It happened one 20 December

1963 : The Berlin Wall is opened for the first time


On December 20, 1963, for the first time, 4000 West Berlin citizens got the right to visit their families and friends in East Germany for a day. They had the chance to listen propaganda by loudspeaker throughout the day. In the following months, many one-day licenses were granted for people living on the west side of the wall.

1987 : Collision between a Ferry and a Tanker near Manila


On 20 December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz, en route to Manila, carrying more than twice the maximum capacity of passengers, while most officers were watching television and driking, collided with the tanker Victor carrying 8,000 barrels of oil. A huge explosion occured and the two ships sank rapidly. Over 4000 people were killed. Rescue arrived quickly but only found 24 survivors.

1992 : Re-election of Slobodan Milosevic


On 20 December 1992, Slobodan Milosevic was reelected president of Serbia. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had broken and the war raged in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.

1999 : Return of Macao to China


On December 20, 1999, Portugal gave Macao back to China. Macao became the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and benefits from a special political and economical system which can be compared to the one of Hong Kong.

1999 : Rights of gay couples in Vermont


On 20 December 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court declared that gay couples are entitled to have the same benefits and protections as heterosexual couples.

Quote of the day : 20 December

Boris Vian
I do not know what is beautiful, but I know what I like and I think it's more than enough.

Birthdays : 20 December

Ferdinand Buisson, French pacifist (1841)
Robert Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia (1894)
Irene Dunne, Actress (1898)
George Roy Hill, Director (1922)
Beverly Pepper, Sculptor and painter (1922)
Mahathir bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia (1925)
Kim Young-sam, President of South Korea (1927)
John Hillerman, American actor (1932)
Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank (1942)
John Spencer, Actor (1946)
Dick Wolf, TV series creator (1946)
Nicole DeBoer, Actress (1970)

They left us one 20 December

Ambroise Paré, French physician (1590)
Upendrakishore Ray, Indian writer, painter and composer (1915)
John Steinbeck, American writer (1968)
Arthur Rubinstein, Pianist (1982)
Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senegalese politician (2001)
Brittany Murphy, Actress (2009)

Tip of the Day : 20 December

Buy oysters


Oysters are a must for Christmas and New year.
There are two types: flat and hollow.
Flat oysters have been raised since Roman times. They are raised now only in Britain and in small quantities. They have a more delicate taste but are more fragile. They are numbered from 0 to 6 in the order in inverse proportion to their size.
The current hollow oysters are from the Pacific and have taken the market since the 70's. They represent 95% of production. They are numbered from 0 to 5 in the order in inverse proportion to their size.
The hollow oysters can be fine or special (those that contain more flesh).
The oyster of Marennes can be clear. That means they spent 2-3 weeks in clean water to soften the taste.
Before purchasing, you should always check the health label.
Oysters are best few days after being out of the water.
However, they should not be kept more than 10 days, not in the refrigerator, but in the cellar, in a dark place with a temperature of about 5 ° C. They must also remain tight in their basket. To prevent them to lose their water, be careful not to turn them over.

* Warning

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