What happened in 1989
400 entries recorded for 1989, listed by date. That was 37 years ago.
1989 at a glance
- Years ago
- 37 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 20th century
- Decade
- 1980s
- Generation born
- Millennials (Generation Y)
- Entries here
- 400
- Breakdown
- 110 historical events · 290 births
January
- January 4
1989 air battle near Tobruk
Second Gulf of Sidra incident: A pair of Libyan MiG-23 "Floggers" are shot down by a pair of US Navy F-14 Tomcats during an air-to-air confrontation.
- January 4
Grumman F-14 Tomcat
Two American F-14 Tomcats shot down two Libyan MiG-23 Floggers that appeared to be attempting to engage them over the Gulf of Sidra.
- January 6
Satwant Singh
Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh are sentenced to death for conspiracy in the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi; the two men are executed the same day.
- January 7
Ruhollah Khomeini
Representatives of Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini delivered a letter to Mikhail Gorbachev, inviting him to consider Islam as an alternative to communism, and predicting the dissolution of the Soviet Bloc.
- January 7
FA Cup
In one of the most famous upsets in FA Cup history, Sutton United, a team in the fifth tier of English league football, defeated top-tier Coventry City.
- January 7
Sutton United F.C.
Sutton United, a team in the fifth tier of English league football, defeated top-tier Coventry City in one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history.
- January 8
Kegworth air disaster
Kegworth air disaster: British Midland Flight 92, a Boeing 737-400, crashes into the M1 motorway, killing 47 of the 126 people on board.
- January 8
Aaron Cruden
Aaron Cruden, New Zealand rugby player
- January 10
Ali Gabr
Ali Gabr, Egyptian footballer
- January 11
Demario Davis
Demario Davis, American football player
- January 14
Frankie Bridge
Frankie Bridge, English singer-songwriter and dancer
- January 14
Emma Greenwell
Emma Greenwell, American-English actress
- January 17
Stockton schoolyard shooting
Patrick Purdy opened fire in an elementary school in Stockton, California, killing 5 and wounding 32 others.
- January 20
Nick Foles
Nick Foles, American football player
- January 22
Theo Robinson
Theo Robinson, English footballer
- January 22
Oscar Möller
Oscar Möller, Swedish ice hockey player
- January 24
Ki Sung-yueng
Ki Sung-yueng, South Korean footballer
- January 24
Whit Merrifield
Whit Merrifield, American baseball player
- January 24
José Quintana
José Quintana, Colombian baseball player
- January 24
Gong Lijiao
Gong Lijiao, Chinese shot putter
- January 27
Alberto Botía
Alberto Botía, Spanish footballer
- January 29
Cold War
Cold War: Hungary establishes diplomatic relations with South Korea, making it the first Eastern Bloc nation to do so.
- January 29
Kevin Shattenkirk
Kevin Shattenkirk, American ice hockey player
- January 29
Mohamed Abou Gabal
Mohamed Abou Gabal, Egyptian footballer
- January 30
Embassy of the United States, Kabul
The American embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan is closed.
- January 31
Tommy La Stella
Tommy La Stella, American baseball player
February
- February 1
Ricky Pinheiro
Ricky Pinheiro, Portuguese footballer
- February 2
Soviet–Afghan War
Soviet–Afghan War: The last Soviet armoured column leaves Kabul.
- February 3
Stroke
After a stroke two weeks previously, South African President P. W. Botha resigns as leader of the National Party, but stays on as president for six more months.
- February 3
1989 Paraguayan coup d'état
A military coup overthrows Alfredo Stroessner, dictator of Paraguay since 1954.
- February 3
Jia (singer)
Jia, Chinese singer and actress
- February 3
Slobodan Rajković
Slobodan Rajković, Serbian footballer
- February 4
Lavoy Allen
Lavoy Allen, American basketball player
- February 5
Jeremy Sumpter
Jeremy Sumpter, American actor
- February 6
Polish Round Table Agreement
The Round Table Talks start in Poland, thus marking the beginning of the overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe.
- February 6
Craig Cathcart
Craig Cathcart, Northern Irish footballer
- February 6
Jonny Flynn
Jonny Flynn, American basketball player
- February 8
Independent Air Flight 1851
Independent Air Flight 1851 strikes Pico Alto mountain while on approach to Santa Maria Airport in the Azores, killing all 144 passengers on board.
- February 8
Courtney Vandersloot
Courtney Vandersloot, American-Hungarian basketball player
- February 8
JaJuan Johnson
JaJuan Johnson, American basketball player
- February 8
Julio Jones
Julio Jones, American football player
- February 8
Zac Guildford
Zac Guildford, New Zealand rugby player
- February 8
Brendan Smith (ice hockey)
Brendan Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
- February 10
Ron Brown
Ron Brown is elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, becoming the first African American to lead a major American political party.
