Panama Seizes Canal: End of American Control
The United States handed over the Panama Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999, ending decades of tension after student riots in 1964 sparked a long negotiation process. This transfer granted Panama full operational control and established the Panama Canal Authority as the new manager, securing a vital revenue stream for the nation while guaranteeing the waterway's permanent neutrality.
December 31, 1999
27 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on December 31
A coalition of Vandals, Alans, and Suebians shattered the frozen Rhine, surging into Gaul to dismantle Roman authority in the West. This breach proved irreversi…
Belisarius took Syracuse without a siege. The Ostrogothic garrison saw his fleet, counted the soldiers, and simply surrendered the keys. He'd conquered the enti…
Vikings crash into Berkshire's forces at Englefield, only to stumble back toward Reading after Æthelwulf's men slaughter many Danes. This sharp defeat buys Wess…
Henry IV surrendered his crown at Ingelheim after his own son, Henry V, led a successful rebellion against him. This forced abdication ended the elder Henry’s d…
The boy emperor Tran Thai Tong took the Vietnamese throne through marriage to the last Ly monarch, ending 216 years of Ly Dynasty rule. The new Tran Dynasty wou…
The Muslim defenders had held out for three months behind Palma's walls. When they finally opened the gates on December 31, James I rode in with 16,000 men — ne…
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