The Berlin Wall was built by the German Democratic Republic, which closed the border between East and West Berlin overnight with barbed wire that was soon replaced by concrete. The aim was to stop the flight of East Germans to the West, which by then had drained the country of millions of its citizens. Over time the barrier grew into a system of walls, watchtowers, guard dogs and a death strip, running for over 150 kilometres around West Berlin, and at least a hundred people died trying to cross it. Crossing points such as Checkpoint Charlie became symbols of the Cold War. The Wall fell when East Germany opened its borders, and Germany was reunified in October 1990.
Before and after
- 1 July 1961Birth of Diana, Princess of Wales
- 2 July 1961Death of Ernest Hemingway
- 4 August 1961Birth of Barack Obama
- 6 August 1961Launch of Vostok 2
- from 13 August 1961 to 9 November 1989Construction of Berlin Wall
- from 1 September 1961 to 29 May 1991Eritrean War of Independence
- 11 September 1961The World Wildlife Fund is founded
- 18 September 1961Founding of CONCACAF
- 18 September 1961Birth of James Gandolfini
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1946First edition of Cannes Film Festival
- from 25 August 1966 to 11 September 2001Construction of World Trade Center
- 27 May 1992Publication of Azərbaycan marşı
- 2003Construction of Three Gorges Dam
- 2009Premiere of As Aventuras de Gui & Estopa
- from 17 September 2021 to 27 June 2025Premiere of Squid Game
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.