- February 12
Josh Harrellson
Josh Harrellson, American basketball player
- February 13
Rodrigo Possebon
Rodrigo Possebon, Brazilian footballer
- February 14
Union Carbide
Union Carbide agrees to pay $470 million to the Indian government for damages it caused in the 1984 Bhopal disaster.
- February 14
Iran
Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini issues a fatwa encouraging Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses.
- February 14
Ruhollah Khomeini
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa calling for the death of Salman Rushdie, the author of The Satanic Verses, a novel considered to be blasphemous by some Muslims.
- February 14
Néstor Calderón
Néstor Calderón, Mexican footballer
- February 15
Soviet–Afghan War
Soviet–Afghan War: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.
- February 15
Mark Canha
Mark Canha, American baseball player
- February 16
Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Olsen, American actress
- February 17
Rebecca Adlington
Rebecca Adlington, English swimmer
- February 17
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet, American actor and singer
- February 19
Flying Tiger Line Flight 066
Flying Tiger Line Flight 066 crashes into a hill near Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Malaysia, killing four.
- February 19
Sone Aluko
Sone Aluko, English-Nigerian footballer
- February 21
Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu, American actor, model, dancer, film producer and singer-songwriter
- February 21
Federico Fernández (footballer)
Federico Fernández, Argentine footballer
- February 21
Ian Cole
Ian Cole, American ice hockey player
- February 21
Jake Muzzin
Jake Muzzin, Canadian ice hockey player
- February 22
Franco Vázquez
Franco Vázquez, Argentine footballer
- February 23
Jérémy Pied
Jérémy Pied, French footballer
- February 23
Wilin Rosario
Wilin Rosario, Dominican baseball player
- February 23
Evan Bates
Evan Bates, American ice dancer
- February 24
United Airlines Flight 811
United Airlines Flight 811 experienced uncontrolled decompression after leaving Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii, blowing seats out of the aircraft and killing nine passengers.
- February 24
Trace Cyrus
Trace Cyrus, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- February 24
Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuya, English actor
- February 25
Jimmer Fredette
Jimmer Fredette, American basketball player
- February 26
Gabriel Obertan
Gabriel Obertan, French footballer
- February 27
David Button
David Button, English footballer
- February 27
Lloyd Rigby
Lloyd Rigby, English footballer
- February 28
Carlos Dunlap
Carlos Dunlap, American football player
March
- March 1
Emeraude Toubia
Emeraude Toubia, Canadian-American actress
- March 1
Daniella Monet
Daniella Monet, American actress
- March 1
Tenille Dashwood
Tenille Dashwood, Australian professional wrestler
- March 2
European Economic Community
Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century.
- March 3
Erwin Mulder
Erwin Mulder, Dutch footballer
- March 6
Dwight Buycks
Dwight Buycks, American basketball player
- March 7
Iran
Iran and the United Kingdom break diplomatic relations after a fight over Salman Rushdie and his controversial novel, The Satanic Verses.
- March 8
Robbie Hummel
Robbie Hummel, American basketball player and sportscaster
- March 9
Taeyeon
Taeyeon, South Korean singer
- March 10
Air Ontario Flight 1363
Air Ontario Flight 1363, a Fokker F-28 Fellowship, crashes at Dryden Regional Airport in Dryden, Ontario, Canada, killing 24.
- March 10
Dayán Viciedo
Dayán Viciedo, Cuban baseball player
- March 10
Simon Moser
Simon Moser, Swiss ice hockey player
- March 11
Anton Yelchin
Anton Yelchin, Russian-American actor (died 2016)
- March 11
Malcolm Delaney
Malcolm Delaney, American basketball player
- March 11
Orlando Johnson
Orlando Johnson, American basketball player
- March 12
Tim Berners-Lee
Tim Berners-Lee submits his proposal to CERN for an information management system, which subsequently develops into the World Wide Web.
- March 13
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-29 carrying the TDRS-4 satellite.
- March 19
Egypt
The Egyptian flag is raised at Taba, marking the end of Israeli occupation since the Six Days War in 1967 and the Egypt–Israel peace treaty in 1979.
- March 20
Xavier Dolan
Xavier Dolan, Canadian actor and director
- March 21
Transbrasil Flight 801
Transbrasil Flight 801 crashes into a slum near São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, killing 25 people.
- March 22
Ruben Popa
Ruben Popa, Romanian footballer
- March 22
J. J. Watt
J. J. Watt, American football player
- March 23
Cold fusion
Two researchers announced the discovery of cold fusion, a claim that was later discredited.
- March 24
Prince William Sound
In Prince William Sound in Alaska, the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (38,000 m3) of crude oil after running aground.
