1989

This article is about the year. For the 2014 album by Taylor Swift, see1989(album).For other uses, see1989 (disambiguation).

1989

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

From left, clockwise: anearthquakestrikes theSan Francisco Bay Area,killing 63 people; the proposal document for theWorld Wide Webis submitted; theExxon Valdezoil tanker runs aground inPrince William Sound,Alaska,causing a largeoil spill;thefall of the Berlin Wallbegins the downfall ofCommunisminEastern Europe,and heraldsGerman reunification;the United StatesinvadesPanamato deposeManuel Noriega;theBaltic Wayled to the independence of theBaltic statesofEstonia,Latvia,andLithuaniafrom theSoviet Union;the stands ofHillsborough StadiuminSheffield,Yorkshire,where theHillsborough disasteroccurred;students demonstrateinTiananmen Square,Beijing;many are killed by forces of theChinese Communist Party.

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century 20th century 21st century
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
Years:	1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

1989 in variouscalendars

Gregorian calendar	1989 MCMLXXXIX
Ab urbe condita	2742
Armenian calendar	1438 ԹՎ ՌՆԼԸ
Assyrian calendar	6739
Baháʼí calendar	145–146
Balinese saka calendar	1910–1911
Bengali calendar	1396
Berber calendar	2939
British Regnal year	37Eliz. 2– 38Eliz. 2
Buddhist calendar	2533
Burmese calendar	1351
Byzantine calendar	7497–7498
Chinese calendar	Mậu ThìnNăm (EarthDragon) 4686 or 4479 — to — Kỷ Tị năm (EarthSnake) 4687 or 4480
Coptic calendar	1705–1706
Discordian calendar	3155
Ethiopian calendar	1981–1982
Hebrew calendar	5749–5750
Hindu calendars
-Vikram Samvat	2045–2046
-Shaka Samvat	1910–1911
-Kali Yuga	5089–5090
Holocene calendar	11989
Igbo calendar	989–990
Iranian calendar	1367–1368
Islamic calendar	1409–1410
Japanese calendar	Shōwa64 /Heisei1 ( bình thành nguyên niên )
Javanese calendar	1921–1922
Juche calendar	78
Julian calendar	Gregorian minus 13 days
Korean calendar	4322
Minguo calendar	ROC78 Dân quốc 78 năm
Nanakshahi calendar	521
Thai solar calendar	2532
Tibetan calendar	Dương thổ long năm (male Earth-Dragon) 2115 or 1734 or 962 — to — Âm thổ xà năm (female Earth-Snake) 2116 or 1735 or 963
Unix time	599616000 – 631151999

1989(MCMLXXXIX) was acommon year starting on Sundayof theGregorian calendar,the 1989th year of theCommon Era(CE) andAnno Domini(AD) designations, the 989th year of the2nd millennium,the 89th year of the20th century,and the 10th and last year of the1980sdecade.

1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989"which ended communism inEastern Blocof Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of theBerlin Wallin November, theVelvet Revolutionin Czechoslovakia and the overthrow of the communist dictatorship in Romania in December; the movement ended in December 1991 with thedissolution of the Soviet Union.Revolutions against communist governments in Eastern Europe mainly succeeded, but the year also saw the suppression by the Chinese government of the1989 Tiananmen Square protestsinBeijing.

It was the year of the firstBrazilian direct presidential electionin 29 years, since the end of themilitary governmentin1985that ruled the country for more than twenty years, and marked the redemocratization process's final point.

F. W. de Klerkwas elected asState President of South Africa,and his regime gradually dismantled theapartheidsystem over the next five years, culminating with the1994 electionthat brought jailedAfrican National CongressleaderNelson Mandelato power.

The first commercialInternet service providerssurfaced in this year,as well as the first written proposal for theWorld Wide Weband New Zealand, Japan and Australia's first Internet connections. The first babies born afterpreimplantation genetic diagnosiswere conceived in late 1989.

Events

January

• January 1–The New York Timesdiscloses involvement ofWest Germancompany Imhausen andSalzgitter AGin building achemical weaponplant in Rabta,Libya.
• January 2–Prime MinisterRanasinghe Premadasatakes office as the thirdPresident of Sri Lanka.
• January 4–Gulf of Sidra incident (1989):TwoLibyanMiG-23 "Floggers"are engaged and shot down by two US NavyF-14 Tomcats.
• January 7–Emperor Hirohitodies;his sonAkihitois enthroned as the 125thEmperor of Japanimmediately, followed by the change in the era name fromShōwatoHeiseion the following day.
• January 10– In accordance withUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 626and theNew York Accords,Cubantroops begin withdrawing fromAngola.
• January 11– TheLexusandInfinitiluxury car brands are launched at theNorth American International Auto ShowinDetroitwith the unveiling of the 1990Lexus LSandInfiniti Q45sedans.
• January 13– FormerUgandandictatorIdi Aminis expelled toSenegalfromZaireafter using a fake Zairean passport in an attempt to return to Uganda. Amin is eventually expelled from Senegal and subsequently returns to Zaire after theSaudi governmentrefuses to allow him in Saudi Arabia.
• January 15– Thirty-five European nations, meeting inVienna,agree to strengthenhuman rightsand improve East–West trade.
• January 18–Ante MarkovićsucceedsBranko MikulićasPrime Minister of Yugoslavia.
• January 20–George H. W. Bushissworn inas the 41st President of the United States.
• January 23–24– Armed civilian leftists brieflyattack and occupyanArgentinianarmy base nearBuenos Aires.
• January 30
  • Prime Minister of CanadaBrian Mulroneyshuffleshis cabinet,appointing six new ministers and reassigning the responsibilities of nineteen others.
  • TheEmbassy of the United States, Kabul,Afghanistan, is closed; it does not reopen until late 2001.

