1989 was such a year of global change. I remember the CBC radio breaking into programming on a regular basis to report on some major event. The list of events is quite astounding as I look back on it:
- January 18th - Solidarity is made legal again in Poland
- February 14th - Fatwah against Salman Rushdie
- February 15th - Soviet Union ends involvement in Afghanistan
- February 24th - Estonian flag raised on Pikk Hermann for the first time in 44 years
- March 24th - Exxon Valdez oil spill
- June 4th - partially free elections in Poland
- June 5th - Tienanmen Square massacre
- September 10th - Hungary opens border to the west
- October 17th - Loma Prieta earthquake - living in this region means earthquakes not so far away register high in importance for me.
- October 23rd - Hungarian Republic refounded
- November 9th - Berlin Wall fell
- November 10th - Communist rule ends in Bulgaria
- November 12th - Democracy returns to Brazil after 29 years
- November 16th - FW de Klerk announces the end the Separate Amenities Act, the core of Apartheid
- November 17th to 28th - Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia
- December 6th - Montreal Massacre
- December 10th - End of communism in Mongolia
- December 14th - Democracy returns to Chile after a 16 year brutal military dictatorship
- December 17th - 22nd - End of communism in Romania
The one year from June 1st 1989 to May 31st 1990 was a year without parallel in generations. During the fall of 1989 it was as if there was a major global event each and every week or more often.
1 comment:
Yeah, you are bang on in terms of the historical significance of 1989. A generation of history within one year. Will never forget that year!
I remember it akin to this:
1. It took 10 years for Poland to fall;
2. It took 10 months for Hungary to fall;
3. It took 10 weeks for the GDR to fall;
4. It took 10 days for Czechoslovakia to fall;
5. And it took 10 hours for Romania to fall;
And it all happened during 1989.
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