Historical eventDecember 161989

Romanian revolution

Romanian Revolution: Protests break out in Timișoara, Romania, in response to an attempt by the government to evict dissident Hungarian pastor László Tőkés.

Everything on December 16Original source

In context

When
Saturday, December 16 198937 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1980s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1989.

What happened

Romanian Revolution: Protests break out in Timișoara, Romania, in response to an attempt by the government to evict dissident Hungarian pastor László Tőkés.

December 16 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1989Romanian revolution
  2. 19921992 deportation of Hamas members
  3. 1997United Kingdom BSE outbreak
  4. 1997Dennō Senshi Porygon
  5. 2011Zhanaozen massacre
  6. 20122012 Delhi gang rape and murder
  7. 20132013 Metro Manila Skyway bus accident
  8. 2014Lindt Cafe siege
  9. 2014Pakistani Taliban
  10. 20222022 Batang Kali landslide
  11. 20242024 Abundant Life Christian School shooting

Also in 1989

  • September 11East GermanyHungary announces that the East German refugees who had been housed in temporary camps were free to leave for West Germany.
  • September 13ApartheidLargest anti-Apartheid march in South Africa, led by Desmond Tutu.
  • September 14Typhoon Sarah (1989)Typhoon Sarah dissipated after causing extensive damage along an erratic path across the Western Pacific, killing 71 in Taiwan, the Phili…
  • September 14Standard Gravure shootingThe Standard Gravure shooting where Joseph T. Wesbecker, a 47-year-old pressman, killed eight people and injured 12 people at his former…
  • September 16Boris YeltsinDuring a tour of the United States, Soviet politician Boris Yeltsin visited a grocery store in Texas that had a major impact on his views…
  • September 181989 Burkina Faso coup attemptAn attempted coup d'état against Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaoré is uncovered and foiled.
  • November 17Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Pictures released The Little Mermaid to theatres, beginning the Disney Renaissance.
  • November 17Velvet RevolutionCold War: Velvet Revolution begins: In Czechoslovakia, a student demonstration in Prague is quelled by riot police. This sparks an uprisi…

Everything we record for 1989 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Romanian revolution”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/romanian-revolution-1989-december-16, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Romanian revolution happen?

December 16 1989 — 37 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.