- March 24
Zyzz
Zyzz, Russian-Australian bodybuilder and internet personality (died 2011)
- March 25
Scott Sinclair
Scott Sinclair, English footballer
- March 25
Aly Michalka
Aly Michalka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- March 27
Camilla Lees
Camilla Lees, New Zealand netball player
- March 27
Matt Harvey
Matt Harvey, American baseball player
- March 28
Lukas Jutkiewicz
Lukas Jutkiewicz, English footballer
- March 28
Logan Couture
Logan Couture, Canadian ice hockey player
- March 29
James Tomkins (footballer)
James Tomkins, English footballer
- March 30
João Sousa
João Sousa, Portuguese tennis player
- March 30
Chris Sale
Chris Sale, American baseball player
April
- April 1
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher's new local government tax, the Community Charge (commonly known as the "poll tax"), is introduced in Scotland.
- April 1
David Ngog
David Ngog, French footballer
- April 1
Jan Blokhuijsen
Jan Blokhuijsen, Dutch speed skater
- April 1
Christian Vietoris
Christian Vietoris, German racing driver
- April 2
Soviet Union
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Havana, Cuba, to meet with Fidel Castro in an attempt to mend strained relations.
- April 3
Supreme Court of the United States
The US Supreme Court upholds the jurisdictional rights of tribal courts under the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 in Mississippi Choctaw Band v. Holyfield.
- April 3
Israel Folau
Israel Folau, Australian rugby player and footballer
- April 3
Joel Romelo
Joel Romelo, Australian rugby league player
- April 3
Romain Alessandrini
Romain Alessandrini, French footballer
- April 3
Thisara Perera
Thisara Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- April 7
Franco Di Santo
Franco Di Santo, Argentinian footballer
- April 7
Teddy Riner
Teddy Riner, French judoka
- April 7
Mitchell Pearce
Mitchell Pearce, Australian rugby league player
- April 9
Massacre of Tbilisi
Tbilisi massacre: An anti-Soviet peaceful demonstration and hunger strike in Tbilisi, demanding restoration of Georgian independence, is dispersed by the Soviet Army, resulting in 20 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
- April 10
Charlie Culberson
Charlie Culberson, American baseball player
- April 12
Bethan Dainton
Bethan Dainton, Welsh rugby union player
- April 12
Miguel Ángel Ponce
Miguel Ángel Ponce, American-Mexican footballer
- April 12
Ádám Hanga
Ádám Hanga, Hungarian basketball player
- April 13
Josh Reynolds (rugby league)
Josh Reynolds, Australian rugby league player
- April 14
Joe Haden
Joe Haden, American football player
- April 15
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster, a human crush that caused 97 deaths in the worst disaster in British sporting history, occurred during an FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Sheffield.
- April 15
Hu Yaobang
Upon Hu Yaobang's death, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 begin in China.
- April 15
Death of Hu Yaobang
The death of former Chinese General Secretary Hu Yaobang triggered a series of events that led to the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing.
- April 15
Darren Nicholls
Darren Nicholls, Australian rugby league player
- April 17
Avi Kaplan
Avi Kaplan, singer and songwriter
- April 17
Paraskevi Papachristou
Paraskevi Papachristou, Greek triple jumper
- April 18
Alia Shawkat
Alia Shawkat, American actress
- April 19
Gun turret
A gun turret exploded on board the United States Navy battleship Iowa, killing 47 sailors.
- April 19
Simu Liu
Simu Liu, Canadian actor
- April 20
Vannesa Rosales
Vannesa Rosales, Venezuelan activist and teacher
- April 21
1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: In Beijing, around 100,000 students gather in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang.
- April 21
Nikki Cross
Nikki Cross, Scottish wrestler
- April 23
Nicole Vaidišová
Nicole Vaidišová, Czech tennis player
- April 24
Elīna Babkina
Elīna Babkina, Latvian basketball player
- April 24
David Boudia
David Boudia, American diver
- April 24
Taja Mohorčič
Taja Mohorčič, Slovenian tennis player
- April 25
Michael van Gerwen
Michael van Gerwen, Dutch darts player
- April 25
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama
- April 25
Marie-Michèle Gagnon
Marie-Michèle Gagnon, Canadian skier
- April 26
April 26 Editorial
An editorial was published in the People's Daily denouncing the growing unrest in Tiananmen Square in Beijing which would remain contentious through the remainder of the protests.
- April 26
Daulatpur–Saturia tornado
A tornado struck the Manikganj District of Bangladesh and killed an estimated 1,300 people, making it the deadliest tornado in history.
- April 26
People's Daily
People's Daily publishes the April 26 Editorial which inflames the nascent Tiananmen Square protests.