February

• February 1– In Australia,Joan KirnerbecomesVictoria's first female Deputy Premier, after the resignation of Robert Fordham over the VEDC (Victorian Economic Development Co-operation) Crisis.
• February 2
  • Soviet–Afghan War:The lastSoviet Unionarmoured column leaves Kabul, endingnine years of military occupation since 1979.
  • Carlos Andrés Péreztakes office asPresident of Venezuela.
• February 3
  • 1989 Paraguayan coup d'état( "La Noche de la Candelaria" ): A military coup overthrowsAlfredo Stroessner,dictator ofParaguaysince1954.
  • After astroke,State President of South AfricaP. W. Botharesigns as Leader of theNational Party.
• February 5–Eurosport,amultiple-languagesports broadcasting stationinEurope,begins broadcasting, fromIssy-les-Moulineaux,Île-de-France,France.
• February 6– The Government of thePeople's Republic of Polandholds formal talks with representatives ofSolidarity movementfor the first time since1981.
• February 7– ThePeople's National Party,led byMichael Manley,wins the1989 Jamaican general election.
• February 10
  • Ron Brownis elected as Chairman of theDemocratic National Committee,becoming the firstAfrican Americanto lead a major United Statespolitical party.
  • U.S. President Bush meets Canadian Prime MinisterBrian MulroneyinOttawa,laying the groundwork for theAcid Rain Treaty of 1991.
• February 11–Barbara Harrisis the first woman consecrated as a bishop of theEpiscopal Church in the United States of America(and also the first woman to become a bishop in the worldwideAnglican Communion).
• February 14
  • Union Carbideagrees to pay $470,000,000 to the Indian government for damages in the1984Bhopal disaster,a gas leak that killed 3.7 thousand.
  • The Satanic Versescontroversy:AyatollahRuhollah Khomeini,Supreme Leader of Iran(d. June 3), issues afatwacalling for the death of Indian-born British authorSalman Rushdieand his publishers for issuing the novelThe Satanic Verses(1988).
  • The first of 24Global Positioning Systemsatellitesis placed into orbit.

Soviet unit pictured prior to their withdrawal fromAfghanistan

• February 15
  • Soviet–Afghan War:TheSoviet Unionannounces thatall of its troops have left Afghanistan.
  • Following a campaign that saw over 1,000 people killed in massive campaign-related violence, theUnited National Partywins theSri Lankan parliamentary election.
• February 16–Pan Am Flight 103:Investigators announce that the cause of the1988crash was abombhidden inside a radio-cassette player.
• February 17
  • TheArab Maghreb Union(AMU) is formed.
  • South African police raid the home ofWinnie Mandelaand arrest four of her bodyguards.
• February 20– In Canada'sYukon Territory,the rulingNew Democratsnarrowly maintain control of theYukon Legislative Assembly,winning 9 seats vs. theProgressive Conservative Party's 7.
• February 23– After protracted testimony, the U.S.Senate Armed Services Committeerejects, 11–9, President Bush's nomination ofJohn Towerfor Secretary of Defense.
• February 24
  • Thestate funeralofEmperor Shōwa(Hirohito) inTokyois attended by leaders and representatives of 160 nations.
  • The Satanic Versescontroversy:Iranplaces a $3,000,000 bounty on the head ofThe Satanic VersesauthorSalman Rushdie.
  • Singing Revolution:After 44 years, theEstonian flagis raised at thePikk Hermanntower inTallinn.
  • United Airlines Flight 811,aBoeing 747,suffersuncontrolled decompressionafter leavingHonolulu International Airport;nine passengers are blown out of the cabin to their deaths.
• February 25–27– U.S. President Bush visitsChinaandSouth Korea,meeting with China'sDeng Xiaopingand South Korea'sRoh Tae-woo.
• February 27–Venezuelais rocked by theCaracazo,a wave of protests and looting.

March

Mass demonstration at the Hungarian state television headquarters

TheExxon Valdez

• March –Polandbegins to liberalise itscurrency exchangein a move towardscapitalism.
• March 1
  • TheBerne Convention,an internationaltreatyoncopyrights,is ratified by the United States.
  • Acurfewis imposed inKosovo,where protests continue over the alleged intimidation of theSerbminority.
  • ThePolitieke Partij Radicalen,Pacifistisch Socialistische Partij,Communistische Partij Nederlandand theEvangelical People's Partyamalgamate to form the Dutch political partyGroenLinks(GL, GreenLeft).
  • After 74 years,Icelandends itsprohibition on beer;celebrated since asbjórdagurorbeer day.
• March 2– TwelveEuropean Communitynations agree to ban the production of allchlorofluorocarbons(CFCs) by the end of the century.
• March 3–Jammu Siltavuoriabducts and murders two eight-year-old girls in the Myllypuro suburb ofHelsinki,Finland.
• March 4
  • Time Inc.andWarner Communicationsannounce plans for a merger, formingTime Warner.(NowWarner Bros. Discovery)
  • ThePurley station rail crashinLondonleaves five people dead and 94 injured.
  • The firstAustralian Capital Territoryelections are held.
• March 7–Iranbreaks offdiplomatic relationswith the United Kingdom overSalman Rushdie'sThe Satanic Verses.
• March 9–Revolutions of 1989:TheSoviet Unionsubmits to the jurisdiction of theWorld Court.
• March 12–Tim Berners-Leeproduces the proposal document that will become the blueprint for theWorld Wide Web.
• March 13– Ageomagnetic stormcauses the collapse of the Hydro-Québec power grid. 6,000,000 people areleft without powerfor nine hours. Some areas in the northeastern U.S. and in Sweden also lose power, andauroraeare seen as far asTexas.
• March 14
  • Gun control:U.S. PresidentGeorge H. W. Bushbans the importation of certain guns deemed "assault weapons"into the United States.
  • GeneralMichel Aoundeclares a "War of Liberation" to ridLebanonofSyrianforces and their allies.
• March 15
  • Israelhands overTabatoEgypt,ending a seven-year territorial dispute.
  • Mass demonstrations inHungary,demanding democracy.
• March 16– TheCentral Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unionapproves agricultural reforms allowing farmers the right to lease state-owned farms for life.
• March 17
  • TheCivic TowerofPavia,built in the eleventh century, collapses.
  • Alfredo Cristianiis elected asPresident of El Salvador.
• March 20–Australian Prime MinisterBob Hawkeweeps on national television as he admits marital infidelity.
• March 22
  • Clint Malarchukof theNHLBuffalo Sabressuffers a near-fatal injury when another player accidentally slits his throat.
  • Asteroid4581 Asclepiusapproaches the Earth at a distance of 700,000 kilometres (430,000 mi).
• March 23–Stanley PonsandMartin Fleischmannannounce that they have achievedcold fusionat theUniversity of Utah.
• March 23–28– TheSocialist Republic of Serbiapasses constitutional changes revoking the autonomy of theSocialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo,triggering six days of rioting by theAlbanian majority,during which at least 29 people are killed.
• March 24–Exxon Valdez oil spill:InAlaska'sPrince William Sound,theExxon Valdezspills 240,000 barrels (38,000 m³) ofoilafter running aground.
• March 26–1989 Soviet Union legislative election:The first (and last) contested elections for theSovietparliament,Congress of People's Deputies,result in losses for theCommunist Party;the first session of the new Congress opens in late May.
• March 29– The61st Academy Awardsare held at theShrine AuditoriuminLos Angeles,withRain ManwinningBest Picture,andJodie Fosterwins her first award forBest Actress.

