1989

## Events

* 3rd January - Growing tired of The Firm's speed of work and being threatened by Gregory Mantel, Joanne Francis hatches an escape plan and is caught up in a hefty car chase with Brad Williams. Meanwhile, Kathy Beale sets up James Willmott-Brown with the police when he tries bribing her accusations with money.
* 12th January - Pat Wicks slaps Wicksy in the face after he gives her cheek from discovering that she withdrew a thousand pound for Sharon Watts' savings account that Den had left her.
* 19th January - After many months of their marriage falling apart after the rape attack from Willmott-Brown, Kathy tells a heartbroken Pete that their marriage is over.
* 26th January - Carmel Roberts and Matthew Jackson wed in a registry office.
* 2nd February - A torn apart and reliant on alcohol Pete steals Mehmet Osman's car and crashes it outside The Vic.
* 7th February - Rod Norman saves Donna Ludlow from a potential gang rape attack.
* 9th February - Donna tells the residents of Albert Square a vicious lie that her adopted parents have died in a car crash. However, her seedy little lie is brought a front when Mrs Ludlow turns up in The Vic.
* 14th February - Trevor Kellow hangs himself in Dickens Hill Prison.
* 23rd February - Managing to escape the grasps of the police but being hunted down by The Firm, Den Watts comes face-to-face with a gunshot at the Grand Union Canal. Meanwhile, Colin Russell leaves the Square.
* 14th March - Donna tells Sue Osman that her husband Ali has been having an affair with her.
* 16th March - Frank Butchers's new motor business is officially opened in the Square. A heartbroken Sue finds comfort in Mehmet and kisses him when she knows Ali is in eyesight. The two brothers ensue into a brutal fight.
* 21st March - Guizin Osman confronts and attacks her husband Mehmet after being informed by Ali on what he saw. She tells him that their marriage is over and he is forbidden to ever see their children again (Final appearance of the character).
* 23rd March - The police inform Michelle Fowler and Sharon that a dead body has been found at the canal and they believe it is Den's.
* 4th April - Michelle finally confesses to Sharon that Den is Vicki's father. A heartbroken Sharon flees into the night.
* 6th April - Arthur Fowler overhears Pauline Fowler and Michelle discussing Vicki's parentage and is disgusted to discover Den is her father.
* 11th April - The residents gather for the funeral of Den Watts.
* 13th April - After being neglected by Kathy for the last time, Donna Ludlow overdoses and chokes on her own vomit. She is found dead by Dot Cotton on the floor of No.23.
* 27th April - The court case on Kathy's rape attack from Willmott-Brown goes underway.
* 2nd May - The court reaches a verdict and Willmott-Brown is found guilty of rape.
* 4th May - The Karim's hold a party for the community at the community centre.
* 11th May - An engaged Cindy Williams sleeps with Simon Wicks in the bar of The Queen Victoria.
* 16th May - A woman by the name of Hazel turns up in Walford looking for Dot. Dot is delighted when she tells her that she is Nick's girlfriend and that she has a granddaughter - unknown to her that it's one of Nick's cons. Meanwhile, Vicki is rushed off in an ambulance with meningitis.
* 23rd May - Sue Osman reaches breaking point and is sectioned after Ali takes their child Little Ali away from her (Final appearance of the character).
* 25th May - Paul Priestly and Diane Butcher bump into a gang of yobs on their way home from a concert. Paul is beaten up.
* 1st June - Arthur Fowler appears as a contestant on the gameshow *Cat & Mouse*. Frank proposes to Pat.
* 8th June - Cindy discovers she's pregnant with Wicksy's child.
* 13th June - Melody is approached by a paedophile and he tries enticing her into his van with sweets. She bites him and runs away.
* 22nd June - Pat and Frank wed, and an extravagant street party is held in the Square for their reception.
* 27th June - Dot gets talking to a woman known as Joan Leggett, but is mortified to discover she too is married to her husband Charlie Cotton.
* 13th July - Junior Roberts witnesses Matthew beating his aunt Carmel, and in an act of defence, stabs him.
* 25th July - A mended Matthew returns to the Square from hospital were Carmel ends their marriage.
* 15th August - Men wearing balaclavas smash up the car lot with baseball bats and crowbars. Several of the residents try fighting them off and restrain them until the police arrive. One of the men behind the balaclavas turns out to be Vince Johnson.
* 24th August - Carmel and the children leave the Square to look after Carmel's mother after her father dies (Final appearance of the character).
* 31st August - Janine Butcher runs away from home, sending the family and the residents into turmoil.
* 5th September - After a night of searching, Janine is finally found on Marsh Road in an old caravan.
* 7th September - David Samuels returns to Israel with his fiancée Ruth (Final appearance of the character).
* 21st September - Ricky Butcher takes Marie Davies out for a test drive in his new car, despite not having a licence. He accidentally runs over Pauline and she is knocked unconscious.
* 3rd October - Cindy tells Wicksy that he is the father of her unborn baby and she wants to be with him not Ian.
* 10th October - After loosing everything that ever mattered to him in Albert Square, loosing his family home to Alan McIntyre was the final straw for Ali Osman. After smashing the home up with a crowbar, Ali leaves the Square in the back of a car witnessing Ian Beale painting over his last speck of existence there (Final appearance of Ali Osman).
* 12th October - Cindy Williams and Ian Beale tie the knot in a registry office.
* 17th October - Pat and Frank Butcher leave The Vic to start a new business venture at Abercorn B&B.
* 7th November - Sufia Karim overhears her children discussing her husband Ashraf's affair with another woman.
* 23rd November - Marge Green is mugged as she walks home after a drink at The Vic. Danny Whiting spots the mugging and fights the men off.
* 12th December - Dot, Ethel Skinner, Marge and Mo Butcher set off with the Walford coach party for a few days in Clacton-on-Sea.
* 26th December - Arthur and Michelle plan a treasure hunt for the residents of Albert Square. Meanwhile, Cindy goes into labour.
* 28th December - Cindy gives birth to Steven Beale.

## Real life events

* 24th January - *EastEnders* airs the first mouth-to-mouth kiss between two men on British television. Furious MPs demanded a ban on the show, who claimed it was 'disgraceful' to air this pre-watershed.

## See also

* EastEnders in 1989
* Category:1989 episodes