22 records
Africa
- BWA
Botswana · Politics & Power
Death of Seretse Khama
Botswana's founding president dies in office; power passes peacefully to Vice-President Quett Masire, confirming the country's democratic stability.
Independence, Diamonds and Democracy
Sources: Sir Seretse Khama (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Seretse Khama (Wikipedia)
- BFA
Burkina Faso · Politics & Power · 25 November 1980
Coup brings Saye Zerbo to power
Colonel Saye Zerbo overthrows Lamizana, continuing the pattern of military seizures of power.
Independence and the Cycle of Coups
Sources: List of heads of state of Burkina Faso (Wikipedia) · Background Notes: Burkina Faso (U.S. Department of State)
- CPV
Cape Verde · Politics & Power · 14 November 1980
Bissau coup ends the union
A coup in Guinea-Bissau led by João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira overthrew President Luís Cabral and shattered the planned union with Cape Verde, whose PAIGC branch broke away to form the separate PAICV.
The broken union and the turn to democracy
Sources: History of Cape Verde (Wikipedia) · 1980 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état (Wikipedia) · History of Cabo Verde (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- GNB
Guinea-Bissau · Politics & Power · 14 November 1980
Nino Vieira seizes power
A coup led by João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira overthrew President Luís Cabral, fracturing the planned union with Cape Verde and beginning Vieira's dominance of national politics.
Instability, civil war and the cocaine route
Sources: History of Guinea-Bissau (Wikipedia) · Guinea-Bissau (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · A Guide to the History of Recognition: Guinea-Bissau (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
- CIV
Ivory Coast · Economy & Trade · early 1980s
Commodity slump ends the boom
A collapse in world cocoa and coffee prices ended the era of rapid growth, leaving heavy debt and rising discontent that would strain the one-party system.
The Ivorian miracle and the long Houphouët-Boigny era
Sources: History of Ivory Coast (1960–99) (Wikipedia) · History of Côte d'Ivoire (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- LBR
Liberia · Politics & Power · 12 April 1980
Samuel Doe's coup ends settler rule
Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe led soldiers who killed President Tolbert and seized power, ending 133 years of Americo-Liberian and True Whig dominance; thirteen officials were soon publicly executed.
The Tubman era and the 1980 coup
Sources: 1980 Liberian coup d'état (Wikipedia) · Samuel K. Doe (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Background Note: Liberia (U.S. Department of State)
- SEN
Senegal · Politics & Power · 31 December 1980
Senghor resigns peacefully
Senghor voluntarily hands power to Prime Minister Abdou Diouf, Senegal's first orderly transfer of power.
Independence and the Senghor Republic
Sources: Léopold Sédar Senghor (web dossier) (African Studies Centre Leiden) · Senegal Just Saved Its Democracy (United States Institute of Peace)
- UGA
Uganda · Politics & Power · December 1980
Obote returns to power
After interim governments under Lule and Binaisa, disputed elections return Milton Obote and the UPC to power; opponents allege the vote was rigged.
Idi Amin and the War that Ousted Him
Sources: Godfrey Binaisa (Wikipedia) · Milton Obote (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- ZWE
Zimbabwe · Independence · 18 April 1980
Independence under Robert Mugabe
Zimbabwe became an internationally recognised independent state, with Mugabe's ZANU(PF) in power after winning the February 1980 election.
Independence, Gukurahundi and the Mugabe years
Sources: Zimbabwe: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Robert Mugabe (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Asia
- IRN
Iran · War & Rupture · 1980–1988
The Iran–Iraq War
Iraq invades in September 1980, igniting a devastating eight-year war; Iran accepts UN Security Council Resolution 598 and a ceasefire takes effect on 20 August 1988.
The Islamic Republic
Sources: Iran–Iraq War (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · United Nations Security Council Resolution 598 (Wikipedia)
- IRQ
Iraq · War & Rupture · 1980–1988
The Iran–Iraq War
Iraq invades Iran in September 1980, beginning an eight-year war of attrition that kills an estimated several hundred thousand to over a million people on both sides before a UN-mediated ceasefire takes effect in 1988.
The Republic, Saddam Hussein and the Wars
Sources: Iran–Iraq War (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- PRK
North Korea · Politics & Power · October 1980
Kim Jong Il designated successor
Kim Il Sung formally designates his son Kim Jong Il as his successor, beginning an unprecedented hereditary transfer of power in a communist state.
The Juche State
Sources: Kim Jong Il (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of North Korea (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- KOR
South Korea · Politics & Power · 18-27 May 1980
Gwangju Uprising
A pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju is crushed by the military with heavy loss of life, becoming a catalyst and symbol for South Korea's democracy movement.
Democratization and Modern South Korea
Sources: Gwangju Uprising (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Archives for the May 18th Democratic Uprising in Gwangju (UNESCO Memory of the World)
Europe
- POL
Poland · Politics & Power · Aug 1980
Birth of Solidarity
Strikes at the Gdansk shipyard led by Lech Walesa produced Solidarity, the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc, which rapidly grew to about ten million members.
Communist Poland, Solidarity and the Modern Republic
Sources: Solidarity (Polish trade union) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Lech Walesa (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
North America
- SLV
El Salvador · War & Rupture · 24 March 1980
Assassination of Archbishop Romero
Archbishop Oscar Romero is shot dead while celebrating Mass; the UN Truth Commission later concludes he was killed by a right-wing death squad, an act that helped ignite the war.
The Civil War
Sources: St. Oscar Romero (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · El Salvador: Civil war (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- NIC
Nicaragua · War & Rupture · early 1980s
The Contra war
The United States finances and arms the Contra insurgency against the Sandinista government; the war kills an estimated tens of thousands and devastates the economy. Casualty figures vary and are estimates.
Revolution and the Contra War
Sources: Contra (Nicaraguan counterrevolutionary) (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Nicaragua: The Sandinista government (Encyclopædia Britannica)
South America
- CHL
Chile · Politics & Power · 1980 CE
The 1980 Constitution
A constitution drafted under the dictatorship is approved in a controlled plebiscite, entrenching military prerogatives and remaining, much amended, in force for decades.
The 1973 Coup and the Pinochet Dictatorship
Sources: Augusto Pinochet (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Chile (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- COL
Colombia · War & Rupture · 1980s-1990s
Cartels and paramilitaries
Cocaine cartels and right-wing paramilitary forces intensify the conflict with assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, and massacres of civilians.
