Explore 5093 historical events from 1980–1989.
Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski was a Polish military general, politician and de facto leader of the Polish People's Republic from 1981 until 1989, serving as a military dictator from 1…
Polish president Wojciech Jaruzelski nominates Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki to be the first non-communist…
Ellen Toni Convery is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. She is the record goalscorer for the England women's national team.
Ellen White, English footballer
Daniel Rosenfeld, known professionally as C418, is a German musician, composer, and producer, and sound designer. Known for his minimalistic ambient work, he rose to fame as the or…
Daniel Rosenfeld, German musician
Giovani dos Santos Ramírez is a Mexican former professional footballer. A versatile forward, dos Santos played as an attacking midfielder, winger, and secondary striker.
Giovani dos Santos, Mexican footballer
Cameron Jerrell Newton is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers…
Cam Newton, American football player
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany on 3 O…
Several hundred East Germans cross the frontier between Hungary and Austria during the Pan-European Picnic, part of…
The Marchioness disaster was a collision between two vessels on the River Thames in London in the early hours of 20 August 1989, which resulted in the deaths of 51 people. The plea…
The pleasure boat Marchioness sinks on the River Thames following a collision. Fifty-one people are killed.
Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr., nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Ba…
Nolan Ryan strikes out Rickey Henderson to become the first Major League Baseball pitcher to record 5,000 strikeouts.
The Singing Revolution was a series of events from 1987 to 1991 that led to the restoration of independence of the three Soviet-occupied Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Li…
Singing Revolution: Two million people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania stand on the Vilnius–Tallinn road, holding…
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country located in South America, with insular regions in North America. Colombia's mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to…
Colombian drug barons declare "total war" on the Colombian government.
Eleftheria Eleftheriou is a Greek Cypriot singer. She came to prominence through her participation in the second season of the Greek version of The X Factor. Shortly after her elim…
Eleftheria Eleftheriou, Greek Cypriot singer, musician, and actress
Mapou Nzapali Yanga-Mbiwa is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for FC Istres who are in Championnat National.
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, French footballer
Mose Masoe is a former Samoa international rugby league footballer who last played as a prop for Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League.
Mose Masoe, New Zealand rugby league player
Rain Raadik is an Estonian professional basketball player who plays for Valentino Basket Castellaneta of the Serie C Italian Basketball League. He is a 2.08 m tall power forward an…
Rain Raadik, Estonian basketball player
Voyager 2 is a space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, as a part of the Voyager program. It was launched on a trajectory towards the gas giants and enabled further encount…
Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Neptune, the last planet in the Solar System at the time, due to…
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404 was a Fokker F27 Friendship that disappeared shortly after takeoff on 25 August 1989. The aircraft presumably crashed somewhere in the Hi…
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404, carrying 54 people, disappears over the Himalayas after takeoff from…
Varig Flight 254 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from São Paulo, Brazil, to Belém, capital city of the state of Pará in the country's North Region. On 3 September 1989, t…
Varig Flight 254 crashes in the Amazon rainforest near São José do Xingu in Brazil, killing 12.
Leipzig is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 633,592 residents as of 31 December 2025. It is the eighth-largest city in Germany and…
In Leipzig, East Germany, the first of weekly demonstration for the legalisation of opposition groups and democratic…
Partnair Flight 394 was a chartered flight that crashed on 8 September 1989 off the coast of Denmark, 18 kilometres north of Hirtshals. All 55 people on board the aircraft died, ma…
Partnair Flight 394 dives into the North Sea, killing 55 people. The investigation showed that the tail of the plane…
Behati Prinsloo is a Namibian model. In 2008, she became a Pink contract model, and moved on to become a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2009. She walked in twelve Victoria's Secret Fas…
Behati Prinsloo, Namibian model
Siosaia Vave is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the St Mary's Saints in the Ron Massey Cup. He previously played for the Parramatta Eels, Manl…
Siosia Vave, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
Emily Iris Robins is a British-born New Zealand actress and singer. She was born to Danny Robins and Susan Robins. She is known for her role in the popular TV2 soap opera Shortland…
Emily Robins, New Zealand actress and singer
Thomas Henry Alex "Hal" Robson-Kanu is a former professional footballer who played as a forward. Born in England, he played for the Wales national team. Although he initially playe…
Hal Robson-Kanu, Welsh footballer
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany on 3 O…
Hungary announces that the East German refugees who had been housed in temporary camps were free to leave for West…