1989
1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday. It was also the 1989th year of Anno Domini/Common Era, the 990th year of the 2nd millennium, the 90th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1980s. It was a historical turning point for the wave of revolutions that swept the Eastern Bloc, starting in Poland. Collectively known as the Revolutions of 1989, they heralded the dissolution of the Soviet Union two years later and the beginning of the post–Cold War period which is characterized by the dominance of the United States in world affairs.
Events
January
February
March
April
- April 1 – Margaret Thatcher's new local government tax, the Poll tax, is introduced in Scotland.
- April 4 – In Brussels, Belgium, NATO celebrates its 40th anniversary.
- April 6 – National Safety Council of Australia chief executive John Friedrich is arrested after defrauding investors to the tune of $235 million.
- April 7 – The Soviet submarine K-278 Komsomolets sinks in the Barents Sea, killing 41.
- April 9 – Georgian demonstrators are massacred by Red Army soldiers in Tbilisi's central square during a peaceful rally; 20 citizens are killed, many injured.
- April 14 – The U.S. government seizes the Irvine, CA Lincoln Savings and Loan Association; Charles Keating (for whom the Keating Five were named – John McCain among them) eventually goes to jail, as part of the massive 1980s Savings and Loan Crisis which costs U.S. taxpayers nearly $200 billion in bailouts, and many people their life savings.[1]
- April 15 – The Hillsborough disaster, one of the biggest tragedies in European football, claims the life of 96 Liverpool supporters.
- April 17 – Poland, Solidarity was again legalized and allowed to participate in semi-free elections on June 4.
- April 19
- Trisha Meili is attacked while jogging in New York City's Central Park; as her identity remains secret for years, she becomes known as the "Central Park Jogger."
- A gun turret explodes on the U.S. battleship Iowa, killing 47 crew members.
- April 20 – NATO debates modernising short range missiles; although the U.S. and U.K. are in favour, West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl obtains a concession deferring a decision.
- April 21 – Students from Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, and Nanjing begin protesting in Tiananmen Square.
- April 25
- April 26 – Sultan Azlan Muhibbudin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yusuff Izzudin Shah Ghafarullahu-lahu, Sultan of Perak, becomes the 9th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
May
June
July
August
- August 23
- Two million indigenous people of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, then still occupied by the Soviet Union, join hands to demand freedom and independence, forming an uninterrupted 600 km human chain called the Baltic Way.
- Hungary removes border restrictions with Austria.
- All of Australia's 1,645 domestic airline pilots resign over an airline's move to sack and sue them over a dispute.
- August 23 – Yusef Hawkins is shot in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, New York, sparking racial tensions between African Americans and Italian Americans.
- August 24
- Record-setting baseball player Pete Rose agrees to a lifetime ban from the sport following allegations of illegal gambling, thereby preventing his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- Indonesia's first privately owned television station, Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia, (RCTI) begins broadcasting.
- August 25 – Voyager 2 passes the planet Neptune and its moon Triton.
September
October
- October 9
- October 13 – Friday the 13th mini-crash: The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunges 190.58 points, or 6.91 percent, to close at 2,569.26, most likely after the junk bond market collapses.
- October 17 – The Loma Prieta earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, strikes the San Francisco–Oakland region of Northern California, killing 67 people and delaying the 1989 World Series for ten days
- October 18 – The Communist leader of East Germany, Erich Honecker, is forced to step down as leader of the country after a series of health problems.
- October 19
- October 21 – The Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations issue the Langkawi Declaration on the Environment, making environmental sustainability one of the Commonwealth's main priorities.
- October 23
- October 31 – The Grand National Assembly of Turkey elects Prime Minister Turgut Özal as the eighth President of Turkey.
November
December
- December 1
- December 3 – Cold War: In a meeting off the coast of Malta, U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev release statements indicating that the Cold War between their nations may be coming to an end.
- December 6 – École Polytechnique Massacre (or Montreal Massacre): Marc Lépine, an anti-feminist gunman, murders 14 young women at the École Polytechnique in Montreal.
- December 10 – Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj announces the establishment of Mongolia's democratic movement, that peacefully changes the second oldest communist country into a democratic society.
- December 14 – Chile holds its first free election in 16 years.
- December 15 – Drug baron José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha is killed by Colombian police.
