Significant Events
- 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
- 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 Nicolae Ceausescu
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
- Dec 13 "Driving Miss Daisy" directed by Bruce Beresford and starring Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy is released (Best Picture 1990)
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
- 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
- Nov 24 Sachin Tendulkar scores a Test Cricket fifty aged 16 years 214 days, a record
- Dec 29 Wayne Gretzky and Martina Navratilova, named athletes of decade by AP
Did You Know?
World Wide Web (WWW) is first launched in the public domain by CERN scientist Tim Berners-Lee
On April 30, 1989
World Leaders in 1989
Deng Xiaoping
Paramount Leader of China
George H. W. Bush
41st US President
Mikhail Gorbachev
Soviet General Secretary
Famous People in 1989
Daniel Day-Lewis
Oscar for Best Actor
George Michael
Grammy for Album of the Year
Jessica Tandy
Oscar for Best Actress
Brie Larson
Chris Brown
Daniel Radcliffe
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima
PewDiePie
Taylor SwiftWould 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
- Jan 1 Actor Leonard Nimoy (57) weds actress Susan Bay
- Jan 7 MLB player Greg Maddux (22) weds Kathy Ronnow
- Jan 18 Candace Thomas marries Steve Garvey
- Jan 21 "Falcon Crest" actor Lorenzo Lamas (31) weds actress Kathleen Kinmont (23) at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas
- Feb 9 NBA power forward Charles Barkley (26) weds legal aide Maureen Blumhardt in Elkton, Maryland
Famous Divorces
- Feb 14 Robin Givens is granted a divorce from Mike Tyson in the Dominican Republic
- Feb 16 actress Jane Fonda & activist Tom Hayden separate after 16 years of marriage
- Mar 1 Julianne Philips & Bruce Springsteen divorce
- Mar 1 "Baywatch" actor David Hasselhoff (37) divorces actress Catherine Hickland (33) after nearly 5 years of marriage
- May 18 Lisa Strawberry files for divorce from Darryl
Ayatollah Khomeini
Bette Davis
Hirohito
Lucille Ball
Nicolae Ceausescu
Sugar Ray Robinson