page_title: 1989
section_title: November
hierarchical_section_title: 1989 / Events / November
caption_attribution_description: English: Vaclav Havel and protesters commemorate the struggle for Freedom and Democracy at Prague memorial during 1989 Velvet Revolution.
context_page_description: 1989 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1989th year of the Common Era and Anno Domini designations, the 989th year of the 2nd millennium, the 89th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1980s decade.
  1989 was a turning point in political history because a wave of revolutions swept the Eastern Bloc in Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power sharing, coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin Wall in November, and the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, embracing the overthrow of the communist dictatorship in Romania in December, and ending in December 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. These are collectively known as the Revolutions of 1989.
  It was the year of the first Brazilian presidential election in 29 years, since the end of the military government in 1985 that ruled the country for more than twenty years, and marked the redemocratization process's final point.
  F.
context_section_description: November
  First commercial dial-up Internet connection in North America is made, by The World STD.
  The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) board is established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India.
  November 1
  The President of Nicaragua ends a ceasefire with U.S.-backed contras that has been in effect since April 1988.
  The border between East Germany and Czechoslovakia is reopened.
  November 3 – East German refugees arrive at the West German town of Hof after being allowed through Czechoslovakia.
  November 4
  Alexanderplatz demonstration in East Berlin. Half a million people protest against communist rule in East Germany.
  Typhoon Gay devastates Thailand's Chumphon Province.
  November 6 – The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is established.
  November 7
  Cold War: The Communist government of East Germany resigns, although SED leader Egon Krenz remains as head of state.
  Lieutenant Governor Douglas Wilder wins the Virginia gubernatorial race, becoming the first African-American elected Governor in the United States.
  David Dinkins becomes the first African-American mayor of New York City.
  November 9
  Cold War and Fall of the Berlin Wall: Günter Schabowski accidentally states in a live broadcast press conference that new rules for traveling from East Germany to West Germany will be put in effect "immediately". East Germany opens checkpoints in the Berlin Wall, allowing its citizens to travel freely to West Germany for the first time in decades. In the first week, travel visas will be issued to around 25% of the East German population. (November 17 celebrates Germans tearing the wall down).
  Yıldırım Akbulut of Motherland Party (Turkey) (ANAP) forms the new government of Turkey (47th government).
  November 10
  After 45 years of Communist rule in Bulgaria, Bulgarian Communist Party leader Todor Zhivkov is replaced by Foreign Minister Petar Mladenov, who changes the party's name to the Bulgarian Socialist Party.
  Gaby Kennard becomes the first Australian woman to fly solo around the world.
  November 12 – Brazil holds its first free presidential election since 1960.
  November 13 – Hans-Adam II becomes Prince of Liechtenstein on the death of his father, Prince Franz Joseph II.
  November 14 – Elections are held in Namibia, leading to a victory for the South West Africa People's Organisation.
  November 15
  Lech Wałęsa, leader of Poland's Solidarity movement, addresses a Joint session of the United States Congress.
  Brazil holds the first round of its first free election in 29 years; Fernando Collor de Mello and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva advance to the second round, to be held the following month.
  November 16
  Six Jesuit priests are murdered by U.S. trained Salvadoran soldiers.
  The first American cosmetics shop in the Soviet Union, an Estée Lauder outlet, opens in Moscow.
  South African President F. W. de Klerk announces the scrapping of the Separate Amenities Act.
  UNESCO adopts the Seville Statement on Violence at the 25th session of its General Conference.
  November 17 – Cold War: Velvet Revolution – A peaceful student demonstration in Prague, Czechoslovakia, is severely beaten back by riot police. This sparks a revolution aimed at overthrowing the Communist government (it succeeds on December 29).
  November 20 – Cold War: Velvet Revolution – The number of peaceful protesters assembled in Prague, Czechoslovakia, swells from 200,000 the day before to an estimated half-million.
  November 21 – The Members of the Constituent Assembly of Namibia begin to draft the Constitution of Namibia, which will be the constitution of the newly independent Namibia.
  November 22 – In West Beirut, a bomb explodes near the motorcade of Lebanese President René Moawad, killing him.
  November 24 – Following a week of demonstrations demanding free elections and other reforms, General Secretary Miloš Jakeš and other leaders of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia resign. Jakeš is replaced by Karel Urbánek.
  November 26 – 1989 Uruguayan general election: Luis Alberto Lacalle is elected President of Uruguay.
  November 27 – Colombian do
caption: A peaceful demonstration in Prague during the Velvet Revolution
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