- December 17
- December 19 – Workers in Romanian cities go on strike in protest against the communist regime.
- December 20 – Operation Just Cause is launched in an attempt to overthrow Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.
- December 21 – Nicolae Ceausescu addresses an assembly of some 110,000 people outside the Romanian Communist Party HQ in Bucharest. The crowd begin to protest against Ceausescu and he orders in the army to attack the protesters.
- December 22
- After a week of bloody demonstrations, Ion Iliescu takes over as president of Romania, ending the communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceauşescu, who flees his palace in a helicopter to escape inevitable execution after the palace was invaded by rioters. The Romanian troops, who the day before had followed Ceausescu's orders to attack the demonstrators, change sides and join the uprising.
- Two tourist coaches collide on the Pacific highway north of Kempsey, Australia, killing 35.
- December 23 – Nicolae and Elena Ceauşescu are captured in Târgoviște.
- December 25
- Romanian leader Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife Elena are executed by military troops after being found guilty of crimes against humanity.
- Bank of Japan governors announce a major interest rate hike, eventually leading to the peak and fall of the bubble economy.
- December 28 – A magnitude 5.6 earthquake hits Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, killing 13 people.
- December 29
Date unknown
Births
January
- January 2 – Kaitlin Howell, Canadian actress
- January 3
- January 6 – James Durbin (singer), American Idol contestant
- January 7 – Emiliano Insúa, Argentine footballer
- January 9
- January 10 – Emily Meade, American film and television actress
- January 11 – Chris Perry-Metcalf, British actor
- January 12 – Arci Muñoz, Filipina actress & model
- January 14 – Frankie Sandford, British singer
- January 19 – Yani Tseng, Taiwanese golfer
- January 20 – Nadia Di Cello, Argentine actress
- January 21
- January 22 – Jared Smith, American singer
- January 24 – Calvin Goldspink, British actor
- January 25
- January 26 – Emily Hughes, American figure skater
- January 27 – Daisy Lowe, British model
- January 30 – Khleo Thomas, American actor and rapper
February
March
April
May
June
July
- July 1 – Mitch Hewer, British actor
- July 2 – Devin Tailes, American singer
- July 8 – Dmitry Abakumov, Russian football player
- July 11
- July 12 – Phoebe Tonkin, Australian actress
- July 13 – Sayumi Michishige, Japanese singer
- July 14
- July 15 – Tristan Wilds, American actor
- July 16 – Gareth Bale, Welsh footballer
- July 18
- July 21
- July 22 – Keegan Allen, American actor
- July 23
- July 25 – Noel Callahan, Canadian actor
- July 27 – Charlotte Arnold, Canadian actress
August
September
- September 1 – Bill Kaulitz, German voice actor, model, lead singer for Tokio Hotel
- September 2 – Alexandre Pato, Brazilian footballer
- September 7 – Hugh Mitchell, British actor
- September 8 – Avicii, Swedish DJ, remixer, and record producer
- September 9 – Sean Malto, American Professional Skateboarder
- September 12 – Freddie Freeman, American baseball player
- September 13 – Thomas Müller, German football player
- September 14 – Logan Henderson, Lebanese American actor, dancer, and singer
- September 15 – Steliana Nistor, Romanian gymnast and Olympic medalist
- September 19 – Tyreke Evans, American basketball player, 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year
- September 21 – Jason Derulo, American singer-songwriter. actor
- September 22
- September 23 – Brandon Jennings, American basketball player
- September 26 – Emma Rigby, British actress
- September 27 – Park Tae-Hwan, South Korean swimmer
- September 29 – Theo Adams, British performance artist
October
November
- November 2 – Katelyn Tarver, American singer, songwriter, actress
- November 3 – Paula DeAnda, Mexican-American singer
- November 6 – Jozy Altidore, American soccer player
- November 11 – Reina Tanaka, Japanese singer
- November 14 – Jake Livermore, English footballer
