On this day: August 20

1984 McDonald’s Mass Shooting Reported: 21 Dead

On August 20, 1984, a mass shooting at a McDonald’s restaurant reportedly left 21 people dead. Details about the perpetrator, motive, and official investigations are limited or disputed in available records.

Princess Anne Survives 1974 Kidnapping Attempt at Gunpoint

On 20 August 1974, Princess Anne and her husband Captain Mark Phillips were ambushed as they returned to Buckinghamshire; an assailant fired at the car and tried to seize the princess before police intervened. Anne escaped with minor injuries while the attacker was arrested and later convicted.

U.S. Launches Retaliatory Missile Strikes in 1998

On August 20, 1998, the United States carried out cruise missile strikes in retaliation for earlier attacks linked to terrorist groups; the operation targeted training camps and suspected paramilitary sites. The action reflected heightened U.S. counterterrorism responses in the late 1990s.

Chinese troops move into Beijing as student-led protests escalate

On August 20, 1989, Chinese authorities ordered People’s Liberation Army units into Beijing after weeks of student-led demonstrations pressing for political reform; the deployment marked a decisive turn in the government's response to the protests.

NASA Launches Voyager 2 Toward the Outer Planets

On August 20, 1977, NASA launched Voyager 2, a robotic spacecraft destined for a grand tour of the outer planets to study Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune and to send back unprecedented data about their atmospheres, moons and magnetic environments.