April

Polish Round Table Agreement

• April 1–Margaret Thatcher's newlocal governmenttax (thepoll tax) is introduced inScotland.It will be introduced inEngland and Walesthe following year.
• April 2– InSouth-West Africa,fighting erupts betweenSWAPOinsurgents and theSouth West African Policeon the day that a ceasefire was supposed to end theSouth African Border Waraccording toUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 435.ByApril 6,nearly 300 people have been killed.
• April 4– A failed coup attempt againstProsper Avril,President of Haiti,leads to a standoff between mutinous troops and the government which ends onApril 10,with the government regaining control of the country.
• April 5– The Polish Government and theSolidaritytrade unionsign an agreement restoring Solidarity to legal status, and agreeing to holddemocratic electionson June 4 (Polish Round Table Agreement), which initiates the1989 revolutionand the overthrow of communism inCentral Europe.
• April 6– National Safety Council of Australia chief executiveJohn Friedrichis arrested after defrauding investors to the tune of $235,000,000.
• April 7– TheSoviet submarine K-278Komsomoletssinks in theBarents Sea,killing 41.
• April 9
  • Tbilisi massacre:Georgiandemonstrators are massacred bySoviet Armysoldiers inTbilisi's central square during a peaceful rally; 20 citizens are killed, many injured. This causes further protests.
  • A dispute over grazing rights leads to the beginning of theMauritania–Senegal Border War.
• April 14– The U.S. government seizes the Irvine, California,Lincoln Savings and Loan Association;Charles Keating(for whom theKeating Fiveare named) eventually goes to jail, as part of the massive 1980ssavings and loan crisiswhich costs U.S. taxpayers nearly $200,000,000 in bailouts, and many people their life savings.
• April 15
  • TheHillsborough disaster,one of the biggest tragedies in Europeanfootball,claims the lives of 94Liverpool F.C.supporters in Sheffield, England, a further three dying later.
  • Hu Yaobang,the formerGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party,dies. The public reaction to his death spawned a chain of events which led to theTiananmen Square protests of 1989.
• April 17–Solidarity (Polish trade union)is once again legalised and allowed to participate in semi-free elections on June 4.
• April 19
  • Central Park jogger case:Trisha Meili is seriously assaulted and raped whilst jogging inNew York City'sCentral Park;the convictions of five teenagers for the crime arevacatedin 2002 (the jogger's identity remains secret for years, hence she is referred to as the "Central Park Jogger" ).
  • TheUSSIowaturret explodeson the U.S. battleshipIowa,killing 47 crew members.
• April 20–NATOdebates modernising short range missiles; although the US and UK are in favour, West German ChancellorHelmut Kohlobtains a concession deferring a decision.
• April 21– Students fromBeijing,Shanghai,Xi'anandNanjingbegin protesting inTiananmen Squarein Beijing.
• April 23–Zaid al-Rifairesigns asPrime Minister of Jordanin the wake of riots over government-imposed price hikes that began on April 18.
• April 25
  • Noboru Takeshitaresigns asPrime Minister of Japanin the wake of a stock-trading scandal.
  • Motorolaintroduces theMotorola MicroTACpersonal cellular telephone, the world's smallest mobile phone at this time.
• April 26
  • Sultan Azlan Muhibbudin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yusuff Izzudin Shah Ghafarullahu-lahu,SultanofPerak,becomes the 9thYang di-Pertuan AgongofMalaysia,succeedingBaginda Almutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail.
  • Zaid ibn Shakersucceeds Zaid al-Rifai as Prime Minister of Jordan.
  • TheDaulatpur–Saturia tornado,the deadliest tornado ever recorded, kills an estimated 1,300 people in theDhaka DivisionofBangladesh.
• April 27– A major demonstration occurs in Beijing as part of the1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

