December 20

Friday 20, 2002:

US Senator Trent Lott resigns as majority leader.

Monday 20, 1999:

Macau is handed over to the People's Republic of China by Portugal.

Wednesday 20, 1995:

An American Airlines Flight 965 Boeing 757 crashes into a mountain 50 km north of Cali, Colombia killing 160

Wednesday 20, 1989:

Operation Just Cause: United States sends troops into Panama to overthrow government of Manuel Noriega

Tuesday 20, 1988:

The United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances is signed at Vienna.

Thursday 20, 1984:

The Summit tunnel fire is the largest underground fire in history, as a freight train carrying over 1 million litres of petrol derails near the town of Todmorden in the Pennines

Tuesday 20, 1960:

National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam is formed

Saturday 20, 1952:

United States Air Force C-124 crashes and burns in Moses Lake, Washington killing 87

Thursday 20, 1917:

Cheka, first Soviet secret police, founded

Monday 20, 1915:

Last Australian troops evacuated from Gallipoli

Thursday 20, 1860:

South Carolina becomes first state to secede from the United States

Tuesday 20, 1803:

Louisiana Purchase completed

Wednesday 20, 1522:

Suleiman the Magnificent accepts the surrender of the surviving Knights of Rhodes, who are allowed to evacuate. They eventually re-settle on Malta and become known as the Knights of Malta.

More on December, 20

• People Born on December, 20
• They left us on December, 20