Armed Conflict and the Search for Peace
Sources: History of Colombia (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- PER
Peru · War & Rupture · 1980 CE
Shining Path launches its insurgency
As civilian democracy is restored, the Maoist Shining Path under Abimael Guzman begins an armed insurrection in the Ayacucho highlands, opening two decades of internal conflict.
Reform, the Shining Path, and Modern Peru
Sources: Shining Path (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Abimael Guzman (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SUR
Suriname · Politics & Power · 25 February 1980
Military coup
Non-commissioned officers overthrow the elected government; Desi Bouterse emerges as the regime's strongman, ruling by decree.
Independence and the Military Years
Sources: Suriname: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Suriname: Background and U.S. Relations (Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress)
Oceania
- VUT
Vanuatu · Independence · 30 July 1980
Republic of Vanuatu proclaimed
The New Hebrides became the independent Republic of Vanuatu, with Walter Lini as first prime minister; Papua New Guinean troops then crushed the Santo secession.
Independence and the Coconut War
Sources: Vanuatu — History (Melanesian, Colonization, Independence) (Encyclopædia Britannica) · U.S. Relations With Vanuatu (U.S. Department of State)
- VUT
Vanuatu · War & Rupture
The Coconut War on Espiritu Santo
Jimmy Stevens's Nagriamel movement declared the breakaway 'State of Vemerana' on Espiritu Santo; the lightly armed revolt was suppressed soon after independence.
Independence and the Coconut War
Sources: Vanuatu — History (Melanesian, Colonization, Independence) (Encyclopædia Britannica)
14 records
Africa
- CPV
Cape Verde · Politics & Power
The PAICV and a one-party state
Cape Verde's branch of the PAIGC was reconstituted as the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), which governed the islands as a pragmatic one-party state through the 1980s.
The broken union and the turn to democracy
Sources: History of Cape Verde (Wikipedia) · History of Cabo Verde (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- DJI
Djibouti · Politics & Power
One-party state established
President Gouled makes Djibouti a one-party state under the People's Rally for Progress (RPP).
Civil War, Guelleh and the Republic of Bases
Sources: Djibouti (country and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Djibouti (Wikipedia)
- GMB
Gambia · War & Rupture
Coup attempt and Senegalese intervention
A violent attempt to seize power led by Kukoi Samba Sanyang briefly took Bathurst while Jawara was abroad; Senegalese troops intervened under a defence pact to crush the revolt and restore him.
Independence, republic and the Jawara years
Sources: The Gambia (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Senegambia Confederation (Wikipedia) · Dawda Jawara (Wikipedia)
- GHA
Ghana · Politics & Power · 31 December 1981
Rawlings seizes power again
Rawlings overthrew Limann and established the Provisional National Defence Council, ruling Ghana for the following two decades.
Coups, republics, and modern democracy
Sources: 1981 Ghanaian coup d'état (Wikipedia) · Ghana (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- MRT
Mauritania · Politics & Power
Slavery formally abolished
Mauritania abolishes slavery by decree—frequently cited as the last country in the world to do so—though no penalties were initially attached to the ban.
Coups, Withdrawal and the Modern State
Sources: Descent-based slavery in Mauritania (Anti-Slavery International) · Enforcing Mauritania's Anti-Slavery Legislation (Minority Rights Group)
- SYC
Seychelles · War & Rupture · 25 November 1981
Mike Hoare's mercenary raid fails
Mercenaries disguised as a beer-drinkers' club and backed from South Africa tried to seize power; the plot collapsed and they hijacked an airliner to flee.
Independence, Coup and One-Party State
Sources: 1981 Seychelles coup attempt (Wikipedia)
- SOL
Somaliland · Politics & Power
Founding of the Somali National Movement
Isaaq émigrés established the Somali National Movement (SNM), an armed opposition movement that waged a guerrilla campaign against Siad Barre's government through the 1980s.
Grievance, the SNM and the Killings of the Late 1980s
Sources: Isaaq genocide (Wikipedia) · Somaliland at 30: Still unrecognised, but alive and well (African Arguments)
- UGA
Uganda · War & Rupture · 1981–1986
The Ugandan Bush War
Museveni's National Resistance Army wages guerrilla war against Obote's government from the Luwero Triangle; the army's counter-insurgency kills and displaces many thousands of civilians.
The Bush War, Museveni and the Northern Insurgency
Sources: Ugandan Bush War (Wikipedia) · National Resistance Army (Wikipedia)
Asia
- MYS
Malaysia · Politics & Power · 1981–2003
The Mahathir era and rapid modernisation
Mahathir Mohamad serves as prime minister for twenty-two years, driving industrialisation and signature projects such as the Petronas Twin Towers while centralising political power.
The New Economic Policy, Mahathir and Modern Malaysia
Sources: Mahathir bin Mohamad (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- GRC
Greece · Politics & Power
Greece joins the European Communities
Greece became a member of the European Communities (later the European Union), anchoring its post-war democracy in European integration; it adopted the euro in 2001.
The Modern Greek State
Sources: Greece (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Greece profile – Timeline (BBC News)
- KOS
Kosovo · Politics & Power · Mar 1981
Pristina student protests
Student demonstrations in Pristina demanding republic status for Kosovo grew into wider unrest, which the Yugoslav authorities suppressed, exposing deep tensions over the province's status.
Yugoslav Kosovo: Autonomy, Revocation and Parallel State
Sources: Kosovo: Government and society (autonomy and the 1974 constitution) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Kosovo: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- POL
Poland · Politics & Power · 13 Dec 1981
Martial law
The communist authorities imposed martial law, banned Solidarity and interned its leaders, including Walesa, driving the movement underground for the rest of the decade.
Communist Poland, Solidarity and the Modern Republic
Sources: Solidarity (Polish trade union) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Lech Walesa (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
North America
- BLZ
Belize · Independence · 21 September 1981
Independence as Belize
Belize became an independent state within the Commonwealth on 21 September 1981 with George Price as first prime minister — the last British colony on the Central American mainland to win independence, its frontier still claimed by Guatemala.
Price, the PUP and independence
Sources: A Guide to the History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country: Belize (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian) · History of Belize (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Our History (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Belize)
- SLV
El Salvador · War & Rupture · December 1981
El Mozote massacre
An army counterinsurgency operation kills hundreds of villagers at El Mozote and nearby hamlets; in 2012 President Funes apologised for the deaths of 936 people.
The Civil War
Sources: El Salvador: The postconflict era (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · El Salvador: Civil war (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
18 records
Africa
- BFA
Burkina Faso · Politics & Power · November 1982
Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo takes over
A further coup ousts Zerbo and installs Major Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo, in whose government radical young officers, including Thomas Sankara, gain influence.
