the Soviet Union had placed two Sputniks in orbit.

1963 Germany -- Berlin Wall Opened For 1 Day Passes

The Berlin Wall is opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in East Berlin for the holidays

1966 Thailand -- Female Writer

A tall Chinese female writer was thrown out of the press residence in Bangkok because of her sex. Su Yu-chen was a very popular writer in Taipei. She had covered the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo and the Asian Games in Bangkok, however, she was rebuffed because she was the only female writer among 400 male reporters.

1968 U.S.A. -- Zodiac Killer

1968 : The Zodiac killer's first attributable murders David Arthur Faraday, 17, and Betty Lou Jensen, 16 are found shot and killed in Benicia, California. The Zodiac killer taunted the police during his crimes by writing to newspapers with cryptograms and identifying himself as the Zodiac Killer. He claimed 37 murders but police files indicate 5 murders. Because of his taunts and having never been bought to justice his murders have been described as "The Perfect Crime"

1973 Spain -- Terrorists Kill Prime Minister

The Spanish Prime Minister, Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, is killed in a terrorist car bomb attack in Madrid. The bomb was believed to have been planted by Basque nationalists

1978 Saudi Arabia -- Oil Price Increase

The word of the Saudi Arabian Oil Minister was questioned when the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries raised oil prices by 14.5% instead of the promised 5-10%. Stock markets were down and the government of Jimmy Carter was seen as ineffectual as the energy crisis escalated.

1979 England -- Right To Buy Council Houses

Mrs Thatcher's government will allow more than five million council house tenants in Britain the right to buy their home under new government proposals.

1987 Philippines -- Ferry Accident

The passenger ferry ( Dona Paz )collides with an oil tanker near Manila in the Philippines leaving 4,000 dead. The accident is blamed on overcrowding with the ferry carrying more than twice its stated capacity.

1987 West Germany -- US Dollar

The depreciation of the American dollar had made U.S. good like cars much more popular in West Germany and other nations. Helmut Becker, a German automobile salesman said that two years before he could not sell any U.S. cars, however this year he sold 115 and he expects that will double in 1988.

1990 Nigeria -- Lagos Worst City In The World

1990 : The Population Crisis Committee said that Lagos, Nigeria is the worst city in the world to live in, whereas the best cities to live in are Montreal, Melbourne, and Seattle-Tacoma. The best cities scored 100, but Lagos scored only 19. Half of Lago's homes are without water and electricity and only one person in 100 has a telephone. This city has a density of 5.8 persons per dwelling.

1995 England -- Charles and Diana Divorce

The Queen urges the Prince and Princess of Wales to seek "an early divorce".

1995 Bosnia -- Peacekeeping

U.S. Admiral Leighton Smith, commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) assumes peacekeeping duties in Bosnia

1999 U.S.A. -- Vermont Gay Rights

The Vermont Supreme Court ruled that homosexual couples are entitled to the same benefits and protections in the State of Vermont as wedded couples of the opposite sex.

2005 U.S.A. -- Transit Strike New York

New York City transit workers began a strike that shut down subways and buses for three days affecting millions of commuters . This was the third strike against New York City's Transit Authority in 70 years the first two were in 1966 ( 12 days ) , 1980 ( 11 days ).

2006 Libya -- HIV

In Tripoli five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian physician were charged with knowingly giving 400 children the HIV virus. The accused were sentenced to death, despite substantial proof that the children already were infected with AIDS. Europe and the U.S. were angered at the verdict, but the people of Libya cheered.

2007 United States -- American World War I veteran

2007 : The oldest American World War I veteran has died in Ohio aged 109, leaving only two known U.S. soldiers from the conflict still alive. J. Russell Coffey died according to a nursing home in the town of North Baltimore, Ohio. Mr. Coffey enlisted in the army in October 1918, about a month before the Allies and Germany agreed a ceasefire, and did not see action. Harry Landis, 108, and Frank Buckles, 106, are the other surviving U.S. veterans. More than 4.7 million Americans enlisted in the military between 1917 and 1918.

2011 United States -- US Rated Most Charitable Country in 2011

The Charities Aid Foundation rated the United States as the world's most charitable country in 2011, up from fifth place in 2010. Runners-up included The Irish Republic, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The CAF stated that in 2011 people were more likely to donate charitable acts than money due to the global economic crisis.

2012 Rwanda -- Key Genocide Organizer Sentenced

2012 : Augustin Ngirabatware was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison by a UN war crimes court after being convicted of genocide.

2013 United States -- Judge Rules Utah Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional

A US District Court judge ruled that Utah's 2004 ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, stating that it was a violation of the fourteenth amendment to the US Constitution. Same-sex couples began getting married within hours of the decision.