20th December: Today In History

Today is 20th December,  the 354 day of 2015. There are 11 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight In History;

Birthdays:

1894	Robert Menzies, Australian politician, and former Prime Minister
1926	Sir Geoffrey Howe, Former Cabinet minister; now in House of Lords
1931	Skeeter Davis, Country singer
1934	Charles Bebeye Ndiomu, retired major-general. He was director- general, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Nigeria
1946	Lesley Judd, TV presenter, and one time 'Blue Peter' member
1946	Uri Geller, Israeli born psychic/illusionist
1957	Bo Derek, Actress, and Hollywood sex symbol
1957	Billy Bragg, English folk/rock singer

Events:

1860	South Carolina seceded from the American Union, and joined the Confederacy
1915	90,000 British, Australian and New Zealand troops were evacuated from Gallipoli, after being defeated by the Turks
1933	Fred Astaire's first film, with Ginger Rogers as his partner, was premiered in New York
1954	The English author of the classic book 'Goodbye Mr Chips', James Hilton, died in California
1968	Prize winning author, John Steinbeck, died in New York ('Grapes of Wrath' & 'Of Mice And Men')
1980	Religious fundamentalists cause disturbances in Kano municipality leading to the death of hundreds of residents. They are led by Mohammed Marwa (Maitatsine)
1982	Artur Rubinstein, the renowned American concert pianist, died in Geneva, aged 95
1985	A plot to overthrow the government of President Babangida is uncovered. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Major-General Mamman Vatsa, is later identified as one of the plotters.
1990	Eduard Shevardnadze resigned as Soviet foreign minister
1997	General Diya and some senior military officers are arrested for an alleged coup plot.