- April 26
Melvin Ingram
Melvin Ingram, American football player
- April 26
Daesung
Kang Daesung, South Korean singer
- April 27
April 27 demonstrations
The April 27 demonstrations, student-led protests responding to the April 26 Editorial, during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
- April 27
Lars Bender
Lars Bender, German footballer
- April 27
Sven Bender
Sven Bender, German footballer
- April 28
Kim Sung-kyu
Kim Sung-kyu, South Korean singer
- April 28
Emil Salomonsson
Emil Salomonsson, Swedish footballer
- April 29
Candace Owens
Candace Owens, American political commentator and activist
- April 29
Domagoj Vida
Domagoj Vida, Croatian footballer
- April 30
Monkseaton shootings
The Monkseaton shootings occur in Tyne and Wear, England. One is killed and 16 are injured.
May
- May 1
Victoria Monét
Victoria Monét, American singer-songwriter
- May 2
Cold War
Cold War: Hungary begins dismantling its border fence with Austria, which allows a number of East Germans to defect.
- May 3
Katinka Hosszú
Katinka Hosszú, Hungarian swimmer
- May 3
Jesse Bromwich
Jesse Bromwich, New Zealand rugby league player
- May 4
Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on mission STS-30 to deploy the Venus-bound Magellan space probe.
- May 4
Iran–Contra affair
Iran–Contra affair: Former White House aide Oliver North is convicted of three crimes and acquitted of nine other charges; the convictions are later overturned on appeal.
- May 4
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy, Northern Irish golfer
- May 4
James van Riemsdyk
James van Riemsdyk, American ice hockey player
- May 5
Agnes Knochenhauer
Agnes Knochenhauer, Swedish curler
- May 6
Cameron Heyward
Cameron Heyward, American football player
- May 6
Dominika Cibulková
Dominika Cibulková, Slovak tennis player
- May 7
Earl Thomas
Earl Thomas, American football player
- May 8
Lars Eller
Lars Eller, Danish ice hockey player
- May 9
Ellen White (footballer)
Ellen White, English footballer
- May 9
C418
Daniel Rosenfeld, German musician
- May 12
San Bernardino train disaster
The San Bernardino train disaster kills four people, only to be followed a week later by an underground gasoline pipeline explosion, which kills two more people.
- May 12
Eleftheria Eleftheriou
Eleftheria Eleftheriou, Greek Cypriot singer, musician, and actress
- May 13
1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
Large groups of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike.
- May 14
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski, American football player
- May 15
Sunny (singer)
Susan Soonkyu Lee, Korean-American singer and entertainer
- May 15
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, French footballer
- May 16
Behati Prinsloo
Behati Prinsloo, Namibian model
- May 17
Rain Raadik
Rain Raadik, Estonian basketball player
- May 17
Tessa Virtue
Tessa Virtue, Canadian ice dancer
- May 17
Mose Masoe
Mose Masoe, New Zealand rugby league player
- May 20
Democracy
The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiananmen Square massacre.
- May 20
Siosaia Vave
Siosia Vave, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
- May 22
Corey Dickerson
Corey Dickerson, American baseball player
- May 24
Andrew Jordan (racing driver)
Andrew Jordan, English race car driver
- May 24
G-Eazy
G-Eazy, American rapper
- May 24
Kalin Lucas
Kalin Lucas, American basketball player
- May 26
Tropical Storm Cecil
Tropical Storm Cecil dissipated over Laos after devastating Quảng Nam province, Vietnam, and causing the deaths of 751 people.
- May 26
Park Ye-eun
Park Ye-eun, South Korean singer
- May 26
Paula Findlay
Paula Findlay, Canadian triathlete
- May 29
Egypt
Signing of an agreement between Egypt and the United States that allows for the manufacture of F-16 Falcon parts in Egypt.
- May 30
1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: The 10-metre high "Goddess of Democracy" statue is unveiled in Tiananmen Square by student demonstrators.
- May 30
Lesia Tsurenko
Lesia Tsurenko, Ukrainian tennis player
- May 30
Ailee
Ailee, Korean-American singer and songwriter
- May 31
Marco Reus
Marco Reus, German footballer
June
- June 1
Nataliya Goncharova (volleyball)
Nataliya Goncharova, Ukrainian/Russian volleyball player
- June 1
Sammy Alex Mutahi
Sammy Alex Mutahi, Kenyan runner
- June 2
Steve Smith (cricketer)
Steve Smith, Australian cricketer
- June 3
Tiananmen Square
The government of China sends troops to force protesters out of Tiananmen Square after seven weeks of occupation.
- June 3
Imogen Poots
Imogen Poots, English actress and model
- June 3
Katie Hoff
Katie Hoff, American swimmer
- June 4
Solidarity (Polish trade union)
Solidarity's victory in the 1989 Polish legislative election occurs, the first election since the Communist Polish United Workers' Party abandoned its monopoly of power. It sparks off the Revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe.
- June 4
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army suppressed the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, leaving hundreds of people dead and wounded.
- June 4
1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
The 1989 Tiananmen Square protests are suppressed in Beijing by the People's Liberation Army, with between 241 and 10,000 dead (an unofficial estimate).