Independence and the Cycle of Coups
Sources: List of heads of state of Burkina Faso (Wikipedia) · Thomas Sankara (Wikipedia)
- CMR
Cameroon · Politics & Power · 4 November 1982
Ahidjo resigns; Biya succeeds
Ahmadou Ahidjo unexpectedly resigned the presidency and was succeeded by his prime minister, Paul Biya.
Independence, reunification and the Ahidjo years
Sources: Ahmadou Ahidjo (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Paul Biya (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- TCD
Chad · Politics & Power · June 1982
Habré seizes power
Hissène Habré captured N'Djamena and made himself president, establishing a repressive regime amid continuing war and Libyan intervention.
Independence and civil war
Sources: Chad — Independence, Civil War, Lake Chad (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Chad — Country Profile (CIA World Factbook)
- SWZ
Eswatini · Politics & Power
Death of Sobhuza II
Sobhuza II dies after a reign of some sixty years, among the longest in recorded history, leaving the throne to a regency.
Rule by Decree and the Birth of Eswatini
Sources: Sobhuza II (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · King Sobhuza II (1899–1982) (BlackPast.org)
- GMB
Gambia · Politics & Power · 1 February 1982
The Senegambia Confederation formed
The Gambia and Senegal established the Senegambia Confederation to integrate their militaries, security and economies while retaining sovereignty, with Senegal's Abdou Diouf as president and Jawara as vice-president.
Independence, republic and the Jawara years
Sources: Senegambia Confederation (Wikipedia) · The Gambia (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- KEN
Kenya · Politics & Power
Failed coup attempt
Air-force officers attempt to overthrow Moi; the coup is crushed and followed by tighter political control and a constitutionally entrenched one-party state.
The Republic of Kenya
Sources: History of Kenya (Wikipedia) · Daniel arap Moi (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SEN
Senegal · War & Rupture · 26 December 1982
Casamance insurgency begins
Clashes in Ziguinchor over a Casamance flag mark the start of the MFDC separatist conflict, one of Africa's longest-running.
A Democratic Republic and the Casamance Question
Sources: Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (Wikipedia) · Casamance: Between war and peace (The New Humanitarian)
- SYC
Seychelles · Culture & Ideas
Aldabra Atoll inscribed by UNESCO
The raised coral atoll, home to the world's largest giant-tortoise population, was added to the World Heritage List for its outstanding natural value.
An Extraordinary Natural Heritage
Sources: Aldabra Atoll — World Heritage List (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Seychelles' Aldabra Atoll — decades as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Seychelles News Agency)
Asia
- LBN
Lebanon · War & Rupture
Israeli invasion and siege of Beirut
Israel invades Lebanon and besieges Beirut, forcing out the PLO; the assassination of president-elect Bashir Gemayel is followed by the Sabra and Shatila massacre.
Civil War, Foreign Intervention and Collapse
Sources: Lebanese Civil War (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- YEM
Yemen · Culture & Ideas · inscribed 1982
Shibam, the 'Manhattan of the desert', is listed
The Old Walled City of Shibam, famed for its towering mud-brick high-rise houses in the Wadi Hadramawt, was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Unification and the Republic of Yemen
Sources: Old Walled City of Shibam (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
North America
- CAN
Canada · Independence · 17 April 1982
Patriation of the Constitution
The Constitution Act, 1982, patriated Canada's constitution, entrenched the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, recognised Aboriginal rights, and ended the need for British legislation — completing Canada's path to full sovereignty.
Modern Canada — multiculturalism, patriation, and reconciliation
Sources: Constitution Act, 1982 (The Canadian Encyclopedia) · Canada (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
South America
- ARG
Argentina · War & Rupture · Apr-Jun 1982
The Falklands/Malvinas War
Argentina invades the Falklands/Malvinas on 2 April; after ten weeks of war its forces surrender to Britain on 14 June, discrediting the junta.
Dictatorship, the Falklands/Malvinas, and Democratic Argentina
Sources: Falkland Islands War (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Argentina (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- BOL
Bolivia · Politics & Power · Oct 1982
Return to democracy
After years of military rule and the violent Garcia Meza regime, the armed forces cede power to Congress, which makes Hernan Siles Zuazo president.
The National Revolution and Military Rule
Sources: Bolivia: A Country Study (Library of Congress, Federal Research Division) · A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country: Bolivia (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
- FLK
Falkland Islands · War & Rupture · 2 April 1982
Argentine invasion
Argentine forces landed and seized the islands, overwhelming the small British garrison; Argentina described it as recovering the Malvinas, Britain as an invasion of its territory.
The 1982 War
Sources: The South Atlantic Crisis, 1982 (Conflict over the Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas) (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian) · Falkland Islands War (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- FLK
Falkland Islands · War & Rupture · 14 June 1982
Argentine surrender at Stanley
Argentine forces surrendered at Stanley after a 74-day campaign; about 255 British and 649 Argentine personnel and three islanders died in the war.
The 1982 War
Sources: The South Atlantic Crisis, 1982 (Conflict over the Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas) (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian) · Falkland Islands War (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- FLK
Falkland Islands · War & Rupture · 2–4 May 1982
Belgrano and Sheffield sunk
A British submarine sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano on 2 May; on 4 May an Argentine Exocet missile sank the destroyer HMS Sheffield.
The 1982 War
Sources: Falkland Islands War (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- FLK
Falkland Islands · War & Rupture · 21 May 1982
British landings at San Carlos
British forces landed at San Carlos on East Falkland and advanced overland, capturing Darwin and Goose Green before closing on Stanley.
The 1982 War
Sources: Falkland Islands War (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SUR
Suriname · Politics & Power · 8 December 1982
The December murders
Fifteen leading opponents of military rule are seized and killed at Fort Zeelandia in Paramaribo, drawing international condemnation.
Independence and the Military Years
Sources: Case Against Desi Bouterse (December Murders Case) (Nuhanovic Foundation) · Suriname: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
14 records
Africa
- BFA
Burkina Faso · Politics & Power · 4 August 1983
Sankara seizes power
Captain Thomas Sankara comes to power in a coup, beginning a radical revolution oriented toward self-reliance and the rural poor.
Sankara's Revolution and the Birth of Burkina Faso
Sources: Thomas Sankara (Wikipedia) · History of Burkina Faso (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- ETH
Ethiopia · Catastrophe · 1983–1985
The great famine
Drought, civil war and Derg policies cause a famine that kills several hundred thousand to more than a million people; rights groups attribute much of the toll to government counter-insurgency tactics rather than drought alone.
