- On Dec. 20, 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Dona Paz (DOHN’-yuh pahz), a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island.
- In 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union as all 169 delegates to a special convention in Charleston voted in favour of separation.
- In 2017, Cardinal Bernard Law, the disgraced former archbishop of Boston, died in Rome at the age of 86; his failure to stop child molesters in the priesthood had triggered a crisis in American Catholicism.
The Dona Paz (DOHN’-yuh pahz), a Philippine passenger liner, collided with the tanker Vector off the coast of Mindoro island on Dec. 20, 1987, killing almost 4,300 people as reported by Chicago Tribune.
On this date:
In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.
In 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union as all 169 delegates to a special convention in Charleston voted in favour of separation.
In 1864, Confederate forces evacuated Savannah, Georgia, as Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman nearly completed his “March to the Sea.”
In 1924, Adolf Hitler was released from prison after serving nine months for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch.
In 1946, the Frank Capra film “It’s A Wonderful Life,” starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, had a preview showing for charity in New York, a day before its official world premiere.
In 1963, the Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in the Eastern sector for the holidays.
In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.
In 1995, an American Airlines Boeing 757 en route to Cali, Colombia, slammed into a mountain, killing all but four of the 163 people aboard. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, NATO began its peacekeeping mission, taking over from the United Nations.
In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that homosexual couples were entitled to the same benefits and protections as wedded heterosexual couples.
In 2002, Trent Lott resigned as Senate Republican leader two weeks after igniting a political firestorm with racially charged remarks.
In 2005, a federal judge ruled that “intelligent design” could not be mentioned in biology classes in a Pennsylvania public school district, delivering a stinging attack on the Dover Area School Board.
In 2017, Cardinal Bernard Law, the disgraced former archbishop of Boston, died in Rome at the age of 86; his failure to stop child molesters in the priesthood had triggered a crisis in American Catholicism.
Ten years ago:
Lori Berenson, an American who spent 15 years in prison in Peru for assisting Marxist insurgents, arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport for the first time since her 1995 arrest. (After a 17-day visit, Berenson returned to Peru to complete the remainder of her parole; on Dec. 2, 2015, she was ejected from Peru and returned to the United States.)
Five years ago:
President Barack Obama declared the majority of US-owned Arctic Ocean waters and select sections of the Atlantic Ocean off-limits to prospective oil and gas leasing indefinitely. At least 36 people were killed when a horrific chain reaction explosion blasted through Mexico’s most well-known fireworks market on the outskirts of the city. Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon winner, was injured in her playing hand by a knife-wielding assailant at her Czech Republic residence and had surgery. (The assailant was given an 11-year sentence.)
One year ago:
The Trump campaign continued its unprecedented efforts to overturn the results of the November presidential election, filing a petition with the Supreme Court asking the court to overturn a trio of Pennsylvania Supreme Court cases involving mail-in ballots, as well as allowing the state General Assembly to choose its own slate of electors. Several European Union countries have barred flights from the United Kingdom, and others are considering doing likewise, all in an effort to prevent a new coronavirus strain sweeping southern England from establishing a firm foothold on the continent.
Birthdays:
Tommy Cole (TV’s “The Mickey Mouse Club”), the first Mouseketeer, has died at the age of 80. Walter “Wolfman” Washington, an R&B singer and guitarist, has died at the age of 78. Bobby Colomby, a rock musician and music producer, is 77 years old. Peter Criss, a rock musician, has died at the age of 76. Sonny Perdue, the former United States Agriculture Secretary, is 75 years old. Uri Geller, a psychic/illusionist, is 75 years old. Dick Wolf, the producer of “Law & Order,” is 75 years old. Alan Parsons, a rock musician, is 73 years old. Jenny Agutter is a 69-year-old actress. Michael Badalucco, an actor, is 67 years old. Blanche Baker is a 65-year-old actress. Billy Bragg, a rock singer, is 64 years old. Mike Watt (The Secondmen, Minutemen, fIREHOSE) is a 64-year-old rock singer-musician. Joel Gretsch is a 58-year-old actor. Kris Tyler, a country singer, is 57 years old. Chris Robinson, a rock vocalist, is 55 years old. Nicole DeBoer is a 51-year-old actress. Todd Phillips is a 51-year-old film director. David Cook (American Idol) is a 39-year-old singer. Jonah Hill is a 38-year-old actor. Bob Morley is a 37-year-old actor. JoJo is a 31-year-old singer. Colin Woodell is a 30-year-old actor.
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Source: Chicago Tribune
