What happened on 20 December?

6 events from the Ever-When timeline, ranked by how much they mattered.

1. 1860 South Carolina secedes from the Union Six weeks after Lincoln's election — and before he has even taken office — South Carolina votes unanimously to leave the United States, citing the threat to slavery in its declarat
2. 69 Death of Vitellius As the Flavian army fights into Rome — the Capitol itself burning in the street-fighting — Vitellius is dragged from a doorkeeper's cell, paraded half-naked through the Forum he ha
3. 1999 Macao handover to China Macao returns to PRC sovereignty.
4. 1917 Lenin founds the Cheka Six weeks after taking power, the Bolsheviks create the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission — the Cheka — under Felix Dzerzhinsky, with an open licence against 'counter-revolution
5. 1955 Cardiff becomes capital of Wales Cardiff is formally proclaimed the first capital city of Wales.
6. 1915 Evacuation of Gallipoli The Allies quietly withdraw from Gallipoli, the most successful operation of the failed campaign.