Haile Selassie, the Derg, Civil War and Modern Ethiopia
Sources: 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia (Wikipedia) · Ethiopia (country overview) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- CIV
Ivory Coast · Politics & Power
Capital moved to Yamoussoukro
Houphouët-Boigny designated his birthplace, Yamoussoukro, the official political capital, though Abidjan remained the economic and administrative centre.
The Ivorian miracle and the long Houphouët-Boigny era
Sources: History of Ivory Coast (Wikipedia) · Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- SYC
Seychelles · Culture & Ideas
Vallée de Mai inscribed by UNESCO
Praslin's palm forest, where the coco de mer grows wild, was recognised as a World Heritage Site for its unique flora.
An Extraordinary Natural Heritage
Sources: Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve — World Heritage List (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Welcome to the Vallée de Mai (Seychelles Islands Foundation)
- SDS
South Sudan · Catastrophe
An estimated two million dead
Over more than two decades the war kills around two million people through combat, famine and disease and uproots millions, among the deadliest conflicts of its time.
Marginalisation and Two Civil Wars
Sources: South Sudan: The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Conflict, Independence (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Ten Years Later: Taking Stock of Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (Council on Foreign Relations)
- SDS
South Sudan · War & Rupture
Second Civil War and the rise of the SPLM/SPLA
Khartoum abolishes southern autonomy and moves to impose sharia; the SPLM/SPLA forms under John Garang, beginning the Second Sudanese Civil War.
Marginalisation and Two Civil Wars
Sources: History of South Sudan (Wikipedia) · South Sudan: The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Conflict, Independence (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SDN
Sudan · War & Rupture · 1983–2005
Second civil war begins
Nimeiri scraps southern autonomy and imposes sharia; the SPLM/A under John Garang launches a war that kills an estimated two million people.
Independence and the Long Civil Wars
Sources: Sudanese Civil Wars (Encyclopedia.com) · Sudan (Wikipedia)
- ZWE
Zimbabwe · War & Rupture · 1983–1987
The Gukurahundi massacres
The army's Fifth Brigade carried out massacres in Matabeleland and the Midlands targeting ZAPU supporters and Ndebele civilians; estimates of the dead range from several thousand to over twenty thousand. The campaign ended with the 1987 Unity Accord.
Independence, Gukurahundi and the Mugabe years
Sources: Gukurahundi (Wikipedia) · Zimbabwe: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Asia
- CYP
Cyprus · Politics & Power · 15 Nov 1983
Declaration of the 'TRNC' and UN Resolution 541
The Turkish Cypriot leadership proclaimed the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' on 15 November 1983; on 18 November the Security Council, in Resolution 541, considered the declaration legally invalid and called on all states not to recognise any Cypriot state other than the Republic of Cyprus.
The 1974 Division, the TRNC and the European Union
Sources: UNFICYP: United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (United Nations Peacekeeping) · UNFICYP – United Nations Force in Cyprus (Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations) · A Guide to the History of Recognition, Diplomatic and Consular Relations: Cyprus (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian) · Cyprus profile – Timeline (BBC News)
- CYN
Northern Cyprus · Independence · 15 November 1983
Declaration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
The Turkish-Cypriot assembly under Rauf Denktaş unilaterally declared the independent Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the island's north, presenting it as an act of self-determination.
The Declaration of Independence and Its Rejection
Sources: Cyprus - History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Security Council Resolution 541 (1983) [Cyprus] (United Nations (UNSCR archive))
- CYN
Northern Cyprus · Politics & Power · 18 November 1983
UN Security Council Resolution 541
The Security Council deplored the declaration, considered it legally invalid, called for its withdrawal, and called on all states not to recognise any Cypriot state other than the Republic of Cyprus.
The Declaration of Independence and Its Rejection
Sources: Security Council Resolution 541 (1983) [Cyprus] (United Nations (UNSCR archive)) · Resolution 541 (1983) (United Nations Digital Library)
- LKA
Sri Lanka · War & Rupture · 1983–2009
Civil war between the state and the LTTE
After the anti-Tamil violence of Black July in 1983, the LTTE fights for a separate Tamil state; the war ends with the group's military defeat in May 2009 after about twenty-six years.
Republic, Civil War and the Modern Nation
Sources: Sri Lanka: Reconstruction and the modern nation (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Sri Lanka: History (Encyclopædia Britannica)
North America
- HND
Honduras · War & Rupture · 1980s
Contra war staging ground
Honduras hosts an expanded U.S. military presence at Soto Cano and serves as a base for the Nicaraguan Contras against the Sandinistas.
Military Rule and the Cold-War Frontier
Sources: Honduras: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
South America
- ARG
Argentina · Politics & Power · 10 Dec 1983
Return to democracy
Raul Alfonsin is inaugurated president, restoring civilian democratic rule after seven years of dictatorship.
Dictatorship, the Falklands/Malvinas, and Democratic Argentina
Sources: Raul Alfonsin (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Argentina (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
13 records
Africa
- BFA
Burkina Faso · Culture & Ideas · 4 August 1984
Upper Volta renamed Burkina Faso
On the first anniversary of the revolution, the country is renamed Burkina Faso — 'land of upright (honest) people' — with a new flag and anthem.
Sankara's Revolution and the Birth of Burkina Faso
Sources: Thomas Sankara (Wikipedia) · History of Burkina Faso (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- CMR
Cameroon · Politics & Power · April 1984
Failed coup against Biya
An attempted coup by elements loyal to former president Ahidjo was suppressed within days, after which Biya tightened his hold on power.
The Biya era and the Anglophone crisis
Sources: Paul Biya (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Cameroon (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- GIN
Guinea · Politics & Power · 26 March 1984
Death of Sékou Touré
President Sékou Touré dies while receiving medical treatment abroad, ending more than a quarter-century of one-party rule.
The 'Non' of 1958 and the Sékou Touré Years
Sources: 1984 Guinean coup d'état (Wikipedia) · Guinea — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- GIN
Guinea · Politics & Power · 3 April 1984
Lansana Conté seizes power
A bloodless military coup led by Colonel Lansana Conté takes control after Sékou Touré's death; political prisoners at Camp Boiro are released.
Coups, Civilian Rule and Bauxite
Sources: 1984 Guinean coup d'état (Wikipedia) · Guinea — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- MRT
Mauritania · Politics & Power · 12 December 1984
Ould Taya takes power
Colonel Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya seizes power in a coup and goes on to rule Mauritania for some twenty years.
