Events of 1989

Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe begins to collapse.

Tanker Exxon Valdez runs aground on a reef in the Gulf of Alaska, causing about 265,000 barrels of oil to spill into the waters. This is the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Minutes after the soccer game begins, thousands of late-arriving fans pour into an already-packed stadium, killing 95 people and injuring almost 2,000.

Chinese troops and tanks crush pro-democracy demonstrations at Beijing's Tiananmen Square, with many civilian casualties.

In the case of Texas v. Johnson, the Court rules 5-4 that burning the American flag as a form of protest is protected under the First Amendment

The East German government submitted to mass protests for more freedoms and opened its borders, allowing its people to visit the West. This marks the beginning of the end of Communism.

President Bush orders "Operation Just Cause", an invasion of Panama to bring its President, Manuel Noriega, to justice for drug trafficking.