Black January refers to the events in Baku, the capital of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, when Soviet troops entered the city to suppress the Azerbaijani Popular Front and to restore Communist Party control. The Soviet leadership, under Mikhail Gorbachev, declared a state of emergency, claiming the aim was to stop violence against the Armenian population during the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The troops fired on civilians, killing more than a hundred people and injuring many more. The event damaged the legitimacy of Soviet rule in Azerbaijan, and strengthened support for independence, which was declared in 1991. It is commemorated in Azerbaijan as a day of mourning.
Before and after
- 1990Rise of riot grrrl
- 1990Founding of Shanghai Stock Exchange
- 1990Iraqi invasion of Kuwait
- 19901990 becomes the warmest year on record
- 20 January 1990Black January
- 11 February 1990Nelson Mandela is released from prison
- from March 1990 to March 1997South Armagh sniper campaign
- from 8 April 1990 to 10 June 1991Premiere of Twin Peaks
- 13 April 1990First flight of Sukhoi Su-34
More in Society, economy & sport
- 24 October 1945Founding of United Nations Security Council
- 5 October 1948Founding of International Union for Conservation of Nature
- 5 May 1949Founding of Council of Europe
- 1952Founding of European Parliament
- 1985Introduction of new shekel
- 1990Rise of K-pop
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.