Coups, Withdrawal and the Modern State
Sources: Mauritania (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Asia
- BRN
Brunei · Independence · 1 January 1984
Full independence and Malay Islamic Monarchy
Brunei resumes full sovereignty from Britain; the sultan becomes prime minister and proclaims Melayu Islam Beraja, the Malay Islamic Monarchy, as the national philosophy.
The 1962 Revolt, Independence, and the Modern Sultanate
Sources: A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country: Brunei (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian) · Country Facts: Brunei Darussalam (Permanent Mission of Brunei Darussalam to the United Nations)
- CYN
Northern Cyprus · Politics & Power · 11 May 1984
UN Security Council Resolution 550
The Security Council reaffirmed Resolution 541, condemned secessionist actions including the exchange of ambassadors with Turkey, and addressed the status of the fenced town of Varosha.
The Declaration of Independence and Its Rejection
Sources: Security Council Resolution 550 (1984) [Cyprus] (United Nations (UNSCR archive))
Europe
- BIH
Bosnia and Herzegovina · Culture & Ideas
Sarajevo Winter Olympics
Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympic Games, a high point of confidence for the multi-ethnic socialist republic less than a decade before war engulfed the city.
The Second World War and Socialist Bosnia
Sources: Bosnia and Herzegovina: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- LIE
Liechtenstein · Politics & Power · 1 Jul 1984
Women's suffrage introduced
By a referendum of male voters carried by a narrow margin, Liechtenstein granted women the right to vote in national elections, becoming the last country in Europe to do so.
A Wealthy Microstate: Finance, the ICJ Case and the Modern Constitution
Sources: The History of the Princely House of Liechtenstein (Fürstenhaus von Liechtenstein (official Princely House)) · Liechtenstein: History (Alpine, Principality, Sovereignty) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- VAT
Vatican City · Politics & Power · 10 Jan 1984
Diplomatic relations with the United States
The United States and the Holy See established full diplomatic relations on 10 January 1984, more than a century after the loss of the Papal States had ended earlier ties.
Vatican II, the Modern Papacy and a World Patrimony
Sources: Holy See — Countries (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian (history.state.gov))
- VAT
Vatican City · Culture & Ideas
Vatican City inscribed as a World Heritage Site
UNESCO inscribed the entire State of Vatican City as a World Heritage Site, recognising Saint Peter's, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums as a cultural patrimony of universal value.
Vatican II, the Modern Papacy and a World Patrimony
Sources: Vatican City (World Heritage List, no. 286, inscribed 1984) (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) · Historic Centre of Rome and the Holy See properties enjoying extraterritorial rights (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
South America
- PRY
Paraguay · Economy & Trade · 1984 CE
Itaipu dam begins generating
The binational Itaipu hydroelectric dam on the Parana, built with Brazil under a 1973 treaty, starts producing power, transforming Paraguay's economy.
The Stroessner Era, Democracy and Itaipu
Sources: Itaipu Dam (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Oceania
- NCL
New Caledonia · Independence
FLNKS founded
Pro-independence parties united in the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) under Jean-Marie Tjibaou, demanding sovereignty for a country it called Kanaky and opening the most intense phase of the independence struggle.
The Movement and les Événements
Sources: New Caledonia — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · New Caledonia — The United Nations and Decolonization (United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs)
12 records
Africa
- BFA
Burkina Faso · War & Rupture · December 1985
Agacher Strip war with Mali
A brief border conflict, the 'Christmas War', is fought with Mali over the mineral-rich Agacher Strip before regional mediation ends it.
Sankara's Revolution and the Birth of Burkina Faso
Sources: Thomas Sankara (Wikipedia)
- LBR
Liberia · Politics & Power
Doe confirmed in a flawed election
Samuel Doe was declared the winner of a widely criticised election, formalising his presidency; his increasingly repressive and ethnically partisan rule deepened tensions across Liberia.
The Tubman era and the 1980 coup
Sources: Samuel K. Doe (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Background Note: Liberia (U.S. Department of State)
- TZA
Tanzania · Politics & Power
Nyerere steps down
Julius Nyerere voluntarily retires from the presidency, handing power to Ali Hassan Mwinyi in a peaceful transition and opening the way to economic liberalisation.
Modern Tanzania
Sources: Julius Nyerere (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · President of Tanzania (Wikipedia)
Asia
- JOR
Jordan · Culture & Ideas
Petra inscribed as a World Heritage Site
UNESCO inscribed Petra on the World Heritage List as a unique artistic achievement and an outstanding architectural ensemble of the early centuries BCE and CE.
The Nabataeans and the Rose-Red City of Petra
Sources: Petra (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
Europe
- ALB
Albania · Politics & Power
Death of Enver Hoxha
Hoxha died in 1985 after ruling for over forty years, leaving the most tightly controlled society in Europe to his successor Ramiz Alia.
The Second World War and Hoxha's Stalinist Albania
Sources: Enver Hoxha (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- LUX
Luxembourg · Politics & Power · 14 Jun 1985
The Schengen Agreement
On 14 June 1985 five states signed, at the village of Schengen on the Luxembourg Moselle, the agreement abolishing internal border controls that gave a Luxembourg name to Europe's borderless travel area.
A Founder of the New Europe
Sources: The Schengen Area (CVCE (Centre Virtuel de la Connaissance sur l'Europe), University of Luxembourg) · Luxembourg (EU country profile) (European Union (european-union.europa.eu))
North America
- GRL
Greenland · Politics & Power · 1 Feb 1985
Greenland leaves the European Community
Following a 1982 referendum, Greenland withdrew from the European Community in 1985, mainly to control its fishing waters, becoming the only territory ever to leave the bloc.
Home Rule and Self-Government
Sources: About Greenland / Politics in Greenland (Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland)) · Greenland: History (Encyclopædia Britannica)
South America
- ARG
Argentina · Politics & Power · 1985 CE
Nunca Mas and the Trial of the Juntas
Following the CONADEP report Nunca Mas, civilian courts try and convict the junta leaders for the crimes of the Dirty War.
Dictatorship, the Falklands/Malvinas, and Democratic Argentina
Sources: National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (CONADEP), Nunca Mas (Wikipedia) · Dirty War (Argentina) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- BOL
Bolivia · Economy & Trade · 1985 CE
Hyperinflation and stabilisation
Amid catastrophic hyperinflation, a returning Paz Estenssoro imposes a drastic stabilisation programme that ends the crisis but brings severe austerity.
Democracy and the Indigenous-Majority Era
Sources: Victor Paz Estenssoro (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Bolivia: A Country Study (Library of Congress, Federal Research Division)
- BRA
- GUY
Guyana · Politics & Power
Death of Burnham; Hoyte succeeds
Forbes Burnham dies in office and is succeeded by Desmond Hoyte, who begins to liberalise the economy and ease political controls.