- November 15 – Tim Corcoran, American acrobat
- November 20 – Cody Linley, American actor
- November 24 – Jordan Witzigreuter, American singer/songwriter (The Ready Set)
- November 27 – Freddie Sears, English footballer
December
- December 2 – Cassie Steele, Canadian actress and singer
- December 4– Garron DuPree, American musician
- December 5
- December 7 – Nicholas Hoult, British actor
- December 12 – Helen Flanagan, English actress
- December 13 – Taylor Swift, American singer
- December 18 – Ashley Benson, American actress
- December 19 – Valdimar Bergstað, Icelandic Horse rider
- December 22 – Jordin Sparks, American singer
- December 26 – Yohan Blake, Jamaican athlete
- December 27 – Kateryna Lahno, Ukrainian chess player
- December 28
- December 29 – Kei Nishikori, Japanese tennis player
- December 30 – Ryan Sheckler, American skateboarder
Deaths
January
- January 3 – Robert Banks, American chemist (b. 1921)
- January 4 – Dvora Netzer, Israeli politician (b. 1897)
- January 7
- January 8 – Kenneth McMillan, American actor (b. 1932)
- January 10
- January 11
- January 13 – Joe Spinell, American actor (b. 1936)
- January 14 – Robert B. Anderson, American administrator and businessman (b. 1910)
- January 16 – Trey Wilson, American actor (b. 1948)
- January 19 – Norma Varden, English actress (b. 1898)
- January 20 – Beatrice Lillie, Canadian actress (b. 1894)
- January 21
- January 23 – Salvador Dalí, Spanish artist (b. 1904)
- January 24 – Ted Bundy, American serial killer (executed) (b. 1946)
- January 27 – Bayani Casimiro, Filipino dancer and actor (b. 1918)
February
- February 1 – Elaine de Kooning, American artist (b. 1919)
- February 2 – Ondrej Nepela, Slovakian figure skater (b. 1951)
- February 3
- February 5 – Joe Morrison, University of South Carolina Head Football Coach ( b. 1937)
- February 6
- February 9 – Osamu Tezuka, Japanese Manga artist, e.g. Astroboy (b. 1928)
- February 11
- February 14 – Vincent Crane, British musician (Atomic Rooster) (b. 1943)
- February 17
- February 20 – Robert Dorning, English actor (b. 1913)
- February 21 – Moshe Unna, Israeli politician (b. 1902)
- February 24 – Sparky Adams, American baseball player (b. 1894)
- February 26 – Roy Eldridge, American musician (b. 1911)
- February 27
March
- March 6 – Harry Andrews, British actor (b. 1911)
- March 8
- March 9 – Robert Mapplethorpe, American photographer (b. 1946)
- March 11 – James Kee, American politician (b. 1917)
- March 12 – Maurice Evans, English actor (b. 1901)
- March 14
- May 15 – Johnny Green, American songwriter (b. 1908)
- March 16 – Jesús María de Leizaola, Basque Spanish politician (b. 1896)
- March 17 – Merritt Butrick, American actor (b. 1959)
- March 19 – Alan Civil, English French horn player (b. 1929)
- March 21 – Milton Frome, American actor (b. 1909)
- March 27
- March 29 – Bernard Blier, French actor (b. 1916)
April
- April 1 – George Robledo, Chilean soccer player (b. 1926)
- April 9 – Moshe Ziffer, Israeli sculptor (b. 1902)
- April 12
- April 15
- April 16 – Jocko Conlan, baseball player and umpire (b. 1899)
- April 19 – Daphne du Maurier, English writer (b. 1907)
- April 21
- April 22 – Emilio G. Segrè, Italian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
- April 23 – Hamani Diori, Nigerien politician, former President (b. 1916)
- April 24 – Edgar Sanabria, Venezuelan lawyer, diplomat, and politician, former President (b. 1911)
- April 25 – George Coulouris, English actor (b. 1903)
- April 26 – Lucille Ball, American entertainer (b. 1911)
- April 27 – Konosuke Matsushita, Japanese industrialist (b. 1894)
- April 30
May
June
- June 3
- June 4 – Dik Browne, American cartoonist (b. 1917)
- June 7 – Don the Beachcomber, American restaurateur (b. 1907)
- June 9
- June 10 – Richard Quine, American actor (b. 1920)
- June 13 – Fran Allison, actress (b. 1907)
- June 15
- June 17 – John Matuszak, American football player and actor (b. 1950)
- June 22
- June 23 – Werner Best, German Nazi official (b. 1903)
- June 24 – Hibari Misora, Japanese singer (b. 1937)
- June 26 – Howard Charles Green, Canadian politician, former Foreign secretary (b. 1895)
