On this day: December 21

Lockerbie bombing: Pan Am Flight 103 destroyed over Scotland, 270 killed

On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 aboard and 11 people on the ground; the attack led to a long international investigation, trials, and disputed responsibility.

Mass Protests Topple Romania's Communist Regime

Beginning 21 December 1989, mass protests in Romanian cities—most dramatically in Timișoara and Bucharest—escalated into a nationwide uprising that led to the collapse of Nicolae Ceaușescu's communist regime and his overthrow within days.