The Burnham Era and the Shadow of Jonestown
Sources: Forbes Burnham (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Guyana and Belize: Country Studies (U.S. Library of Congress, Federal Research Division)
- URY
Uruguay · Politics & Power · 1 Mar 1985
Return to democracy
After elections in 1984, Julio Maria Sanguinetti is inaugurated president, restoring civilian rule and freeing political prisoners under an amnesty.
Dictatorship, Recovery, and Modern Uruguay
Sources: Uruguay (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Tupamaro (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
19 records
Africa
- SWZ
Eswatini · Politics & Power · 25 April 1986
Coronation of Mswati III
Aged eighteen, Mswati III is crowned king, continuing the absolute monarchy with his mother Ntfombi as Ndlovukati.
Rule by Decree and the Birth of Eswatini
Sources: Mswati III (Wikipedia) · History of Eswatini (Wikipedia)
- LSO
Lesotho · Politics & Power · January 1986
Military coup and the water treaty
A military coup overthrows Jonathan; in the same year the new government signs the treaty launching the Lesotho Highlands Water Project with South Africa.
The Kingdom in the Sky
Sources: History of Lesotho (Wikipedia) · The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is 40 years old and going strong (The Conversation)
- LBY
Libya · War & Rupture · 15 April 1986
US bombing of Tripoli and Benghazi
In Operation El Dorado Canyon, US aircraft strike Libyan targets in retaliation for a Berlin disco bombing, deepening Libya's confrontation with the West.
The Gaddafi Era, Uprising and Division
Sources: 1986 United States bombing of Libya (Wikipedia) · U.S. bombs terrorist and military targets in Libya (HISTORY)
- MOZ
Mozambique · Politics & Power · 19 October 1986
Death of Samora Machel
President Machel dies when his aircraft crashes near the South African border; Joaquim Chissano succeeds him and begins to move FRELIMO toward reform and negotiation.
Civil War, Peace and Modern Mozambique
Sources: Samora Machel (Wikipedia) · History of Mozambique (Wikipedia)
- UGA
Uganda · Politics & Power · 26 January 1986
Museveni captures Kampala
The National Resistance Army takes Kampala and Yoweri Museveni is sworn in as president, ending the post-Amin upheaval and beginning his long rule.
The Bush War, Museveni and the Northern Insurgency
Sources: Museveni Captures Kampala (EBSCO Research Starters) · Yoweri Museveni (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- ZWE
Zimbabwe · Culture & Ideas
Inscribed as a World Heritage Site
UNESCO inscribed Great Zimbabwe National Monument as a World Heritage Site, recognising it as a unique testimony to the Bantu civilisation of the Shona between the 11th and 15th centuries.
Great Zimbabwe and the gold trade
Sources: Great Zimbabwe National Monument (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
Asia
- LAO
Laos · Economy & Trade · 1986 CE
New Economic Mechanism reforms
Facing the failure of central planning, the ruling party launches market-oriented reforms, legalizing private enterprise and inviting foreign investment, echoing Vietnam's Doi Moi.
The Lao People's Democratic Republic
Sources: Laos: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Lao PDR Overview (World Bank Group)
- PHL
Philippines · Politics & Power · Feb 1986
People Power Revolution
A peaceful uprising on EDSA, backed by defecting troops and the Catholic Church, drives Ferdinand Marcos into exile and installs Corazon Aquino as president, restoring democracy.
People Power and the Modern Republic
Sources: Ferdinand Marcos (biography; martial law; People Power) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- VNM
Vietnam · Economy & Trade · 1986 CE
Doi Moi reforms launched
The Communist Party's Sixth Congress adopts Doi Moi, replacing central planning with a socialist-oriented market economy and opening Vietnam to private enterprise and foreign investment.
Doi Moi Reforms and Modern Vietnam
Sources: Doi Moi (Renovation) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Vietnam (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- YEM
Yemen · Culture & Ideas · inscribed 1986
Old City of Sanaa joins the World Heritage List
UNESCO inscribed the Old City of Sanaa, inhabited for more than 2,500 years and renowned for its multi-storey rammed-earth tower-houses and early mosques.
Unification and the Republic of Yemen
Sources: Old City of Sana'a (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
Europe
- BLR
Belarus · Catastrophe · 26 Apr 1986
The Chernobyl disaster
The reactor explosion at Chernobyl in Ukraine sent about 70 percent of its radioactive fallout onto Belarus, contaminating nearly a quarter of the country's territory and affecting some 2.2 million people.
Chernobyl, Independence and the Lukashenka Era
Sources: Fallout from Chernobyl disaster still a 'very important challenge' for Belarus (UN News) · Belarus (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- PRT
Portugal · Politics & Power · 1 Jan 1986
Accession to the European Communities
Portugal joined the European Communities on 1 January 1986, together with Spain, anchoring its democracy in European integration.
Republic, Dictatorship, Revolution and Europe
Sources: Portugal (EU member country profile) (European Union (european-union.europa.eu))
- ESP
Spain · Economy & Trade · 1 Jan 1986
Accession to the European Communities
Spain joined the European Communities (now the European Union), anchoring its democracy in European integration and ushering in decades of modernisation and growth.
The Franco Dictatorship and Democratic Spain
Sources: Spain (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- UKR
Ukraine · Catastrophe · 26 Apr 1986
Chernobyl disaster
An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in northern Ukraine caused the worst nuclear accident in history, exposing Soviet failings and fuelling Ukrainian discontent in the final Soviet years.
Soviet Ukraine, the Holodomor and the Second World War
Sources: History of Ukraine (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
North America
- HTI
Haiti · Politics & Power · 7 Feb 1986
Fall of Baby Doc
A popular uprising drives Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier into exile, ending the Duvalier dictatorships.
Occupation and Dictatorship
Sources: Haiti: Military regimes and the Duvaliers (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
South America
- FLK
Falkland Islands · Economy & Trade
Fisheries licensing zone established
The Falkland Islands government created a fisheries conservation and licensing zone; squid licensing revenue became the mainstay of the post-war economy.
Referendum, Fisheries and Oil to the Present
Sources: Falkland Islands — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SUR
Suriname · War & Rupture · 1986-1992
The Interior War
The mainly Maroon Jungle Commando under Ronnie Brunswijk fights the army in the east until a ceasefire in 1989 and a peace accord in 1992.