May

• May
  • Transhumanism:Genetic modificationof adult human beings is tried for the first time, agene taggingtrial.
  • The Soviet Union issues its firstVisa cardin a step to digitalise its banking system.
• May 1–Andrés Rodríguez,who seized power and declared himselfPresident of Paraguayduring a military coup in February, wins a landslide victory at ageneral electionmarked by charges of fraud.
• May 2
  • The first crack in theIron Curtain:Hungary dismantles 240 kilometres (150 mi) of barbed wire fencing along the border withAustria.
  • The coalition government ofPrime Minister of the NetherlandsRuud Lubberscollapses in a dispute about a pollution cleanup plan.
• May 3–Cold War:Perestroika– The firstMcDonald'srestaurant in the USSR begins construction inMoscow.It will open on January 31, 1990.
• May 4–Oliver Northis convicted in the United States on charges related to theIran–Contra affair.His conviction is vacated on appeal in 1991.
• May 9–Andrew PeacockdeposesJohn Howardas Federal Opposition Leader of Australia.
• May 10– The government ofPresident of PanamaManuel Noriegadeclares void the result of the May 7 presidential election, which Noriega had lost toGuillermo Endara.
• May 11
  • President Bush orders 1,900 U.S. troops toPanamato protect Americans there.
  • The ACT (Australian Capital Territory) Legislative Assembly meets for the first time.
• May 12–25–San Bernardino train disaster:Southern Pacific freight locomotive SP 7551 East derails in a residential area ofSan Bernardino, California,killing four and destroying seven houses. On May 25, as a direct result of the derailment, theCalnev Pipelineexplodes, killing an additional two people and destroying eleven more houses and 21 cars.
• May 14
  • Mikhail GorbachevvisitsChina,the first Soviet leader to do so sinceNikita Khrushchevin the1960s,ending theSino-Soviet split.
  • Carlos Menemwins theArgentine presidential election.
• May 15
  • Australia's first private tertiary institution,Bond University,opens on the Gold Coast.
  • The lastgolden toadis seen inCosta Rica;the species is subsequently classified as extinct.
• May 17
  • 1989 Tiananmen Square protests:More than 1,000,000 Chinese protesters march throughBeijingdemanding greater democracy, leading to a crackdown.
  • In StuttgartNapoliofDiego Maradonawins the Uefa Cup.
• May 19
  • 1989 Ürümqi unrest:UyghurandHuiMuslim protesters riot in front of the government building inÜrümqi,China.
  • 1989 Tiananmen Square protests:Zhao Ziyangmeets the demonstrators inTiananmen Square.
  • Ciriaco De Mitaresigns asPrime Minister of Italy.
• May 20–1989 Tiananmen Square protests:The Chinese government declares martial law in Beijing.
• May 21:Bombing near Keserwan by Kataeb Regulatory Forces, 9 Syrians soldiers killed.
• May 24
  • Milanof Italy wins theEuropean CupbeatingSteaua Bucureștiof Romania 4–0 inBarcelona.
  • Assassinations of Jeffrey Brent Ball and Todd Ray Wilson:A terrorist organization,Zarate Willka Armed Forces of Liberation,kills two Americanmissionariesofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsas they return to their apartment, inLa Paz, Bolivia.
• May 25– TheCalgary Flamesdefeat theMontreal Canadiensfour games to two to win the franchise's firstStanley Cupin ice hockey.
• May 26–Arsenal F.C.defeatLiverpool F.C.by 2 goals to nil atAnfield,in the final game of the season, to win theFootball League First Division.
• May 29
  • Amidfood riots and lootingset off by inflation, the Government of Argentina declares a nationwide state of siege.
  • 1989 Tiananmen Square protests:The 10 metres (33 ft) highGoddess of Democracystatue is unveiled inTiananmen Squareby student demonstrators.
  • NATO agrees to talks with the Soviet Union on reducing the number of short-range nuclear weapons in Europe.
  • An attempted assassination of Miguel Maza Marquez, director of theDepartamento Administrativo de Seguridad(DAS) inBogotá,Colombiais committed by members of theMedellín Cartel,who kill four and injure 37.
• May 31– Six members of the guerrilla groupRevolutionary Movement Tupac Amaru(MRTA) of Peru, shoot dead eight gay and transgender people in the city ofTarapoto.

June

Main article:June 1989

• June 1–10– PopeJohn Paul IIvisitsNorway,Iceland,Finland,DenmarkandSweden.
• June 2–Sōsuke UnosucceedsNoboru TakeshitaasPrime Minister of Japan.
• June 3– The world's firsthigh-definition television(test) broadcasts commence in Japan, inanalogue.
• June 4
  • 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre:A violent military crackdown takes place on pro-democracy protesters inTiananmen Square,Beijing.
  • 1989 Polish legislative election:Solidarity's victory in the first roundis the first of many anti-communistrevolutions of 1989inCentralandEastern Europe.
  • 1989 Iranian Supreme Leader election:Ali Khameneiis electedSupreme Leader of Iranafter announcing the death ofRuhollah Khomeinithe day before.
  • Ufa train disaster:Anatural gasexplosion nearUfa,Russia kills 575 as two trains passing each other throw sparks near a leaky pipeline.
• June 5
  • 1989 Tiananmen Square protests:An unknown Chinese protester, "Tank Man",stands in front of a column of military tanks onChang'an Avenuein Beijing, temporarily halting them, an incident which achieves iconic status internationally through images taken by Western photographers.
  • State funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini:Eight people are killed and hundreds injured in ahuman crushduring the viewing of the body of Iranian leaderAyatollah Khomeiniat theMusallain Tehran, two days after his death at the age of 89 inTehran.
• June 6– State funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini: The Ayatollah Khomeini's first funeral inTehranis aborted by officials after a large crowd storms the funeral procession, nearly destroying Khomeini's wooden casket in order to get a last glimpse of his body. At one point, his body almost falls to the ground, as the crowd attempt to grab pieces of the death shroud. The Ayatollah's body has to be returned for the burial preparations to be repeated, before being brought back to the cemetery a few hours later.
• June 7–Surinam Airways Flight 764crashes inParamaribo,Suriname,killing 176.
• June 8– The wreck ofGerman battleshipBismarck,which was sunk in1941,is located about 600 miles (970 km) west ofBrest, France.
• June 15– At the1989 Irish general election,Fianna Fáil,led byTaoiseachCharles Haughey,fails to win a majority.
• June 16– A crowd of 250,000 gathers atHeroes SquareinBudapestfor the historic reburial ofImre Nagy,the former Hungarian Prime Minister who had been executed in1958.
• June 18– In thefirst Greek legislative election of the year,thePanhellenic Socialist Movement,led byPrime Minister of GreeceAndreas Papandreou,loses control of theHellenic Parliament.
• June 22
  • British police arrest 260 people celebrating thesummer solsticeatStonehenge.
  • TheUniversity of LimerickandDublin City Universityare raised to the status of universities, the first established in Ireland since independence in1922.
• June 24–Jiang ZeminbecomesGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.
• June 30–1989 Sudanese coup d'état:A military coup led byOmar al-Bashirousts the civilian government ofPrime Minister of SudanSadiq al-Mahdi.

