December 20

Events

 * -, a former general under , enters to claim the title of.
 * - was captured and imprisoned by  of  on his way home to England after signing a treaty with  ending the.
 * - accepts the surrender of the surviving, who are allowed to evacuate.  They eventually re-settle on  and become known as the.
 * - The loaded three ships with settlers and set sail to establish, the first permanent  settlement in the Americas
 * - completed at a ceremony in.
 * - First signing of the at.
 * - becomes the first state to  from the.
 * - : Last n troops evacuated from.
 * -, first secret police, founded.
 * - : First battle of the, better known as the "Flying Tigers" in.
 * - : Bombing of by the Japanese.
 * - Nuclear power first harvested when powers four light bulbs.
 * -  crashes and burns in,  killing 87.
 * - was proclaimed as the capital city of ,
 * - is formed.
 * - The Spanish, , is assassinated by a  attack in
 * - The first ever on-stage of the award-winning    at  on.
 * - The is the largest underground fire in history, as a freight train carrying over 1 million litres of petrol derails near the town of  in the.
 * - The is signed at.
 * - : United States sends troops into to overthrow government of.
 * - becomes the 24th.
 * 1991  - A Missouri court passes the  on Palestinian militant  and his wife Maria for the  of their daughter Palestina.
 * - begins peacekeeping in.
 * 1995  - An    crashes into a mountain 50 km north of,  killing 160.
 * 1995  - The  is founded in.
 * - American astronomer and Astrophysicist dies at age 62.
 * - merges with, starting the path to.
 * 1999  -  is handed over to the  by.
 * - :  is forced out of office.
 * - US Senator resigns as.
 * - : 's Local 100 goes on strike, shutting down all  and  services.
 * 2005  -  Judge  ruled against mandating teaching "intelligent design" in his ruling of.
 * - A rules against the  in the case of, a man convicted in the shooting death and injuries at the  in.

Births

 * -, French (d. )
 * - King (d. )
 * -, English Baptist preacher (d. )
 * - (baptized), English playwright (d. )
 * -, German statesman (d. )
 * -, Dutch painter (d. )
 * -, French statesman and diplomat (d. )
 * -, Italian composer (d. )
 * -, French painter (d. )
 * -, American physician (d. )
 * -, English schoolmaster, theologian, and author (d. )
 * -, French pacifist, recipient of the (d. )
 * -, English entertainer (d. )
 * -, Slovenian painter (d. )
 * -, American socialite and interior decorator (d. )
 * -, American automobile pioneer (d. )
 * -, baseball executive (d. )
 * -, American tennis player (d. )
 * -, American baseball figure (d. )
 * -, French-born actress (d. )
 * 1890  -, Czech chemist,  laureate (d. )
 * - Sir, twelfth (d. )
 * -, American actress (d. )
 * -, American physicist and inventor (d. )
 * -, American philosopher (d. )
 * 1902  -, Duke of Kent (d. )
 * -, baseball player (d. )
 * -, musician (d. )
 * -, Indian politician (d. )
 * -, American author
 * -, Quebec union leader
 * -, American-born physicist, philosopher, and neuropsychologist (d. )
 * -, French Canadian and politician (d. )
 * 1918  -, American actress
 * -, American film director (d. )
 * 1922  -, American sculptor and painter
 * -, Canadian politician and broadcaster (d. )
 * -, Italian footballer (d. )
 * 1925  -, Prime Minister of Malaysia
 * - Sir, British politician
 * 1926  -, German politician
 * -, American film actress (d. )
 * -, U.S. Senator
 * 1933  -, Belgian cyclist
 * -, American composer
 * -, American musician
 * -, American drummer and singer
 * -, Israeli psychic
 * 1946  -, American actor (d. )
 * 1946  -, American television series creator
 * -, Italian singer
 * -, British music producer and artist
 * -, Malian politician
 * 1949  -,  player
 * -, French musician
 * 1951  -, Scottish novelist and scriptwriter
 * -, English actress
 * -, American actor
 * 1954  -, American writer
 * -, German-born Australian musician
 * -, Japanese professional wrestler
 * -, English singer and songwriter
 * 1957  -, American bassist
 * 1957  -, leading British organ expert (d. )
 * 1957  -, American actress
 * 1957  -, Greek-Cypriot singer
 * -, American political commentator
 * -, Canadian writer
 * -, Duchess of Lugo
 * -, American football player
 * -, British Race Driver
 * 1966  -, American singer
 * 1966  -, Swedish singer
 * -, Austrian racing driver
 * 1968  -, British comedian
 * 1968  -, British racing driver
 * -, Canadian actress
 * -, Mexican/American drummer for Fear Factory, producer, entrepreneur
 * -, National Hockey League forward
 * -, Japanese musician
 * -, Polish footballer
 * 1975  -, Italian film director
 * 1975  -, Mexican model
 * -, Korean actor
 * 1976  -, American baseball player
 * 1976  -, Neopets creator
 * 1976  -, world traveler and Dutch author
 * -, Canadian rapper
 * -, Cameroon footballer
 * 1978  -, Russian hockey player
 * -, Australian cyclist
 * -, English footballer
 * 1980  -, French-Portuguese footballer
 * -, American football player
 * 1981  -, American baseball player
 * -, baseball player
 * -, American actor
 * 1983  -, Dutch model
 * 1983  -, British model
 * -, Greek judoka
 * - American pop/R&B Singer
 * - American pop/R&B Singer

Deaths

 * - King
 * -, wife of (b. )
 * -, Serb king and tsar (b. circa )
 * -, Italian poet
 * -, English scholar and physician
 * -, Flemish composer
 * -, French physician (b. )
 * - of China (b. )
 * - (b. )
 * -, English military officer and statesman (b. )
 * -, Italian poet (b. )
 * -, Spanish composer (b. )
 * -, Shoshone guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition
 * -, Argentine-French cyclist (b. )
 * -, German general (b. )
 * -, 7th (b.)
 * -, Australian soldier (b. )
 * -, German general (b. )
 * -, Russian poet (b. )
 * -, American author (b. )
 * -, Argentine neuroscientist and Public Health minister (b. )
 * -, American dramatist (b. )
 * 1961  -, eleventh  (b. )
 * -, American writer, laureate (b. )
 * -, (assassinated) (b. )
 * 1973  -, American singer (b. )
 * -, French composer (b. )
 * -, Mayor of Chicago (b. )
 * -, Polish-born pianist (b. )
 * -, Venezuelan player (b. )
 * -, baseball player (b. )
 * -, Canadian television pioneer, president of the (b. )
 * -, German bass (b. )
 * -, French chef (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, American astronomer and writer (b. )
 * -, English-born poet (b. )
 * 1997  -, Japanese actor and director (b. )
 * 1997  -, American film producer (b. )
 * -, American actress (b. )
 * 1998  -, British scientist, recipient of the  (b. )
 * -, Canadian singer (b. )
 * 1999  -, Italian film director (b. )
 * -, Bangladesh statesman, politician, and philanthropist (b. )
 * -, American actor and comedian (b. )
 * 2001  -, first  (b. )
 * -, member of the first n team to
 * 2001  -, first  (b. )
 * -, member of the first n team to

Holidays and observances

 * - Saint, ,