Nicolae Ceaușescu died on 25 December 1989 in Târgoviște, aged 71. A Romanian communist leader, Ceausescu became general secretary of the Communist Party in 1965 and ruled Romania until 1989. Early on he won Western praise for his independent foreign policy, including a refusal to join the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. Over time his regime turned into a repressive personality cult, supported by the secret police, the Securitate. The austerity imposed to repay foreign debt caused severe shortages, and his plan to demolish villages and build a huge palace in Bucharest provoked wide resentment. He was overthrown in December 1989 and executed after a hasty trial together with his wife Elena.
Before and after
- from 15 December 1989 to 27 December 1989Romanian Revolution (1989)
- 17 December 1989Premiere of The Simpsons
- from 20 December 1989 to 31 January 1990United States invasion of Panama
- 22 December 1989Death of Samuel Beckett
- 25 December 1989Death of Nicolae Ceaușescu
- 31 December 1989First flight of Sukhoi Su-30
- from 1990 to 2003Human Genome Project
- 1990National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran
- 1990Rise of K-pop
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 12 March 1947 to 25 December 1991Cold War
- from 3 April 1948 to 1 December 1951Marshall Plan
- 26 July 1953Cuban Revolution
- from 14 October 1962 to 28 October 1962Cuban Missile Crisis
- from 2 April 1982 to 14 June 1982Falklands War
- 26 December 1991Dissolution of the Soviet Union
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.