Today in History: Both East and West Germany ratify reunification

The following are some of the major events to have occurred on September 20:

1928 – The Grand Fascist Council became Italy’s supreme legislative body, replacing the Chamber of Deputies.

1979 – Emperor Bokassa of the Central African Empire was deposed by former President David Dako who returned the country to the status of Republic.

1990 - Both East and West Germany ratify reunification.

1998 – Malaysian police arrested sacked finance minister Anwar Ibrahim after he led demonstrators through the capital Kuala Lumpur.

1999 – Body piercer Quille Desade sets new world record with 75 body piercings.

2000 – Dutch swimmer Inge de Bruijn sets new world record in 100m freestyle.

2001 – President George W. Bush announced the creation of a cabinet-level post to oversee “homeland defence” following the Sept. 11 attacks.

2001 - In an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, US President George W. Bush declares a "war on terror".

2004 – Former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono defeated Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri in an historic direct election.

2005 – Simon Wiesenthal, who waged an untiring campaign to track down Nazi war criminals and keep alive the memory of 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust, died aged 96.

2006 – Pham Xuan An, a Vietnamese spy who worked for Time magazine and other Western news media in Saigon during the U.S. war in Vietnam, died aged 79.

2008 – At least 40 people killed in devastating trucks bomb attack on the Marriott hotel in Islamabad.

2011 – Members of the U.S. military celebrate the expiration of the U.S. military policy “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”.

(Reuters)