20 December: A look at historic events that happened on this day

Like every other day of the calendar, 20 December also has witnessed a number of major events. On this day in 1971, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became the President and Martial-Law Administrator of Pakistan following the country’s defeat in the war against India. On the same day in 1989, the US forces launched Operation Just Cause, invading Panama to overthrow dictatorial General Manuel Noriega. In 1996, the release of the American slasher film ‘Scream’ changed the dynamics of the horror genre. And lastly, on 20 December 2019, US President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

20 December- Historic Events:

Civilian rule restored in Pakistan, 1971:

On 20 December 1971, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took office as President and Martial-Law Administrator of Pakistan restoring civilian rule to the country for the first time since 1958. He replaced outgoing President Gen. Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan. The defeat of Pakistan by India in the Bangladesh Liberation War was a major factor in forcing General Yahya Khan’s resignation.

Operation Just Cause, 1989:

On 20 December 1989, the US conducted Operation Just Cause, a military invasion of Panama, in order to overthrow dictatorial General Manuel Noriega and bring him to the US to stand trial for drug trafficking and money laundering. The early attack was primarily directed at Noriega’s office in Panama City. Guillermo Endara Galimany and his two vice presidents were sworn in to lead the Panamanian government on the first day of the conflict. Although U.S. forces quickly defeated most of the organized resistance, Panamanian citizens and soldiers robbed stores in Colón and Panama City over the next few days. To regain control, 2,000 more U.S. soldiers were brought into the country.

‘Scream’ released in America, 1996:

On 20 December 1996, the American slasher movie ‘Scream’, helmed by Wes Craven, was released in theatres all across the US. High school girl Sidney Prescott (Campbell) and her classmates are the centrepiece of the plot, which takes place in the fictional Californian town of Woodsboro. Prescott and her friends become the target of a mysterious killer known as Ghostface who is clad in a Halloween mask. The movie was both critically and financially successful, generating $173 million globally and surpassing all other horror movies before Halloween’s debut in 2018.

National Defense Authorization Act, 2019:

On 20 December 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law by then US President Donald Trump. The bill established the United States Space Force as the sixth arm of the country’s armed forces. The President passed the NDAA while surrounded by senior military and defence officials at an event at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Trump, who began advocating for a space force in early 2018 and asked the Pentagon to develop a plan to implement it in June 2018, achieved a major political triumph with the creation of the Space Force.

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