1989
Berners-Lee proposes the Web
Tim Berners-Lee, a thirty-three-year-old British physicist at CERN, circulated a quiet proposal for a system of hypertext documents linked over the internet.
Tiananmen Square massacre
After weeks of student-led democracy protests on the square, People's Liberation Army tanks and troops cleared Tiananmen overnight with live ammunition.
Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan
The last Soviet armored column rolled north across the Friendship Bridge at Termez…
Berlin Wall falls
At an East Berlin press conference, a flustered official misread a note and said travel restrictions were lifted, effective immediately.
Beginning of Tiananmen protests
The death of reformist Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang brought students to Tiananmen Square to mourn.
Velvet Revolution begins in Prague
A student march in Prague was beaten by riot police, and Czechoslovakia erupted.
Ceausescu executed
After a week of revolution in Romania, dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena were tried in an army barracks and shot by firing squad on Christmas Day.
Hillsborough disaster
Game Boy released
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1989?
Saeculum lists 9 events from 1989. The most significant is Berners-Lee proposes the Web: Tim Berners-Lee, a thirty-three-year-old British physicist at CERN, circulated a quiet proposal for a system of hypertext documents linked over the internet.
What era was 1989 part of?
1989 falls within the Modern Era (1901-2000). World wars, cold war, and the splitting of the atom.
Which regions saw notable events in 1989?
The events from 1989 span Europe, East Asia and Central Asia.