World History Timeline

Related events

November 9, 1989★★★★★

Fall of the Berlin Wall

East Germany opens its border and crowds cross the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War's end.

Politics· Germany
November 17, 1989 – December 29, 1989★★★★★

Velvet Revolution

Peaceful protests in Czechoslovakia bring an end to Communist rule; Václav Havel is elected president.

Revolution· Czechia, Slovakia
April 24, 1990★★★★★

Launch of the Hubble Space Telescope

Space Shuttle Discovery carries the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit, where it transforms our understanding of the universe.

ScienceTechnology· United States
October 3, 1990★★★★★

German reunification

The German Democratic Republic joins the Federal Republic of Germany, ending more than four decades of division.

Politics· Germany
1991 – 2001★★★★★

Yugoslav Wars

A series of ethnic conflicts and wars of independence accompany the break-up of Yugoslavia, killing an estimated 130,000–140,000 people and involving numerous war crimes.

War· Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro
December 26, 1991★★★★★

Dissolution of the Soviet Union

The Supreme Soviet formally dissolves the USSR, a day after Gorbachev's resignation.

Politics· Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan