1990★★★★★
Mongolian Democratic Revolution
Peaceful protests lead to the end of one-party rule and multiparty elections in Mongolia.
RevolutionPolitics· Mongolia
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Events this year
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
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
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
October 3, 1990★★★★★
German reunification
The German Democratic Republic joins the Federal Republic of Germany, ending more than four decades of division.
Politics· Germany
Ongoing
c. 1975 – c. 1995★★★★★
Vietnamese boat people
Hundreds of thousands of people flee Vietnam by sea after 1975; many die at sea and others are resettled, mostly in Western countries.
Politics· Vietnam, United States, Australia, Canada, France, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
April 13, 1975 – 1990★★★★★
Lebanese Civil War
A multi-sided civil war devastates Lebanon for fifteen years, with intervention by Syria, Israel and other foreign forces.
War· Lebanon
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
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