Explore 28 historical moments from 1989 — 27 events, 1 birthdays, and 0 notable deaths.
Representatives of Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini delivered a letter to Mikhail Gorbachev, inviting him to consider Islam as an alternative to communism. The letter predicted the dissolution of the Soviet Bloc.
Patrick Purdy opened fire in an elementary school in Stockton, California, killing 5 and wounding 32 others.
United Airlines Flight 811 experienced uncontrolled decompression after leaving Honolulu, blowing seats out of the aircraft and killing nine passengers.
A crowd crush at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield leads to one of the deadliest disasters in British sporting history.
The Hillsborough disaster, a human crush that caused 97 deaths, occurred during an FA Cup match in Sheffield.
A gun turret exploded on board the United States Navy battleship Iowa, killing 47 sailors.
On April 26, 1989, the People's Daily published an editorial denouncing unrest in Tiananmen Square, which became a contentious point during the protests.
On April 26, 1989, a tornado struck the Manikganj District of Bangladesh, killing an estimated 1,300 people and becoming the deadliest tornado in history.
Tropical Storm Cecil dissipated over Laos after devastating Quảng Nam province, Vietnam, and causing the deaths of 751 people.
The People's Liberation Army suppressed the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries.
Following the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the Assembly of Experts elected Ali Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader of Iran.
Following the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, the 13th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party appointed Jiang Zemin as general secretary. He replaced Zhao Ziyang.
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad member hijacked a bus and forced it into a ravine near Kiryat Ye'arim, Israel, in a suicide attack.
American actress Rebecca Schaeffer was shot and killed by Robert John Bardo. This event prompted the passage of anti-stalking laws in California.
The pleasure boat Marchioness sank on the River Thames in London after colliding with the dredger Bowbelle. Fifty-one people lost their lives in the incident.
The final stage of the O-Bahn Busway in Adelaide, South Australia, was completed. This marked the end of the world's longest and fastest guided busway at the time.
Approximately two million people joined hands to form a human chain across the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian Soviet republics. This demonstrated their desire for independence.
On August 25, 1989, the NASA spacecraft Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Neptune and provided definitive proof of the planet's rings.
During a tour of the United States, Soviet politician Boris Yeltsin visited a grocery store in Texas that had a major impact on his views regarding the Soviet Union's economic system.
TAN-SAHSA Flight 414 crashed while approaching Toncontín International Airport. 131 out of the 146 people on board perished.
The Berlin Wall falls as East Germany opens its borders, symbolizing the end of the Cold War and the beginning of German reunification.
Walt Disney Pictures released the animated film The Little Mermaid to theatres, marking the beginning of the Disney Renaissance.
The Malayan Communist Party and the Malaysian government signed a peace accord. This agreement ended a 21-year communist insurgency.
Marc Lépine, claiming to be "fighting feminism", killed fourteen women before committing suicide at the École Polytechnique in Montreal, Canada. The massacre took place on December 6, 1989.
At the first open pro-democracy demonstration in Mongolia, journalist Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announced the formation of the Mongolian Democratic Union. This union was instrumental in ending communist rule and occurred on December 10, 1989.
The Provisional Irish Republican Army engaged in a fierce firefight with the King's Own Scottish Borderers at a vehicle checkpoint complex in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. This incident was part of The Troubles.
No deaths recorded for 1989.
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