- June 27
- June 28 – Joris Ivens, Dutch filmmaker (b. 1898)
July
- July 2
- July 3 – Jim Backus, American actor (b. 1913)
- July 4
- July 6 – János Kádár, Hungarian politician & communist leader (b. 1912)
- July 10 – Mel Blanc, American voice actor best known for voicing Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. (b. 1908)
- July 11 – Laurence Olivier, prolific English stage and screen actor and director (b. 1907)
- July 15 – Laurie Cunningham, English footballer (b. 1956)
- July 16 – Herbert von Karajan, Austrian conductor (b. 1908)
- July 17 – Itubwa Amram, Nauruan pastor and politician (b. 1922)
- July 18
- July 19 – Kazimierz Sabbat, Polish president (b. 1913)
- July 20
- July 22 – Martti Talvela, Finnish bass (b. 1935)
- July 23
- July 24 – Ernie Morrison, American actor (b. 1912)
- July 30 – Lane Frost, American bull rider (b. 1963)
August
- August 1 – John Ogdon, English pianist (b. 1937)
- August 4
- August 7 – Mickey Leland, American congressman (b. 1944)
- August 12 – William Shockley, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
- August 13
- August 14 – Robert Bernard Anderson, American political figure (b. 1910)
- August 16
- August 17 – Harry Corbett, British TV presenter, creator of Sooty; OBE award winner (b. 1918)
- August 20
- August 21 – Raul Seixas, Brazilian singer (b. 1945)
- August 22
- August 23 – Ronald David Laing, Scottish psychiatrist (b. 1927)
- August 26 – Irving Stone, American writer (b. 1903)
- August 29 – Peter Scott, English naturalist, artist, and explorer (b. 1909)
- August 30 – Joe Collins, baseball player (b. 1922)
September
October
- October 4 – Graham Chapman, English comedian (Monty Python) (b. 1941)
- October 6 – Bette Davis, American actress (b. 1908)
- October 9 – Penny Lernoux, American journalist and author (b. 1940)
- October 11 – M. King Hubbert, American geophysicist (b. 1903)
- October 12 – Jay Ward, animator, creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, etc.
- October 16
- October 20
- October 22 – Roland Winters, American actor (b. 1904)
- October 25 – Mary McCarthy, American writer (b. 1912)
- October 26 – Charles J. Pedersen, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
- October 30 – Pedro Vargas, Mexican singer and actor (b. 1904)
November
- November 1 – Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, American civil rights activist (b. 1898)
- November 3 – Timoci Bavadra, Fiji physician and politician (b. 1934)
- November 5 – Vladimir Horowitz, Russian pianist (b. 1903)
- November 11 – Kenneth MacLean Glazier, Sr., Canadian minister and librarian (b. 1912)
- November 13
- November 20 – Lynn Bari, American actress (b. 1913)
- November 22
- November 25 – George Cakobau, Fiji Governor General (b. 1912)
- November 26 – Ahmed Abdallah, Comorian politician, President of the Republic (assassinated) (b. 1919)
- November 27 – Carlos Arias Navarro, Spanish politician, former President of the Government (b. 1908)
- November 29 – Gubby Allen, English cricketer (b. 1902)
- November 30 – Ahmadou Ahidjo, Cameroonian politician, former President (b. 1924)
December
- December 1 – Alvin Ailey, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1931)
- December 2 – Ray Morehart, American baseball player (b. 1899)
- December 3 – Sourou Migan Apithy, Beninese political figure, former president of Dahomey (b. 1913)
- December 4 – Frederick Elwyn Jones, British barrister and Labour politician. (b. 1909)
- December 5 – John Pritchard, English conductor (b. 1921)
- December 6
- December 7 – Haystacks Calhoun, American professional wrestler (b. 1934)
- December 8
- December 11 – Lindsay Crosby, American singer and actor (b. 1938)
- December 14
- December 15 – Edward Underdown, stage and film veteran (b. 1908)
- December 16
- December 16 – Lee Van Cleef, American actor (b. 1925)
- December 19 – Kirill Mazurov, Belarusian Soviet politician. (b. 1914)
- December 20 – Kurt Böhme, German bass (b. 1908)
- December 21
- December 22
- December 25
- December 26 – Lennox Berkeley, English composer (b. 1903)
- December 30
Nobel Prizes
Templeton Prize
In fiction
References