- June 4
1989 Iranian supreme leader election
In the 1989 Iranian supreme leader election, Ali Khamenei is elected as the new Supreme Leader of Iran after the death and funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini.
- June 4
Ruhollah Khomeini
Following the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the Assembly of Experts elected Ali Khamenei to be Supreme Leader of Iran.
- June 4
Ufa train disaster
Ufa train disaster: A natural gas explosion near Ufa, Russia, kills 575 as two trains passing each other throw sparks near a leaky pipeline.
- June 4
Paweł Fajdek
Paweł Fajdek, Polish hammer thrower
- June 5
Tank Man
An anonymous demonstrator, later dubbed "Tank Man", single-handedly stopped a column of Chinese tanks during the Tiananmen Square protests before being dragged aside.
- June 5
Megumi Nakajima
Megumi Nakajima, Japanese voice actress and singer
- June 5
Cam Atkinson
Cam Atkinson, American ice hockey player
- June 6
Jeanna Giese
Jeanna Giese, American rabies survivor
- June 7
Surinam Airways Flight 764
Surinam Airways Flight 764 (pictured) crashed while approaching Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, in Zanderij, killing 178 people, including members of the football team known as the Colourful 11.
- June 8
Timea Bacsinszky
Timea Bacsinszky, Swiss tennis player
- June 9
Logan Browning
Logan Browning, American actress
- June 9
Dídac Vilà
Dídac Vilà, Spanish footballer
- June 10
David Miller (South African cricketer)
David Miller, South African cricketer
- June 10
Alexandra Stan
Alexandra Stan, Romanian singer-songwriter, dancer, and model
- June 10
Mustapha Carayol
Mustapha Carayol, Gambian footballer
- June 11
Maya Moore
Maya Moore, American basketball player
- June 12
Emma Eliasson
Emma Eliasson, Swedish ice hockey player
- June 12
Ibrahim Jeilan
Ibrahim Jeilan, Ethiopian runner
- June 13
Ben Barba
Ben Barba, Australian rugby league player
- June 14
Lucy Hale
Lucy Hale, American actress and singer-songwriter
- June 14
Brad Takairangi
Brad Takairangi, Australian-Cook Islands rugby league player
- June 15
Bayley (wrestler)
Bayley, American wrestler
- June 15
Víctor Cabedo
Víctor Cabedo, Spanish cyclist (died 2012)
- June 15
Bryan Clauson
Bryan Clauson, American race car driver (died 2016)
- June 15
Lewis Hancox
Lewis Hancox, English graphic novelist, social media personality and filmmaker
- June 16
Revolutions of 1989
Revolutions of 1989: Imre Nagy, the former Hungarian prime minister, is reburied in Budapest following the collapse of Communism in Hungary.
- June 17
Interflug Flight 102
Interflug Flight 102 crashes during a rejected takeoff from Berlin Schönefeld Airport, killing 21 people.
- June 17
Simone Battle
Simone Battle, American singer and actress (died 2014)
- June 17
Georgios Tofas
Georgios Tofas, Cypriot footballer
- June 18
Chris Harris Jr.
Chris Harris Jr., American football player
- June 18
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, French-born Gabonese footballer
- June 20
Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, American actor
- June 20
Javier Pastore
Javier Pastore, Argentinian footballer
- June 20
Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor, American football player
- June 21
Supreme Court of the United States
The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, that American flag-burning is a form of political protest protected by the First Amendment.
- June 22
Jung Yong-hwa
Jung Yong-hwa, South Korean singer-songwriter and actor
- June 22
Cédric Mongongu
Cédric Mongongu, Congolese footballer
- June 23
Jordan Nolan
Jordan Nolan, Canadian ice hockey player
- June 23
Lisa Carrington
Lisa Carrington, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
- June 24
1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
Following the Tiananmen Square massacre, the 13th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party appointed Jiang Zemin as general secretary in place of Zhao Ziyang.
- June 24
Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin succeeds Zhao Ziyang to become the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.
- June 24
Teklemariam Medhin
Teklemariam Medhin, Eritrean runner
- June 27
Hana Birnerová
Hana Birnerová, Czech tennis player
- June 27
Sabino Brunello
Sabino Brunello, Italian chess grandmaster
- June 27
Matthew Lewis (actor)
Matthew Lewis, English actor
- June 28
Slobodan Milošević
President Slobodan Milošević gave a speech at Gazimestan in which he described the possibility of "armed battles" in the future of Serbia's national development.
- June 28
Battle of Kosovo
On the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo, Slobodan Milošević delivers the Gazimestan speech at the site of the historic battle.
