On November 3rd, , Panama declared independence with US protection. Work started on the Panama Canal shortly afterward, and it was complete by The Panama Canal was the greatest single engineering feat in history. And despite cutting through Panama, it was all American. It stretched alongside the length of the canal for five miles either side, only excluding Panama City and Colon on each entrance.
Residents of the Canal Zone worked for the military or for the canal administration. In , the situation reached a boiling point when 27 students died during a protest against the US presence in Panama. This led to a crackdown by the Panamanian military which in turn led to dictatorship when Omar Torrijos took over the country.
Torrijos, despite taking over with the approval of the Americans, was instrumental in working with Jimmy Carter in the s to work out a deal where Panama would one day take over the control of the Canal. It also guaranteed that all US troops would leave the country. Torrijos died in a plane crash in , still buoyant after his treaty with Carter.
One of his proteges, Colonel Manuel Noriega, filled the power vacuum. There was a point where the US considered reneging on the Torrijos-Carter treaty. Noriega, operating behind puppet presidents that he installed through rigged elections, enriched himself through drug trafficking while working for the CIA to destabilize Nicaragua and other left-leaning Central American countries.
By the late 80s Noriega had become a major embarrassment to the United States. President George H. Bush, a former CIA chief, decided to take him out. The Panamanian economy was in ruins after years of sanctions and the people were in open protest. On December 20th, , Operation Just Cause began. Noriega himself took refuge in the Vatican City Embassy, where he surrendered on January 3rd, He was immediately flown to Miami to face drug trafficking charges.
Work began on rebuilding the economy and preparing for the handover of the Canal in Since January 1st, , Panama has been in full control of its own destiny for the first time since independence. It finally owns and operates the canal that runs through its territory, and that gave it its independence.
Laika survived for a few hours as a passenger in the Several others were wounded in what became known as the Greensboro massacre. Members of the Communist On November 3, , residents of the District of Columbia cast their ballots in a presidential election for the first time.
They went on Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. President Richard Nixon goes on television and radio to call for national solidarity on the Vietnam War effort and to gather support for his policies; his call for support is an attempt to blunt the renewed strength of the antiwar movement. Pledging that the United States was On November 3, , the Chicago Tribune jumps the gun and mistakenly declares New York Governor Thomas Dewey the winner of the previous days' presidential race against incumbent Harry S.
Authorities almost catch the California bandit and infamous stagecoach robber called Black Bart; he manages to make a quick getaway, but drops an incriminating clue that eventually sends him to prison—a handkerchief with a laundry mark.
Black Bart was born Charles E. Thackeray was born in Calcutta in As a young man, he attended Cambridge but left without a degree, then drifted In one of the most crushing victories in the history of U. With a plethora of deserted islands, chilled Caribbean vibes on one side and monster Pacific swells on the other, Panama sits poised to deliver the best of beach life. And a whole other world begins at the water's edge. Seize it by scuba diving with whale sharks in the Pacific, snorkeling the rainbow reefs of Bocas del Toro or setting sail in the indigenous territory of Guna Yala, where virgin isles sport nary a footprint.
Meanwhile, surfers will be psyched to have world-class breaks all to themselves. Hello, paradise. Panama City is culturally diverse and driven, rough-edged yet sophisticated. And there's much that's new or improved. Central America's first subway is operating, the historic Casco district has been beautifully restored and a massive canal expansion completed. Take in the city's funky particulars. Pedal the coastal green space, explore the Casco or attend an avant-garde performance and you will realize this tropical capital isn't only about salsa: that's just the backbeat.
In Panama, nature is all about discovery.
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