World History Timeline

Timeline

341 events

20th century

  1. April 15, 1989 – June 4, 1989★★★★★

    Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown

    Weeks of student-led protests in Beijing end when troops suppress them on the night of 3–4 June.

    Politics· China
  2. September 1989★★★★★

    Vietnam withdraws from Cambodia

    Vietnam completes the withdrawal of its troops from Cambodia, opening the way to the Cambodian peace process.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, Cambodia
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 1990★★★★★

    Mongolian Democratic Revolution

    Peaceful protests lead to the end of one-party rule and multiparty elections in Mongolia.

    RevolutionPolitics· Mongolia
  6. February 11, 1990★★★★★

    Release of Nelson Mandela

    After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela walked free from Victor Verster Prison, opening the way to negotiations to end apartheid.

    Politics· South Africa
  7. 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
  8. August 2, 1990★★★★★

    Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

    Iraqi forces invade and occupy Kuwait, prompting UN sanctions and the formation of a US-led coalition.

    War· Iraq, Kuwait
  9. October 3, 1990★★★★★

    German reunification

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

    Politics· Germany
  10. 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
  11. January 17, 1991 – February 28, 1991★★★★★

    Gulf War

    A US-led coalition launches Operation Desert Storm, expelling Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

    War· Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United States
  13. 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
  14. April 1992★★★★★

    1992 Constitution of Vietnam

    The National Assembly adopts a new constitution enshrining the Đổi Mới reforms and a multi-sector economy.

    Politics· Vietnam
  15. April 5, 1992 – February 29, 1996★★★★★

    Siege of Sarajevo

    Bosnian Serb forces besiege Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for nearly four years, the longest siege of a capital city in modern warfare.

    War· Bosnia and Herzegovina
  18. September 13, 1993★★★★★

    Oslo Accords

    Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization recognise each other and sign the Declaration of Principles in Washington, creating the Palestinian Authority.

    Treaty· Israel, Palestine, United States
  19. November 1, 1993★★★★★

    European Union established by the Maastricht Treaty

    The Maastricht Treaty enters into force, formally establishing the European Union and laying the groundwork for a single currency.

    TreatyPolitics· Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Portugal
  21. January 1, 1994★★★★★

    NAFTA enters into force

    The North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico takes effect, creating one of the world's largest trade blocs.

    TreatyEconomy· United States, Canada, Mexico
  22. February 3, 1994★★★★★

    US lifts trade embargo on Vietnam

    President Bill Clinton announces the lifting of the US trade embargo on Vietnam.

    EconomyPolitics· Vietnam, United States
  23. April 7, 1994 – July 15, 1994★★★★★

    Rwandan genocide

    Over about 100 days, Hutu extremist forces killed hundreds of thousands of Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutu and Twa, until the Rwandan Patriotic Front took control of the country.

    War· Rwanda
  24. April 27, 1994★★★★★

    South Africa's first multiracial election

    South Africa held its first election with universal suffrage across all races; the ANC won and Nelson Mandela became president, marking the end of apartheid.

    Politics· South Africa
  25. July 11, 1995★★★★★

    Srebrenica massacre

    After capturing Srebrenica, Bosnian Serb forces kill more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys; international courts have ruled it a genocide.

    WarDeath· Bosnia and Herzegovina
  27. July 28, 1995★★★★★

    Vietnam joins ASEAN

    Vietnam becomes the seventh member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

    PoliticsTreaty· Vietnam
  28. December 14, 1995★★★★★

    Dayton Agreement

    A peace agreement negotiated in Dayton, United States, is formally signed in Paris, ending the Bosnian War.

    Treaty· Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, United States
  30. July 5, 1996★★★★★

    Birth of Dolly the sheep

    Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell, is born at the Roslin Institute in Scotland.

    Science· United Kingdom
  31. July 1, 1997★★★★★

    Handover of Hong Kong

    Britain transfers sovereignty over Hong Kong to China under the 'one country, two systems' principle.

    PoliticsTreaty· Hong Kong, China, United Kingdom
  32. April 10, 1998★★★★★

    Good Friday Agreement

    The British and Irish governments and Northern Ireland's parties sign a peace agreement, ending most of the violence of the Troubles.

    Treaty· United Kingdom, Ireland
  33. May 11, 1998★★★★★

    India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests

    India conducts a series of nuclear weapons tests at Pokhran; Pakistan responds with its own tests later that month.

    TechnologyPolitics· India, Pakistan
  34. May 21, 1998★★★★★

    Fall of Suharto

    Amid the Asian financial crisis and mass protests, President Suharto resigns after 31 years in power, opening Indonesia's Reformasi era.

    PoliticsRevolution· Indonesia
  35. August 2, 1998 – July 18, 2003★★★★★

    Second Congo War

    War in the Democratic Republic of the Congo drew in the armies of numerous African states; the fighting and associated famine and disease caused millions of deaths.

    War· DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia
  36. September 4, 1998★★★★★

    Google is founded

    Larry Page and Sergey Brin incorporate Google, which becomes the world's most widely used search engine.

    TechnologyEconomy· United States
  39. December 20, 1999★★★★★

    Handover of Macau

    Portugal transfers sovereignty over Macau to China, ending more than four centuries of Portuguese presence.

    Politics· Macau, China, Portugal
  40. June 13, 2000 – June 15, 2000★★★★★

    First inter-Korean summit

    South Korean President Kim Dae-jung meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.

    Politics· South Korea, North Korea
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