- June 28
Andrew Fifita
Andrew Fifita, Australian rugby league player
- June 28
David Fifita (rugby league, born 1989)
David Fifita, Australian rugby league player
- June 28
Julia Zlobina
Julia Zlobina, Russian-Azerbaijani figure skater
- June 28
Markiplier
Markiplier, American internet personality
- June 28
Jason Clark (rugby league)
Jason Clark, Australian rugby league player
- June 30
1989 Sudanese coup d'état
A coup d'état in Sudan deposes the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and President Ahmed al-Mirghani.
- June 30
Peachtree 25th Building fire
A building fire in Atlanta killed five people.
- June 30
Asbel Kiprop
Asbel Kiprop, Kenyan runner
- June 30
David Myers (Australian footballer)
David Myers, Australian footballer
- June 30
Steffen Liebig
Steffen Liebig, German rugby player
July
- July 1
Kent Bazemore
Kent Bazemore, American basketball player
- July 1
Hannah Murray
Hannah Murray, English actress
- July 2
Alex Morgan
Alex Morgan, American soccer player
- July 2
Nadezhda Grishaeva
Nadezhda Grishaeva, Russian basketball player
- July 3
Elle King
Elle King, American singer, songwriter, and actress
- July 3
Mitchell Dodds
Mitchell Dodds, Australian rugby league player
- July 3
Danilo Cavalcante
Danilo Cavalcante, Brazilian convicted murderer
- July 4
Benjamin Büchel
Benjamin Büchel, Liechtensteiner footballer
- July 5
Iran–Contra affair
Iran–Contra affair: Oliver North is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerhard A. Gesell to a three-year suspended prison term, two years probation, $150,000 in fines and 1,200 hours community service. His convictions are later overturned.
- July 5
United States National Security Council
United States National Security Council member Oliver North was given a suspended sentence, probation, and community service for his part in the Iran–Contra affair.
- July 5
Adam Cole
Adam Cole, American wrestler
- July 5
Georgios Efrem
Georgios Efrem, Cypriot footballer
- July 6
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad member carried out a suicide attack by hijacking a bus and forcing it into a ravine near Kiryat Ye'arim, Israel.
- July 6
1989 Tel Aviv–Jerusalem bus attack
The Tel Aviv–Jerusalem bus 405 suicide attack: Sixteen bus passengers are killed when a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad took control of the bus and drove it over a cliff.
- July 7
List of Estonia women's international footballers
Miina Kallas, Estonian footballer
- July 7
Landon Cassill
Landon Cassill, American race car driver
- July 7
Karl-August Tiirmaa
Karl-August Tiirmaa, Estonian skier
- July 8
Tor Marius Gromstad
Tor Marius Gromstad, Norwegian footballer (died 2012)
- July 8
Yarden Gerbi
Yarden Gerbi, Israeli Judo champion
- July 11
Tobias Sana
Tobias Sana, Swedish footballer
- July 13
Charis Giannopoulos
Charis Giannopoulos, Greek basketball player
- July 13
Leon Bridges
Leon Bridges, American soul singer, songwriter and record producer
- July 16
Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale, Welsh footballer
- July 18
Rebecca Schaeffer
American actress Rebecca Schaeffer was shot and killed by Robert John Bardo, eventually prompting the passage of anti-stalking laws in California.
- July 18
Sebastian Mielitz
Sebastian Mielitz, German footballer
- July 18
Jamie Benn
Jamie Benn, Canadian ice hockey player
- July 19
United Airlines Flight 232
United Airlines Flight 232 crashes in Sioux City, Iowa, killing 111.
- July 19
Sam McKendry
Sam McKendry, Australian-New Zealand rugby league player
- July 19
Patrick Corbin
Patrick Corbin, American baseball player
- July 19
James Austin Johnson
James Austin Johnson, American actor and comedian
- July 20
Myanmar
Burma's ruling junta puts opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.
- July 20
Javier Cortés
Javier Cortés, Mexican footballer
- July 23
Harris English
Harris English, American professional golfer
- July 23
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe, English actor
- July 23
Donald Young (tennis)
Donald Young, American tennis player
- July 24
Maurkice Pouncey
Maurkice Pouncey, American football player
- July 25
Natalia Vieru
Natalia Vieru, Russian basketball player
- July 26
Grand jury
A federal grand jury indicts Cornell University student Robert T. Morris, Jr. for releasing the Morris worm, thus becoming the first person to be prosecuted under the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
- July 26
Jeon Yeo-been
Jeon Yeo-been, South Korean actress
- July 27
Tripoli International Airport
While attempting to land at Tripoli International Airport in Libya, Korean Air Flight 803 crashes just short of the runway. Seventy-five of the 199 passengers and crew and four people on the ground are killed, in the second accident involving a DC-10 in less than two weeks, the f
- July 27
Maya Ali
Maya Ali, Pakistani actress
- July 29
Grit Šadeiko
Grit Šadeiko, Estonian heptathlete
- July 30
Wayne Parnell
Wayne Parnell, South African cricketer
- July 30
Aleix Espargaró
Aleix Espargaró, Spanish motorcycle racer
- July 31
Alexis Knapp
Alexis Knapp, American actress
- July 31
Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka, Belarusian tennis player
August
- August 1
Madison Bumgarner
Madison Bumgarner, American baseball player
- August 2
1989 Valvettiturai massacre
A massacre is carried out by an Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka killing 64 ethnic Tamil civilians.
