News and Events From December 20th

Panama 1989 Panama Operation ( Just Cause ) December 20th, 1989 : President George Bush launches Operation Just Cause and has sent US forces into the Central American country of Panama in a bid to oust dictator Manuel Noriega

Turkey 1900 Turkey Women's Role In Turkey December 20th, 1900 : Abdul Homid, leader of Turkey would have liked to see women in his country secluded, but they were getting less so. Turkish women were often more educated than the men and the best Turkish newspaper was edited by females, some of who are authors.

Switzerland 1929 Switzerland Banking Headquarters December 20th, 1929 : A large Swiss palace, built in 1783 along the Louis XVI style, was to become the new quarters of the Bank of International Settlements. Bankers and officials decided on this location after a meeting in Baden-Baden. Find More What happened in 1929

Greece 1933 Greece Samuel Insull December 20th, 1933 : Chicago business mogul, Samuel Insull was no longer welcome in Greece after January 31. Insull was a fugitive from U.S. justice. He was wanted on charges of embezzlement and his passport had been cancelled by Washington.

Germany 1945 Germany Nuremburg Trials December 20th, 1945 : At Nuremburg, Nazi doctors and soldiers were charged with cruel and bizarre torture of concentration camp prisoners. Experiments such as shooting poison bullets through the prisoners’ legs and oxygen deprivation of prisoners were only a few of the atrocities that were committed. Seven hundred and fifty thousand SS soldiers faced criminal charges for their participation in torturing victims.

U.S. 1957 U.S.A. Elvis Presley December 20th, 1957 : Elvis Presley receives his draft notice for the United States Army on December 20th.

U.S. 1957 U.S.A. Rockets In Europe December 20th, 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.

Germany 1963 Germany Berlin Wall Opened For 1 Day Passes December 20th, 1963 : 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

Thailand 1966 Thailand Female Writer December 20th, 1966 : 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.

U.S. 1968 U.S.A. Zodiac Killer December 20th, 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"

Spain 1973 Spain Terrorists Kill Prime Minister December 20th, 1973 : 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

Saudi Arabia 1978 Saudi Arabia Oil Price Increase December 20th, 1978 : 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.

UK 1979 England Right To Buy Council Houses December 20th, 1979 : 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.

Philippines 1987 Philippines Ferry Accident December 20th, 1987 : 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.

Germany 1987 West Germany US Dollar December 20th, 1987 : 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.

Nigeria 1990 Nigeria Lagos Worst City In The World December 20th, 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.

UK 1995 England Charles and Diana Divorce December 20th, 1995 : The Queen urges the Prince and Princess of Wales to seek "an early divorce".

Bosnia and Herzegovina 1995 Bosnia Peacekeeping December 20th, 1995 : U.S. Admiral Leighton Smith, commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) assumes peacekeeping duties in Bosnia

U.S. 1999 U.S.A. Vermont Gay Rights December 20th, 1999 : 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.

U.S. 2005 U.S.A. Transit Strike New York December 20th, 2005 : 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 ).

Libya 2006 Libya HIV December 20th, 2006 : 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.

United States 2007 United States American World War I veteran December 20th, 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 on December 20th 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.
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United States 2011 United States US Rated Most Charitable Country in 2011 20th December, 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.