Deaths on August 20

Rashid Minhas

Died on August 20, 1971

Rashid Minhas, Pakistani lieutenant and pilot (b. 1951)

Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas (Urdu: راشد منہاس NH) was a Pakistani pilot in the Pakistan Air Force. Minhas was the only PAF officer to receive the highest valour award, the Nishan-e-Haider. He was also the youngest person and the shortest-serving officer to have received this award. During the routine training mission in August 1971, Minhas attempted to gain control of his jet trainer when his superior officer Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman hijacked his plane and was trying to defect to India to join the Liberation war of Bangladesh which then crashed near the Thatta District, Sindh in Pakistan.

References

Rashid Minhas

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Events on 1971

8 Jan

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Bowing to international pressure, President of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto releases Bengali leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from prison, who had been arrested after declaring the independence of Bangladesh.
7 Jun

First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The United States Supreme Court overturns the conviction of Paul Cohen for disturbing the peace, setting the precedent that vulgar writing is protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
11 Jul

Chile
Copper mines in Chile are nationalized.
21 Sep

Bhutan
Bahrain, Bhutan and Qatar join the United Nations.
24 Nov

D. B. Cooper
During a severe thunderstorm over Washington state, a hijacker calling himself Dan Cooper (aka D. B. Cooper) parachutes from a Northwest Orient Airlines plane with $200,000 in ransom money. He has never been found.

Deaths on August 20

Rashid Minhas

Died on August 20, 1971

References

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Events on 1971

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

First Amendment to the United States Constitution

Chile

Bhutan

D. B. Cooper