- August 2
Pakistan
Pakistan is re-admitted to the Commonwealth of Nations after having restored democracy for the first time since 1972.
- August 3
Jules Bianchi
Jules Bianchi, French racing driver (died 2015)
- August 3
Nick Viergever
Nick Viergever, Dutch footballer
- August 3
Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor, American football player
- August 4
Jessica Mauboy
Jessica Mauboy, Australian singer-songwriter and actress
- August 4
Wang Hao (chess player)
Wang Hao, Chinese chess grandmaster
- August 7
National Cold Fusion Institute
The National Cold Fusion Institute opened in Salt Lake City.
- August 7
Mickey Leland
U.S. Congressman Mickey Leland (D-TX) and 15 others die in a plane crash in Ethiopia.
- August 7
DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan, American basketball player
- August 11
Sebastian Huke
Sebastian Huke, German footballer
- August 11
Junior Heffernan
Junior Heffernan, Irish cyclist and triathlete (died 2013)
- August 13
Justin Greene
Justin Greene, American basketball player
- August 13
Greg Draper
Greg Draper, New Zealand footballer
- August 13
Israel Jiménez
Israel Jiménez, Mexican footballer
- August 14
Ander Herrera
Ander Herrera, Spanish footballer
- August 14
Kyle Turris
Kyle Turris, Canadian ice hockey player
- August 15
China Eastern Airlines Flight 5510
China Eastern Airlines Flight 5510 crashes after takeoff from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, killing 34 of the 40 people on board.
- August 15
Ryan McGowan
Ryan McGowan, Australian footballer
- August 15
Carlos PenaVega
Carlos PenaVega, American actor and singer
- August 15
Joe Jonas
Joe Jonas, American singer, songwriter, and actor
- August 15
Jordan Rapana
Jordan Rapana, New Zealand rugby league player
- August 16
Solar particle event
A solar particle event affects computers at the Toronto Stock Exchange, forcing a halt to trading.
- August 16
Wang Hao (race walker)
Wang Hao, Chinese race walker
- August 16
Cedric Alexander
Cedric Alexander, American wrestler
- August 16
Moussa Sissoko
Moussa Sissoko, French footballer
- August 18
Luis Carlos Galán
Leading presidential hopeful Luis Carlos Galán is assassinated near Bogotá in Colombia.
- August 19
Wojciech Jaruzelski
Polish president Wojciech Jaruzelski nominates Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki to be the first non-communist prime minister in 42 years.
- August 19
East Germany
Several hundred East Germans cross the frontier between Hungary and Austria during the Pan-European Picnic, part of the events that began the process of the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
- August 19
Romeo Miller
Romeo Miller, American basketball player, rapper, actor
- August 20
Dredging
After colliding with the dredger Bowbelle on the River Thames in London, the pleasure boat Marchioness sank in thirty seconds, killing 51 people.
- August 20
O-Bahn Busway
The final stage of the O-Bahn Busway in Adelaide, South Australia, was finished, completing at the time the world's longest and fastest guided busway, with buses (example pictured) travelling 12 km (7.5 mi) at speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph).
- August 20
Marchioness disaster
The pleasure boat Marchioness sinks on the River Thames following a collision. Fifty-one people are killed.
- August 21
James Davey (rugby league)
James Davey, English rugby league player
- August 21
Charlison Benschop
Charlison Benschop, Dutch footballer
- August 22
Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan strikes out Rickey Henderson to become the first Major League Baseball pitcher to record 5,000 strikeouts.
- August 23
Singing Revolution
Singing Revolution: Approximately two million people joined hands to form a human chain spanning 675.5 kilometres (419.7 mi) across the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Soviet republics to demonstrate their desire for independence.
- August 23
Trixie Mattel
Trixie Mattel, American drag queen, actor, and country singer
- August 23
Lianne La Havas
Lianne La Havas, British singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist
- August 23
TeddyLoid
TeddyLoid, Japanese musician
- August 23
Heiko Schwarz
Heiko Schwarz, German footballer
- August 24
Reynaldo (footballer, born 1989)
Reynaldo, Brazilian footballer
- August 24
Rocío Igarzábal
Rocío Igarzábal, Argentinian actress and singer
- August 25
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404, carrying 54 people, disappears over the Himalayas after takeoff from Gilgit Airport in Pakistan. The aircraft was never found.