July

• July 2–Andreas Papandreou,Prime Minister of Greece,resigns; a new government is formed underTzannis Tzannetakis.
• July 5
  • State President of South AfricaP. W. Bothameets the imprisoned 70-year-oldNelson Mandelaface-to-face for the first time.
  • The television sitcomSeinfeldpremieres in the United States.
• July 6– TheTel Aviv–Jerusalem bus 405 suicide attack,the firstPalestiniansuicide attackonIsrael,takes place.
• July 8– 110 Furs representatives, 110 Arabs, and 21 mediators signed a Reconciliation Agreement inal-Fashir.End of theWar of the TribesinSudan.
• July 9–12– U.S. PresidentGeorge H. W. Bushtravels toPolandandHungary,pushing for U.S. economic aid and investment.
• July 10– Approximately 300,000Siberiancoal miners go on strike, demanding better living conditions and less bureaucracy; it is the largest Soviet labour strike since the 1920s.
• July 12
  • In theRepublic of Ireland,theTaoiseachCharles Haugheyreturns to power after Fianna Fáil forms a coalition with theProgressive Democrats.
  • Lotte World,a major recreation complex inSeoul,South Korea,is opened to the public, containing the world's largest indoor amusement park.
• July 14– France celebrated the 200th anniversary of theFrench Revolution,notably with a monumental show on theChamps-Élyséesin Paris, directed by French designerJean-Paul Goude.PresidentFrançois Mitterrandacted as host for invited world leaders.
• July 14–16– At the15th G7 summit,leaders call for restrictions on gas emissions.
• July 17
  • TheNorthrop Grumman B-2 Spiritstealth bombermakes its first flight, in the United States.
  • Holy See–Poland relations:Poland and theVaticanre-establish diplomatic relations after approximately fifty years.
• July 18– ActressRebecca Schaefferis murdered by an obsessed fan, leading to stricter stalking laws in California.
• July 19
  • 1989 Polish presidential election:TheNational Assembly of the Republic of Polandelects GeneralWojciech Jaruzelskito the restored and powerful post ofPresident of Poland.
  • United Airlines Flight 232(Douglas DC-10) crashes inSioux City, Iowa,killing 112; 184 on board survive.
  • The first national park in the Netherlands is established onSchiermonnikoog.
• July 20–Burmeseopposition leaderAung San Suu Kyiis placed under house arrest. She is released in2010.
• July 23
  • 1989 Japanese House of Councillors election:Japan's rulingLiberal Democratic Partyloses control of theHouse of Councillors,the LDP's worst electoral showing in 34 years, leading to Prime Minister Uno announcing he will resign to take responsibility for the result.
  • Giulio Andreottitakes office asPrime Minister of Italy.
• July 26– A federalgrand juryindictsCornell UniversitystudentRobert Tappan Morrisfor releasing acomputer virus,making him the first person to be prosecuted under the United States'1986Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
• July 27– In the largest prison sentence to date, Thai financial scammer MaeChamoy Thipyasoand her accomplices are each sentenced to 141,078 years in prison.
• July 28– At theIranian presidential election,electors overwhelmingly electAkbar Hashemi RafsanjaniasPresident of Iranand endorse changes to theConstitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran,increasing the powers of the president.
• July 31
  • InLebanon,Hezbollahannounces that it has hangedU.S. MarineLt. Col.William R. Higginsin retaliation for Israel's July 28 kidnapping of Hezbollah leaderAbdel Karim Obeid.The same day, theUnited Nations Security CouncilpassesUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 638,condemning the taking of hostages by both sides in the conflict.
  • Nintendoreleases theGame Boyportable video game system in North America.

August

Voyager 2atNeptune

• August –Gazprom,anenergyproduction and sales organization inRussia,becomesstate-run enterprise,changing from the SovietMinistry of Gas Industry.
• August 2–Pakistanis readmitted to theCommonwealth of Nationsafter leaving it in1972.
• August 5–Jaime Paz Zamorais electedPresident of Bolivia,taking office the next day.
• August 7
  • U.S. RepresentativeMickey Leland(D-TX) and fifteen others die in a plane crash inEthiopia.
  • The presidents of five Central American countries agree that the U.S.-backedcontrasfighting the government ofNicaraguashould be disbanded and evicted from their bases inHondurasby December 5.
• August 8
  • Prime Minister of New ZealandDavid Langeresigns for health reasons and is replaced byGeoffrey Palmer.
  • STS-28:Space ShuttleColumbiatakes off on a secret five-day military mission.
• August 9
  • Toshiki Kaifubecomes Prime Minister of Japan.
  • Theasteroid4769 Castaliais the first directly imaged byradarfromArecibo Observatory.
  • TheFinancial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989,a measure to rescue the United Statessavings and loanindustry is signed into law by President Bush, launching the largest federal rescue to date.
• August 10– United States Army GeneralColin Powellbecame the first Black Chairman of theJoint Chiefs of Staffafter being nominated by President Bush.
• August 13–1989 Alice Springs hot air balloon crash:An accident nearAlice Springs,Australiakills thirteen people.
• August 15– P. W. Botha resigns asState President of South AfricaandF. W. de Klerkbecomes the seventh and final holder of this office under this style.
• August 18– LeadingColombianpresidential hopefulLuis Carlos Galánis assassinated nearBogotá.
• August 19
  • Polish presidentWojciech Jaruzelskinominates Solidarity activistTadeusz Mazowieckito bePrime Minister,the first non-Communist in power in 42 years.
  • ThePan-European Picnic,a peace demonstration, is held at the Austro-Hungarian border.
• August 19–21– In response to the murder of a judge, a provincial police chief, and presidential candidate Galán, the authorities ofColombiaarrest 11,000 suspectedColombian drug traffickers.
• August 20
  • InBeverly Hills, California,Lyle and Erik Menendezshoot their wealthy parents to death in the family's den.
  • Marchionessdisaster:Fifty-one people die when a pleasure boat collides with adredgeron theRiver Thamesadjacent toSouthwark Bridgein London.
• August 21– The 21st anniversary of the crushing of thePrague Springis commemorated by a demonstration in the city.

Baltic Wayin Estonia

• August 23
  • Singing Revolution:Two million indigenous people ofEstonia,LatviaandLithuaniajoin hands to demand freedom and independence fromSoviet occupation,forming an uninterrupted 600 km human chain called theBaltic Way.
  • Hungary removes border restrictions with Austria.
  • 1989 Australian pilots' dispute:All of Australia's 1,645 domestic airline pilots resign over an airline's move to dismiss and sue them over a wage dispute.
  • Murder of Yusef Hawkinsin a shooting in theBensonhurstsection ofBrooklyn,New York, sparking racial tensions betweenAfrican AmericansandItalian Americans.
• August 24
  • Colombia's cocaine traffickers declare "total and absolute war" against the government and begin a series of bombings and arson attacks.
  • Indonesia's first commercial television network,RCTI(stands forRajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia), is established, and went on air for the first time.
  • Tadeusz Mazowieckiof Solidarity is elected Prime Minister of Poland.
• August 25–Voyager 2makes its closest approach toNeptuneand its largest moonTriton.
• August 31– In the aftermath of theChadian–Libyan conflictof 1978–87, representatives ofLibyaandChadagree to let theInternational Court of Justicedetermine ownership of theAouzou Strip,which has been occupied by Libya since 1973.

