Timeline

20th century

1. December 25, 1978 – 1989★★★★★

   Cambodian–Vietnamese War

   Following Khmer Rouge border attacks, Vietnam invades Cambodia, takes Phnom Penh on 7 January 1979 and overthrows the Khmer Rouge; Vietnamese troops remain until 1989.

   War· Vietnam, Cambodia
2. February 17, 1979 – March 16, 1979★★★★★

   Sino-Vietnamese War

   China attacks Vietnam's northern border provinces and withdraws after about a month; both sides claim victory.

   War· Vietnam, China
3. July 19, 1979★★★★★

   Sandinista revolution triumphs in Nicaragua

   The Sandinista National Liberation Front enters Managua after dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle flees, ending the Somoza family's rule.

   Revolution· Nicaragua
4. April 18, 1980★★★★★

   Zimbabwe gains independence

   After a guerrilla war and the Lancaster House Agreement, Rhodesia became the internationally recognised independent state of Zimbabwe, with Robert Mugabe as prime minister.

   Politics· Zimbabwe, United Kingdom
5. May 8, 1980★★★★★

   Smallpox declared eradicated

   The World Health Assembly officially declares smallpox eradicated, the first human infectious disease to be wiped out.

   ScienceDisease· Switzerland
6. May 18, 1980 – May 27, 1980★★★★★

   Gwangju Uprising

   Citizens of Gwangju rise against Chun Doo-hwan's military regime; the uprising is violently suppressed by the army.

   PoliticsRevolution· South Korea
7. August 31, 1980★★★★★

   Gdańsk Agreement and the rise of Solidarity

   After strikes at the Gdańsk shipyard, Poland's government accepts the right to form independent trade unions, opening the way for Lech Wałęsa's Solidarity movement.

   PoliticsRevolution· Poland
8. September 22, 1980 – August 20, 1988★★★★★

   Iran–Iraq War

   Saddam Hussein's Iraq invades Iran, beginning an eight-year war of attrition that kills hundreds of thousands.

   War· Iran, Iraq
9. August 12, 1981★★★★★

   IBM launches the IBM Personal Computer

   IBM introduces the IBM PC, whose architecture becomes the de facto standard for personal computers for decades.

   TechnologyEconomy· United States
10. April 2, 1982 – June 14, 1982★★★★★

    Falklands War

    Argentina seizes the Falkland Islands; Britain dispatches a task force and retakes the islands after a 74-day conflict.

    War· Argentina, United Kingdom
11. 1983 – 1985★★★★★

    Ethiopian famine of 1983–1985

    Drought combined with civil war and government policies caused a major famine in Ethiopia that killed several hundred thousand to a million people and prompted the Live Aid relief effort.

    Disaster· Ethiopia
12. 1983★★★★★

    Discovery of HIV

    A team at the Pasteur Institute including Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier reports the virus later named HIV, the cause of AIDS.

    ScienceDisease· France
13. January 1, 1983★★★★★

    ARPANET switches to TCP/IP

    ARPANET officially switches to the TCP/IP protocol suite, often regarded as the birth of the modern Internet.

    Technology· United States
14. July 23, 1983 – May 18, 2009★★★★★

    Sri Lankan Civil War

    A 26-year armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ends in the LTTE's defeat.

    War· Sri Lanka
15. October 31, 1984★★★★★

    Assassination of Indira Gandhi

    Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is shot dead by two Sikh bodyguards in New Delhi after Operation Blue Star, triggering anti-Sikh riots.

    DeathPolitics· India
16. December 1984★★★★★

    Bhopal disaster

    A methyl isocyanate gas leak from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal kills thousands, the world's worst industrial disaster.

    Disaster· India
17. March 11, 1985★★★★★

    Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader

    Mikhail Gorbachev is chosen as General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party and goes on to launch the policies of perestroika and glasnost.

    Politics· Russia
18. February 22, 1986 – February 25, 1986★★★★★

    People Power Revolution

    Mass peaceful demonstrations in Manila oust President Ferdinand Marcos and bring Corazon Aquino to power.

    RevolutionPolitics· Philippines
19. April 26, 1986★★★★★

    Chernobyl disaster

    Reactor No. 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Soviet Ukraine explodes, spreading radioactive material across Europe in the worst nuclear accident in history.

    DisasterTechnology· Ukraine, Belarus, Russia
20. December 1986★★★★★

    Vietnam launches Đổi Mới

    The 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam adopts Đổi Mới, shifting to a socialist-oriented market economy.

    EconomyPolitics· Vietnam
21. June 1987★★★★★

    June Democratic Struggle

    Nationwide protests force South Korea's government to accept direct presidential elections, ushering in democracy.

    PoliticsRevolution· South Korea
22. July 15, 1987★★★★★

    Martial law lifted in Taiwan

    Chiang Ching-kuo lifts 38 years of martial law, opening the way to Taiwan's democratisation.

    Politics· Taiwan
23. December 1987 – 1993★★★★★

    First Intifada

    Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip rise up against Israeli occupation, in an uprising lasting until the Oslo Accords.

    RevolutionPolitics· Palestine, Israel
24. March 14, 1988★★★★★

    Johnson South Reef skirmish

    Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces clash at Johnson South Reef in the Spratly Islands; about 64 Vietnamese sailors are killed.

    War· Vietnam, China
25. August 8, 1988★★★★★

    8888 Uprising in Burma

    Nationwide pro-democracy protests in Burma are violently suppressed by the military; Aung San Suu Kyi emerges as an opposition leader.

    RevolutionPolitics· Myanmar
26. September 17, 1988 – October 2, 1988★★★★★

    1988 Seoul Olympics

    Seoul hosts the Summer Olympics, marking South Korea's economic and international emergence.

    Culture· South Korea
27. October 5, 1988★★★★★

    1988 Chilean national plebiscite

    Chilean voters reject extending General Pinochet's rule, paving the way for a return to democracy.

    Politics· Chile
28. March 12, 1989★★★★★

    World Wide Web proposed

    Tim Berners-Lee submits "Information Management: A Proposal" at CERN, the origin of the World Wide Web.

    Technology· Switzerland
29. 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
30. 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
31. 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
32. 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
33. 1990★★★★★

    Mongolian Democratic Revolution

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

    RevolutionPolitics· Mongolia
34. 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
35. 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
36. 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
37. October 3, 1990★★★★★

    German reunification

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

    Politics· Germany
38. 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
39. 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
40. November 1991★★★★★

    China and Vietnam normalise relations

    Vietnam and China normalise relations after more than a decade of hostility.

    PoliticsTreaty· Vietnam, China
41. 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
42. 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
43. 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
44. June 3, 1992★★★★★

    Mabo decision recognises native title in Australia

    The High Court of Australia rejected the doctrine of terra nullius and recognised Indigenous native title to land, in the case brought by Eddie Mabo.

    Politics· Australia
45. 1993★★★★★

    Complex of Huế Monuments inscribed by UNESCO

    The Complex of Huế Monuments becomes Vietnam's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Culture· Vietnam
46. 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
47. 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
48. 1994★★★★★

    Hạ Long Bay inscribed by UNESCO

    Hạ Long Bay is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its natural value.

    Culture· Vietnam
49. 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
50. 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