- August 25
Voyager 2
Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Neptune, the last planet in the Solar System at the time, due to Pluto being within Neptune's orbit from 1979 to 1999.
- August 25
NASA
The NASA spacecraft Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Neptune and provided definitive proof of the existence of the planet's rings (pictured).
- August 25
Hiram Mier
Hiram Mier, Mexican footballer
- August 25
Jaakko Ohtonen
Jaakko Ohtonen, Finnish actor
- August 28
César Azpilicueta
César Azpilicueta, Spanish footballer
- August 28
Jo Kwon
Jo Kwon, South Korean singer and dancer
- August 28
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas, Finnish race car driver
- August 29
Charlotte Ritchie
Charlotte Ritchie, English actress
- August 30
Ronald Huth
Ronald Huth, Paraguayan footballer
- August 30
Simone Guerra
Simone Guerra, Italian footballer
- August 30
Bebe Rexha
Bebe Rexha, American singer-songwriter
- August 31
Dezmon Briscoe
Dezmon Briscoe, American football player
September
- September 3
Cubana de Aviación Flight 9046
Cubana de Aviación Flight 9046 crashes into a residential area of Havana shortly after takeoff from José Martí International Airport, killing 150.
- September 3
Varig Flight 254
Varig Flight 254 crashes in the Amazon rainforest near São José do Xingu in Brazil, killing 12.
- September 4
Leipzig
In Leipzig, East Germany, the first of weekly demonstration for the legalisation of opposition groups and democratic reforms takes place.
- September 4
Andrelton Simmons
Andrelton Simmons, Curaçaoan baseball player
- September 8
Partnair Flight 394
Partnair Flight 394 dives into the North Sea, killing 55 people. The investigation showed that the tail of the plane vibrated loose in flight due to sub-standard connecting bolts that had been fraudulently sold as aircraft-grade.
- September 10
Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey, Indian cricketer
- September 10
Matt Ritchie
Matt Ritchie, English footballer
- September 11
East Germany
Hungary announces that the East German refugees who had been housed in temporary camps were free to leave for West Germany.
- September 11
Michael J. Willett
Michael J. Willett, American actor and musician
- September 12
Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman, American-Canadian baseball player
- September 12
Andrew Luck
Andrew Luck, American football player
- September 13
Apartheid
Largest anti-Apartheid march in South Africa, led by Desmond Tutu.
- September 13
Jon Mannah
Jon Mannah, Australian rugby league player (died 2013)
- September 13
Elysée (footballer)
Elysée Irié Bi Séhi, Ivorian footballer
- September 13
Kenny Edwards (rugby league)
Kenny Edwards, New Zealand rugby league player
- September 14
Standard Gravure shooting
The Standard Gravure shooting where Joseph T. Wesbecker, a 47-year-old pressman, killed eight people and injured 12 people at his former workplace, Standard Gravure, before committing suicide.
- September 14
Typhoon Sarah (1989)
Typhoon Sarah dissipated after causing extensive damage along an erratic path across the Western Pacific, killing 71 in Taiwan, the Philippines, and the Gotō Islands.
- September 16
Boris Yeltsin
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.
- September 18
1989 Burkina Faso coup attempt
An attempted coup d'état against Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaoré is uncovered and foiled.
- September 18
Serge Ibaka
Serge Ibaka, Congolese-Spanish basketball player
- September 19
UTA Flight 772
UTA Flight 772 was bombed up over Niger by the Libyan government while flying from Chad to France, killing all 170 people on board.
- September 19
George Springer
George Springer, American baseball player
- September 20
USAir Flight 5050
USAir Flight 5050 crashes into Bowery Bay during a rejected takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, killing two people.
- September 22
Hyoyeon
Kim Hyo-yeon, South Korean singer, dancer, and actress
- September 22
Sabine Lisicki
Sabine Lisicki, German tennis player
- September 22
Jon Bass (actor)
Jon Bass, American actor
- September 23
Taniela Lasalo
Taniela Lasalo, Australian rugby league player
- September 23
Brandon Jennings
Brandon Jennings, American basketball player
- September 24
Pia Wurtzbach
Pia Wurtzbach, Filipina actress, model, and beauty queen, Miss Universe 2015
- September 25
Jordan Gavaris
Jordan Gavaris, Canadian actor
- September 25
Cuco Martina
Cuco Martina, Curaçaoan footballer
- September 25
Aldon Smith
Aldon Smith, American football player
- September 26
Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow, English cricketer
Questions about 1989
What happened in 1989?
This site records 400 entries for 1989, including 1989 air battle near Tobruk on January 4. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1989?
37 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1989 turns 37 this year.
Which century is 1989 in?
1989 falls in the 20th century, in the 1980s.
Which generation was born in 1989?
Millennials (Generation Y) (1981–1996). Came of age around the year 2000 and the rise of the internet.
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