September

• September 6
  • 1989 South African general election,the last held under theapartheid system,returns theNational Partyto power with a much-reduced majority.
  • In the1989 Dutch general election,theChristian Democratic Appeal,led byRuud Lubberswins 54 seats, and is ultimately able to form a government on November 7 after entering into coalition with theLabour Party.
• September 7– Representatives of the government ofEthiopiaandEritreanseparatistsmeet inAtlanta,with former U.S. PresidentJimmy Carterattempting to broker a peace settlement.
• September 8–Partnair Flight 394flies past anF-16 Fighting Falconon its way home, then theConvair 580rolls upside down and falls in theNorth Sea.
• September 10– The Hungarian government opens the country's western border (with Austria) to refugees fromEast Germany.
• September 10–11– Norway's rulingLabour Partyloses eight seats in the parliamentary elections, its worst showing since 1945.
• September 14
  • An agreement of co-operation betweenLeningrad Oblast(Russia) andNordlandCounty (Norway) is signed in Leningrad, by Chairmen Lev Kojkolainen andSigbjørn Eriksen.
  • Standard Gravure shooting:Joseph T. Wesbecker, a pressman on disability for mental illness, enters his former workplace inLouisville, Kentucky,kills eight people and injures twelve before committing suicide after a history of suicidal ideation.
• September 17–22–Hurricane Hugodevastates theCaribbeanand thesoutheastern United States,causing at least 71 deaths and $8,000,000,000 in damages.
• September 18–Alleged coup attemptinBurkina Fasoby military officials foiled.
• September 19
  • TheCatholic Churchcalls for removal of theCarmeliteconventlocated near the formerAuschwitz concentration camp,whose presence has offended some Jewish leaders.
  • UTA Flight 772explodes overNiger,killing all 171 people on board (theIslamic Jihad Organizationclaims responsibility).
  • Burkinabé ministersJean-Baptiste Boukary LinganiandHenri Zongoexecuted following their arrest the previous day.
• September 20–F. W. de Klerkis sworn in as the seventh and lastState President of South Africa.Soon afterwards he determines to suspend theSouth African nuclear weapons program.
• September 22
  • 1989 Deal barracks bombing:An IRA bomb explodes at theRoyal MarineSchool of Music inDeal, Kent,United Kingdom, leaving 11 people dead and 22 injured.
  • Doe v. University of Michigan:A Michigan court rules against thehate speechlaw at the University of Michigan, claiming it unconstitutional.
• September 23
  • A cease-fire in theLebanese Civil Warstops the violence that had killed 900 people since March.
  • NintendoCompany Ltd. celebrates its 100th anniversary.
• September 26–Vietnamannounces that it has withdrawn the last of its troops from theState of Cambodia,ending an eleven-year occupation.
• September 27
  • The constitutional amendments were approved by Assembly ofSocialist Republic of Sloveniawhich changed the anthem fromNaprej zastava slavetoZdravljicaandLeague of Communists of Sloveniaended the monopoly power and reintroducedParliamentary democracyto the republic.
• September 30
  • Nearly 7,000 East Germans who had come toPragueon special refugee trains are allowed to leave for the West.
  • TheSenegambia Confederationis dissolved over border disagreements.

October

ThePhillips disaster

• October –Cold War:Perestroika–Nathan's Famousopens a hot dog stand in Moscow.
• October 1–Civil unionbetween partners in asame-sex relationshipbecomeslegal in Denmarkunder a law enacted onJune 7,the world's first such legislation.
• October 3
  • Acoup attemptis foiled byManuel Noriega,military leader of Panama.
  • The government ofEast Germanycloses the country's border withCzechoslovakiato prevent further emigration to the West.
• October 5– TheDalai Lamawins theNobel Peace Prize.
• October 7
  • ThecommunistHungarian Socialist Workers' Partyvotes to reorganise itself as asocialistparty, to be named theHungarian Socialist Party.
  • The first mass demonstration against the Communist regime in the GDR begins inPlauen,East Germany,the beginning of a series of mass demonstrations in the whole GDR which ultimately leads to the reunification of Germany in 1990.
• October 9
  • An official news agency in theSoviet Unionreports thelanding of a UFOinVoronezh.
  • InLeipzig,East Germany,more than 50,000 protesters demand the legalisation of opposition groups and democratic reforms, the largest demonstration in the country since the uprising of 1953.
• October 13
  • Friday the 13th mini-crash:TheDow Jones Industrial Averageplunges 190.58 points, or 6.91 percent, to close at 2,569.26, most likely after thejunk bondmarket collapses.
  • Gro Harlem Brundtland,leader of theLabour Party,resigns asPrime Minister of Norway.She is succeeded byJan P. Syse,Leader of theConservative Party,on October 16.
• October 15–Walter Sisuluis released from prison in South Africa.
• October 17– The 6.9M_wLoma Prieta earthquakeshakes theSan Francisco Bay Areaand theCentral Coastwith a maximumMercalli intensityof IX (Violent). Sixty-three people are killed and the1989 World Seriesin baseball is postponed for ten days as a result of the earthquake.
• October 18
  • TheCommunistleader ofEast Germany,Erich Honecker,is forced to step down as leader of the country after a series of health problems, and is succeeded byEgon Krenz.
  • TheNational Assembly of Hungaryvotes to restore multi-party democracy.
  • NASAlaunches the uncrewedGalileoorbiter on a mission to study the planetJupiter,viaAtlantismissionSTS-34.
• October 19– TheGuildford Fourare freed after fourteen years' imprisonment in Britain.
• October 21– TheCommonwealth Heads of Governmentissue theLangkawi Declarationon the Environment, makingenvironmental sustainabilityone of theCommonwealth of Nations's main priorities.
• October 23
  • TheHungarian Republicis officially declared by PresidentMátyás Szűrös(replacing the Hungarian People's Republic), exactly 33 years after theHungarian Revolution of 1956.
  • ThePhillips disaster,a chemical plant explosion, inPasadena, Texas,kills 23 and injures 314 others.
• October 24– The1989 Bhagalpur violence,a major incident of religious violence, breaks out inBhagalpur,Bihar,India; it will kill nearly 1,000 people.
• October 28– The United StatesFlag Protection Acttakes effect. There are mass protests in Seattle and New York City.
• October 30–Shawn Eichman,Dave Blalock,Dread ScottandJoey Johnsonburn American flagson the steps ofU.S. Capitol Buildingto protest against the Flag Protection Act.
• October 31
  • TheGrand National Assembly of Turkeyelects Prime MinisterTurgut Özalas the eighthPresident of Turkey.
  • Half a million people demonstrate in the East German city ofLeipzig.