Independence and the Military Years
Sources: Dutch police arrest man on suspicion of war crimes, Surinamese Interior War (Netherlands Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie)) · Suriname: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Oceania
- AUS
Australia · Independence · 3 March 1986
Australia Act and full legal independence
The Australia Act 1986, building on the Statute of Westminster adopted in 1942, ended the British Parliament's power to legislate for Australia and abolished appeals to the Privy Council, completing Australia's legal independence.
Modern Australia: multiculturalism, reconciliation, and the apology
Sources: Australia (country) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- NCL
New Caledonia · Politics & Power · 12 December 1986
Re-inscribed on the UN decolonisation list
The UN General Assembly re-inscribed New Caledonia on its list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, formally recognising the Kanak people's right to self-determination and placing the territory back on the UN decolonisation agenda.
The Movement and les Événements
Sources: New Caledonia — The United Nations and Decolonization (United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs)
14 records
Africa
- AGO
Angola · War & Rupture · 1987–1988
Battle of Cuito Cuanavale
Cuban, Angolan and South African forces fought a major conventional battle around Cuito Cuanavale, a turning point that helped lead to negotiated foreign troop withdrawals.
The long civil war
Sources: Angolan Civil War (Wikipedia) · Angolan Civil War (1975–2002) (BlackPast.org)
- BFA
Burkina Faso · Politics & Power · 15 October 1987
Assassination of Thomas Sankara
Sankara and twelve others are killed in a coup led by his comrade Blaise Compaoré, who takes the presidency.
Sankara's Revolution and the Birth of Burkina Faso
Sources: Thomas Sankara (Wikipedia) · 1987 Burkina Faso coup d'état (Wikipedia) · Blaise Compaoré (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- BDI
Burundi · Politics & Power
Buyoya takes power
Major Pierre Buyoya deposes Bagaza in a bloodless coup, becoming president and later steering the country toward reform.
The Ikiza: The 1972 Mass Killing
Sources: History of Burundi (Wikipedia) · Burundi: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- TCD
Chad · War & Rupture
The Toyota War with Libya
Chadian forces under Hassan Djamous won a string of victories at Fada, Bir Kora and Ouadi Doum, driving the Libyan army back toward the disputed Aouzou Strip.
Independence and civil war
Sources: Chad and Libya: The Impact of the Great Toyota War (History Defined) · Territorial Dispute (Libya/Chad), Judgment of 3 February 1994 (International Court of Justice)
- TUN
Tunisia · Politics & Power
Ben Ali takes power
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali removes Bourguiba in a bloodless coup, beginning twenty-three years of authoritarian rule.
The Republic & the Jasmine Revolution
Sources: Jasmine Revolution (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Jasmine Revolution (Wikipedia)
- UGA
Uganda · War & Rupture
Rise of the Lord's Resistance Army
Joseph Kony forms the Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda, launching an insurgency notorious for atrocities and the abduction of children.
The Bush War, Museveni and the Northern Insurgency
Sources: Q&A on Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (Human Rights Watch) · Lord's Resistance Army insurgency (Wikipedia)
Asia
- PSE
- PHL
Philippines · Politics & Power
New democratic constitution
Under President Corazon Aquino a new constitution is ratified, re-establishing democratic institutions, presidential term limits and a bill of rights after the Marcos dictatorship.
People Power and the Modern Republic
Sources: Philippines (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- KOR
South Korea · Politics & Power · June 1987
June Democratic Struggle
Millions protest nationwide, forcing the regime to grant direct presidential elections and democratic reform, founding the present Sixth Republic.
Democratization and Modern South Korea
Sources: June Democratic Struggle (1987): A Resource Guide (U.S. Library of Congress) · Korea (history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- TWN
Taiwan · Politics & Power
Martial law lifted
President Lee Teng-hui ends nearly four decades of martial law and the ban on travel to the mainland, opening the way to democratic reform.
Democratisation and the Cross-Strait Dispute
Sources: Lee Teng-hui (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Taiwan: Successors to Chiang Kai-shek (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
North America
- CRI
Costa Rica · Politics & Power · 1987 CE
Oscar Arias wins the Nobel Peace Prize
President Oscar Arias Sanchez is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the Central American peace plan signed by the region's leaders in August 1987.
Peace, Welfare, and the Green Republic
Sources: Oscar Arias Sanchez (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- NIC
Nicaragua · Politics & Power · Aug 1987
Esquipulas II peace accord
Central American presidents sign a regional peace plan committing to democratisation and an end to support for insurgencies.
Revolution and the Contra War
Sources: Nicaragua: The Sandinista government (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Oceania
- FJI
Fiji · Politics & Power · May & September 1987
Rabuka's coups; Fiji becomes a republic
Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka leads two military coups to assert indigenous Fijian control, ending the monarchy and declaring a republic.
Independence Tested: The Cycle of Coups
Sources: Sitiveni Rabuka — Fijian political leader (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Fiji — Countries (A Guide to the History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations) (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
- NZL
New Zealand · Culture & Ideas
Te reo Māori made official
The Māori Language Act 1987 recognised te reo Māori as an official language and created a commission to promote it, a landmark in the post-1970s Māori cultural renaissance.
The Māori renaissance and bicultural New Zealand
Sources: Te reo Māori — the Māori language (Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand) · Waitangi Tribunal — Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand)
19 records
Africa
- BDI
Burundi · Catastrophe
Ntega and Marangara killings
Ethnic violence in the northern communes of Ntega and Marangara kills thousands, pressuring Buyoya to begin national reconciliation and democratisation.
The Ikiza: The 1972 Mass Killing
Sources: History of Burundi (Wikipedia) · Burundi: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SOM
Somalia · War & Rupture
War in the north
Government forces wage a brutal counter-insurgency against the Somali National Movement in the north, bombarding Hargeisa and killing many thousands of civilians as armed opposition spreads.
Independence, Union and the Siad Barre Era
Sources: Somalia (country and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Somalia (Wikipedia)
- SOL
Somaliland · War & Rupture · May 1988
Bombardment of Hargeisa and Burao
After an SNM offensive took much of Burao and Hargeisa, government forces subjected both cities to indiscriminate artillery and aerial bombardment, destroying the bulk of each and displacing hundreds of thousands.
Grievance, the SNM and the Killings of the Late 1980s
Sources: Isaaq genocide (Wikipedia) · Bombardment of Burao and Hargeisa 1988 (Wikipedia)
- SOL
Somaliland · Catastrophe · 1987–1989
Mass killing of Isaaq civilians (Isaaq genocide)
Human-rights investigators documented the systematic killing of Isaaq civilians; a 2001 UN inquiry found the crime of genocide had been perpetrated by the government between 1987 and 1989. Death-toll estimates vary widely and are cited with caution.
