Important Events in 1989
- Feb 6 Solidarity union leader Lech Wałęsa begins negotiating with Polish government
- Apr 21 Thousands of Chinese crowd into Beijing's Tiananmen Square cheering students demanding greater political freedom
- May 13 Approx 2,000 students begin hunger strike in Tiananmen Square, China
- May 16 Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping meet in Beijing and formally end a 30-year rift
- Jun 2 10,000 Chinese soldiers are blocked by 100,000 citizens in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, protecting students demonstrating for democracy
- Jun 3 Beginning of the Tiananmen Square Massacre as Chinese troops open fire on pro-democracy supporters in Beijing
- Jun 4 Eastern Europe's 1st partial free elections in 40 years held in Poland, Solidarity Party comes to power
- Jun 4 Tiananmen Square Massacre: Chinese troops clear the square of student protesters, unofficial figures place death toll near 1,000
- Nov 10 Germans begin demolishing the Berlin Wall
- Dec 3 Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and US President George H. W. Bush, declare the Cold War over
- Dec 22 After 23 years of dictatorial rule, Romania ousts Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu
More Historical Events
1989 in Film & TV
- Feb 10 To gain deregulation WWF admits pro wrestling is an exhibition & not a sport, in a NJ court
- May 19 "Do the Right Thing", directed by Spike Lee, starring Danny Aiello and Ossie Davis premieres at the Cannes Film Festival
- Jun 23 Movie "Batman" premieres directed by Tim Burton, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson
- Sep 16 14th Toronto International Film Festival: "Roger & Me" directed by Michael Moore wins the People's Choice Award
1989 in Music
- Nov 12 George Forrest's musical "Grand Hotel" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 1018 performances (5 Tony wins)
1989 in Sport
- Feb 10 To gain deregulation WWF admits pro wrestling is an exhibition & not a sport, in a NJ court
- Apr 15 96 crushed to death and 766 injured at Hillsborough Football Stadium, Sheffield, England, during FA semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest
- Jul 2 American jockey Steve Cauthen wins Irish Derby on Old Vic to become the first rider in history to sweep the world's 4 major Derbies (Kentucky, Epsom, French, Irish)
- Oct 15 Wayne Gretzky passes Gordie Howe as NHL's all time top scorer
Did You Know?
Did You Know?World Wide Web (WWW) is first launched in the public domain by CERN scientist Tim Berners-Lee
On April 30, 1989
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Avicii
Chris Brown
Daniel Radcliffe
PewDiePie
Taylor SwiftFamous People in 1989
- Daniel Day-Lewis
Oscar for Best Actor - George Michael
Grammy for Album of the Year - Jessica Tandy
Oscar for Best Actress
Daniel Day-Lewis
George Michael
Jessica TandyWorld Leaders in 1989
- Deng Xiaoping
Paramount Leader of China - Francois Mitterrand
21st President of France - George H. W. Bush
41st US President - Helmut Kohl
German Chancellor - Margaret Thatcher
British Prime Minister - Mikhail Gorbachev
Soviet General Secretary
Deng Xiaoping
Francois Mitterrand
George H. W. Bush
Helmut Kohl
Margaret Thatcher
Mikhail GorbachevWould You Believe?
Wine merchant William Sokolin breaks a bottle of 1787 Château Margaux, possibly belonging to Thomas Jefferson, worth $500,000 at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York
On April 23, 1989
Famous Weddings in 1989
- Jan 1 Actor Leonard Nimoy (57) weds actress Susan Bay
- Jan 7 MLB player Greg Maddux (22) weds Kathy Ronnow
- Jan 21 "Falcon Crest" actor Lorenzo Lamas (31) weds actress Kathleen Kinmont (23) at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas
Famous Divorces in 1989
- Feb 14 Robin Givens is granted a divorce from Mike Tyson in the Dominican Republic
- Feb 16 Actress Jane Fonda and activist Tom Hayden separate after 16 years of marriage
- Mar 1 Julianne Philips & Bruce Springsteen divorce
More Weddings & Divorces
Ayatollah Khomeini
Bette Davis
Hirohito
Lucille Ball
Nicolae Ceausescu
Ted Bundy1989 in Articles and Photos
Soviets Leave Afghanistan
Last Soviet troops withdraw from their war in Afghanistan
February 15, 1989Goddess of Democracy
Hundreds of thousands of Chinese protest around a 10-meter replica of the Statue of Liberty they called the Goddess of Democracy
June 2, 1989France's Biggest-Ever Bank Robbery
Its vault was thought to be impregnable, but the bank had not reckoned on the ingenuity of a determined thief who died on this day, with the loot still missing.
June 8, 1989