November

Germansstanding on top of theBerlin Wall

A peaceful demonstration inPragueduring theVelvet Revolution

"November 1989" redirects here. For the Benny Andersson album, seeNovember 1989 (album).

• November – The first commercial dial-up Internet connection in North America is made, by The World STD.
• November 1
  • ThePresident of Nicaraguaends a ceasefire with U.S.-backedcontrasthat has been in effect since April 1988.
  • The border betweenEast GermanyandCzechoslovakiais reopened.
• November 3–East Germanrefugees arrive at the West German town ofHofafter being allowed through Czechoslovakia.
• November 4
  • Alexanderplatz demonstrationin East Berlin. Half a million people protest against communist rule in East Germany.
  • Typhoon GaydevastatesThailand'sChumphon Province.
• November 5–Nasrallah Boutros Sfeirwas attacked by some Maronite demonstrators loyal toMichel Aounand who rejected the nomination ofRene Moawadas president of the country. One of the demonstrators asked the Patriarch to kiss the picture of General Aoun raised above his head, and many followed him saying: "Kiss the picture, kiss the picture". The Patriarch refused. The scene was hysterical and tragic to the point that ArchbishopBechara Boutros al-Rahileft the Patriarch's side and headed to the church of the Patriarchate because he could no longer bear the sight.
• November 6– TheAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) is established.
• November 7
  • Cold War:TheCommunistgovernment ofEast Germanyresigns, althoughSEDleaderEgon Krenzremains as head of state.
  • Lieutenant GovernorDouglas Wilderwins theVirginiagubernatorial race, becoming the firstAfrican-Americanelected Governor in the United States.
  • David Dinkinsbecomes the firstAfrican-Americanmayor of New York City.
• November 9
  • Cold WarandFall of the Berlin Wall:Günter Schabowskiaccidentally states in a live broadcast press conference that new rules for traveling from East Germany to West Germany will be put in effect "immediately". Late this evening, East Germany opens checkpoints in theBerlin Wall,allowing its citizens to travel freely to West Germany for the first time in decades. In the first week, travel visas will be issued to around 25% of the East German population.
  • Yıldırım AkbulutofMotherland Party (Turkey)(ANAP) forms the new government ofTurkey(47th government).
• November 10
  • After 45 years of Communist rule inBulgaria,Bulgarian Communist PartyleaderTodor Zhivkovis replaced by Foreign MinisterPetar Mladenov,who changes the party's name to theBulgarian Socialist Party.
  • Gaby Kennardbecomes the first Australian woman to fly solo around the world.
• November 12–Brazilholds its first free presidential election since1960.
• November 13–Hans-Adam IIbecomes Prince ofLiechtensteinon the death of his father, PrinceFranz Joseph II.
• November 14–Electionsare held inNamibia,leading to a victory for theSouth West Africa People's Organisation.
• November 15
  • Lech Wałęsa,leader of Poland'sSolidarity movement,addresses aJoint session of the United States Congress.
  • Brazil holds the first round of its first free election in 29 years;Fernando Collor de MelloandLuiz Inácio Lula da Silvaadvance to the second round, to be held the following month.
• November 16
  • Six Jesuit priests are murderedbyU.S. trainedSalvadoran soldiers.
  • The first Americancosmeticsshop in the Soviet Union, anEstée Lauderoutlet, opens in Moscow.
  • UNESCOadopts theSeville Statement on Violenceat the 25th session of its General Conference.
• November 17–Cold War:Velvet Revolution– A peaceful student demonstration inPrague,Czechoslovakia,is severely beaten back by riot police. This sparks a revolution aimed at overthrowing the Communist government (it succeeds onDecember 29).
• November 20–Cold War:Velvet Revolution– The number of peaceful protesters assembled inPrague,Czechoslovakia,swells from 200,000 the day before to an estimated half-million.
• November 21– TheMembers of the Constituent Assembly of Namibiabegin to draft theConstitution of Namibia,which will be the constitution of the newly independentNamibia.
• November 22– In WestBeirut,a bomb explodes near the motorcade ofLebanesePresidentRené Moawad,killing him.
• November 24– Following a week of demonstrations demanding free elections and other reforms, General SecretaryMiloš Jakešand other leaders of theCommunist Party of Czechoslovakiaresign. Jakeš is replaced byKarel Urbánek.
• November 26–1989 Uruguayan general election:Luis Alberto Lacalleis elected President of Uruguay.
• November 27–Colombiandomestic passenger flightAvianca Flight 203is bombed by theMedellín drug cartelin an (unsuccessful) attempt to kill presidential candidate for the1990 electionsCésar Gaviria Trujillo.
• November 28–Cold War:Velvet Revolution– TheCommunist Party of Czechoslovakiaannounces they will give up theirmonopolyon political power (elections held in December bring the first non-Communist government toCzechoslovakiain more than forty years).
• November 29–Rajiv Gandhiresigns asPrime Minister of Indiaafter his party, theIndian National Congress,loses about half of its seats at the1989 Indian general election.
• November 30–Deutsche Bankboard memberAlfred Herrhausenis killed by a bomb in Bad Homburg (theRed Army Factionclaims responsibility for the murder).

December

Flames engulf a building following theUnited States invasion of Panama

• December 1
  • In a meeting withPope John Paul II,General Secretary of the Soviet UnionMikhail Gorbachevpledges greaterreligious freedomfor citizens of theSoviet Union.
  • Cold War:East Germany's parliament abolishes the constitutional provision granting the Communist-dominatedSocialist Unity Party of Germany(SED) its monopoly on power.Egon Krenz,the Politburo and the Central Committee resign two days later.
  • A militarycoup attemptbegins in thePhilippinesagainst the government ofPhilippine PresidentCorazon C. Aquino.It is crushed by United States intervention ending byDecember 9.
• December 2
  • TheSolar Maximum Missionscientific research satellite,launched in 1980, crashes back to earth.
  • V. P. Singhtakes office asPrime Minister of India.
  • In theRepublic of China legislative election,theKuomintangsuffers its worst election setback in forty years, winning only 53% of the popular vote.
  • TheSecond Malayan Emergencyconcludes with a peace agreement. TheMalayan Communist Partydisbands andChin Pengremains in exile inThailanduntil his death in2013.
• December 3
  • The entire leadership of the rulingSocialist Unity Partyin East Germany, includingEgon Krenz,resigns.Hans Modrowbecomesde factothe country's last leader.
  • Cold War:Malta Summit– Concluding a 2-day meeting off the coast ofMalta,U.S. PresidentGeorge H. W. Bushand Soviet leaderMikhail Gorbachevrelease statements indicating that theCold Warbetween their nations may be coming to an end. Gorbachev implies criticism of the 1968Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.
• December 4–Prime Minister of JordanZaid ibn Shakerresigns and is replaced byMudar Badran.
• December 6
  • TheDAS Building bombingoccurs inBogotá,killing 52 people and injuring about 1,000.
  • Egon Krenzresigns asChairman of the State Council of the German Democratic Republic,and is replaced byManfred Gerlach,the first non-Communist to hold that post.
  • École Polytechnique massacre(or Montreal Massacre):Marc Lépine,an anti-feminist gunman, murders fourteen young women at theÉcole Polytechnique de Montréal.
• December 7
  • Ladislav Adamecresigns asPrime Minister of Czechoslovakia.He is succeeded byMarián Čalfaon December 10.
  • Singing Revolution:TheLithuanian Soviet Socialist Republicbecomes the first of therepublics of the Soviet Unionto abolish the Communist Party's monopoly on power.
• December 9– TheSocialist Unity Party of Germanyelects the reformistGregor Gysias party leader.
• December 10
  • President of CzechoslovakiaGustáv Husákswears in a new cabinet with a non-Communist and then immediately resigns as president.
  • Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorjannounces the establishment of Mongolia's democratic movement, that peacefully changes the second-oldest Communist country into a democracy.
• December 11– The International Trans-Antarctica Expedition, a group of six explorers from six nations, reaches theSouth Pole.
• December 12–Hong Kongbegins the forcible repatriation ofVietnamese boat people,starting with a group of 59 who were flown toHanoi.
• December 14–Chileholds itsfirst free electionin sixteen years, electingPatricio Aylwinas president. This marks the first time that allIbero-Americannations, exceptCuba,have elected constitutional governments simultaneously.
• December 15– Drug baronJosé Gonzalo Rodríguez Gachais killed byColombianpolice.
• December 16– TheRomanian Revolutionbegins inTimișoara,initiated by theHungarian minority.
• December 17
  • The Romanian Revolution continues in Timișoara when rioters break into the building housing the District Committee of the Romanian Communist Party and cause extensive damage. The military is called in but fails fully to control the situation.
  • Brazilholds the second round of itsfirst free electionin 29 years;Fernando Collor de Mellois elected to serve as president from 1990.
  • The television seriesThe Simpsonspremieres onFOXas a full animated series with the episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".
• December 19–Romanian Revolution:Workers in the cities go on strike in protest against the Communist regime. On December 20 about 100,000 occupy Timișoara.
• December 20– TheUnited States invasion of Panama( "Operation Just Cause" ) is launched in an attempt to overthrowPanamaniandictatorManuel Noriega.
• December 21–Nicolae Ceaușescuaddresses an assembly of some 110,000 people outside the Romanian Communist Party headquarters inBucharest.Unprecedentedly, most of the crowd turns against him.
• December 22
  • After a week of bloody demonstrations,Ion Iliescutakes over as President ofRomania,ending thecommunistdictatorshipofNicolae Ceaușescu,who flees his palace in a helicopter after the palace is invaded by rioters. Most of the army has joined with the rioters in Bucharest.
  • TheBrandenburg Gatein Berlin is reopened.
  • Two tourist coaches collide on the Pacific highway north ofKempsey, New South Wales,Australia, killing 35 people.
• December 23–NicolaeandElena Ceaușescuare captured inTârgoviște.
• December 24–Charles Taylor's troops cross into Liberia from the Ivorian border, launching their first attack, sparking theFirst Liberian Civil War.
• December 25
  • Trial and execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu:Deposed Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife are summarily tried and executed outside Bucharest.
  • Bank of Japangovernors announce a major interest rate hike, eventually leading to the peak and fall of theeconomic bubble.
• December 28
  • TheM_L5.6Newcastle earthquakeaffected New South Wales, Australia with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), leaving 13 people dead and 160 injured.
  • Alexander Dubčekis elected Chairman of Czechoslovakia's Federal Assembly (Parliament).
• December 29
  • Czech playwright, philosopher and dissidentVáclav Havelis elected the first post-Communist President ofCzechoslovakia.
  • Riots break out after Hong Kong decides to forcibly repatriateVietnameserefugees.
  • Nikkei 225forTokyo Stock Exchangehits its all-time intra-day high of 38,957.44 and closing high at 38,915.87.
• December 31– Poland's president signs theBalcerowicz Plan,ending theCommunistsystem in Poland in favor of acapitalistsystem, leading to abandonment of theWarsaw Pact.

• Kamchatkaopens to Russian civilian visitors.
• Richard C. Duncan introduces the Olduvai theory, about the collapse ofindustrial civilization.
• The global concentration ofcarbon dioxide in Earth's atmospherereaches 350 parts per million by volume.
• Walmartposts revenues and profits triple its 1986 figures and rivalsKmartandSearsin importance in the American market.
• TheBreguet Alizépropeller-driven anti-submarine planes are retired from active carrier service in the French Navy.
• N.W.Aare the firstgangsta rapgroup to sell 1,000,000 copies of an album with their controversial 1988 debut albumStraight Outta Compton.

World population

Main article:List of countries by population in 1989

Births and deaths

Main pages:Category:1989 birthsandDeaths in 1989

Nobel Prizes

• Physics–Norman Foster Ramsey Jr.,Hans Georg Dehmelt,Wolfgang Paul
• Chemistry–Sidney Altman,Thomas Cech
• Medicine–J. Michael Bishop,Harold E. Varmus
• Literature–Camilo José Cela
• Peace– Tenzin Gyatso,14th Dalai Lama
• Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel–Trygve Haavelmo

Further reading

• Ash, Timothy Garton.The Magic Lantern: The Revolution of '89 Witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin, and Prague(1999)excerpt
• Kenney, Padraic, ed.1989: Democratic Revolutions at the Cold War's End: A Brief History with Documents(2009)
• Sebestyen, Victor.Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire(2010)excerpt

External links

• Media related to1989at Wikimedia Commons
• After the fall – Europe after 1989
• Mikhail Gorbachev on 1989– 2009 interview byThe Nation
• Freedom Without Walls: German Missions in the United StatesLooking Back at the Fall of the Berlin Wall – official homepage in English