Grievance, the SNM and the Killings of the Late 1980s
Sources: Isaaq genocide (Wikipedia) · Investigating genocide in Somaliland (Al Jazeera)
Asia
- ARM
Armenia · Politics & Power
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute erupts
The regional legislature of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-majority enclave within Soviet Azerbaijan, voted to join Armenia, triggering a conflict that escalated into open war.
Soviet Armenia
Sources: Nagorno-Karabakh (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- ARM
Armenia · Catastrophe · 7 December 1988
Spitak earthquake
A catastrophic earthquake struck northern Armenia around Spitak and Gyumri, killing tens of thousands and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless in the final Soviet years.
Soviet Armenia
Sources: Armenia — Caucasus, Soviet Union, Genocide (Modern Armenia) (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- AZE
Azerbaijan · War & Rupture
Karabakh dispute reignites
Under perestroika, Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian majority demonstrated for transfer to Armenia, triggering intercommunal violence that grew into open conflict as the Soviet Union collapsed.
The Azerbaijan SSR
Sources: Nagorno-Karabakh: conflicts, map and people (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- MMR
Myanmar · Politics & Power · 1988 CE
The 8888 uprising
A nationwide pro-democracy uprising is crushed by the military, which forms a new junta; Aung San Suu Kyi emerges as the democracy movement's leader.
Independence, Ne Win, and Decades of Military Rule
Sources: Myanmar since 1988 (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Aung San Suu Kyi (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- PSE
Palestine · Independence · 15 November 1988
Declaration of the State of Palestine
The Palestinian National Council in Algiers, chaired by Yasser Arafat, proclaimed the independent State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.
Occupation, Dispossession, and the Present
Sources: Palestinian Declaration of Independence (Wikipedia) · Palestine - region, history (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- KOR
South Korea · Culture & Ideas · 1988 CE
Seoul Summer Olympics
Seoul hosts the Summer Olympics, showcasing South Korea's recovery and helping cement its turn toward democracy and global engagement.
Democratization and Modern South Korea
Sources: Seoul 1988 Olympic Games (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Korea (history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- EST
Estonia · Politics & Power · Sep 1988
The Singing Revolution
Some 300,000 people gathered at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds in mass patriotic singing; the artist Heinz Valk named the movement the 'Singing Revolution'.
The Singing Revolution, Restoration and the Return to Europe
Sources: Estonia: how the singing revolution sparked independence (Estonian World) · Taking back what was theirs: the restoration of Estonia's independence in August 1991 (ERR (Estonian Public Broadcasting))
- IRL
Ireland · Politics & Power
UK–Ireland continental shelf agreement
Ireland and the United Kingdom agreed a delimitation of the continental shelf between them; Ireland maintained that Rockall, an uninhabitable rock, generates no continental shelf or exclusive economic zone.
The Republic, Europe and the Northern Question
Sources: Who owns Rockall? The history of the Atlantic dispute between Ireland and the UK (TheJournal.ie) · Who owns Rockall? A history of disputes over a tiny Atlantic island (The Irish Times)
- LTU
Lithuania · Politics & Power
The rise of Sajudis
The reform movement Sajudis emerged as Soviet controls loosened, mobilising mass support for Lithuanian sovereignty and winning a majority in the 1990 elections to the republic's parliament.
Restoration of Independence and a European Lithuania
Sources: March the 11th: path to the restoration of the independent State of Lithuania (Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (lrs.lt)) · History of Lithuania (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SMR
San Marino · Politics & Power
Member of the Council of Europe
San Marino joined the Council of Europe, one of the steps by which the ancient republic took its place among the institutions of postwar Europe while keeping its full sovereignty.
The Modern Republic: the UN, Europe and the Euro
Sources: San Marino (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · San Marino (Napoleon, Congress of Vienna, 1862 treaty) (New World Encyclopedia)
South America
- BRA
Brazil · Politics & Power · 1988 CE
The Citizen Constitution
A new constitution restores full democracy and enshrines an expansive charter of civil, political, and social rights.
Modern Democratic Brazil
Sources: Constitutional history of Brazil (ConstitutionNet, International IDEA) · Brazil (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- CHL
Chile · Politics & Power · 5 October 1988
The 'No' plebiscite
Asked to extend Pinochet's rule, Chileans vote No by 55 to 43 percent, compelling the open presidential election that opens the path back to democracy.
The 1973 Coup and the Pinochet Dictatorship
Sources: Augusto Pinochet (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Chile (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Oceania
- NCL
New Caledonia · Politics & Power · June 1988
Matignon Accords
The French state, FLNKS and RPCR signed the Matignon Accords, ending les Événements, dividing the territory into three provinces and scheduling a self-determination referendum for 1998.
Matignon and the Nouméa Accord
Sources: New Caledonia — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · New Caledonia — The United Nations and Decolonization (United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs)
- NCL
New Caledonia · War & Rupture · April–May 1988
Ouvéa cave crisis
FLNKS militants killed four gendarmes and seized hostages in a cave on Ouvéa; a French military assault on 5 May freed the hostages but left nineteen Kanak dead, a tragedy that became a turning point toward negotiation.
The Movement and les Événements
Sources: New Caledonia — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · New Caledonia — The United Nations and Decolonization (United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs)
- PNG
Papua New Guinea · War & Rupture · 1988–1998
The Bougainville conflict
A secessionist war over the Panguna mine, land, and environmental damage pitted Bougainvillean rebels against the PNG Defence Force; death-toll estimates range widely, commonly cited at roughly 10,000–20,000 and treated as estimates.
Bougainville and modern Papua New Guinea
Sources: Bougainville: the conflict in focus (Conciliation Resources) · Bougainville (GlobalSecurity.org)
26 records
Africa
- BEN
Benin · Politics & Power
Collapse of the Marxist state
Amid economic ruin, unpaid wages and mass protest, Kérékou renounced Marxism-Leninism, setting the stage for a negotiated transition to democracy.
Coups, Kérékou, and the People's Republic of Benin
Sources: People's Republic of Benin (Wikipedia) · Kérékou, Ahmed (Mathieu) 1933— (Encyclopedia.com)
- COM
Comoros · Politics & Power · 26 November 1989
Assassination of Ahmed Abdallah
President Abdallah is shot dead in his office in Moroni in disputed circumstances; Denard is widely suspected but later acquitted, and is pressured to leave.
Coups, Mercenaries and Instability
Sources: Bob Denard (Wikipedia) · Ahmed Abdallah (Wikipedia)
- GMB
Gambia · Politics & Power · 30 September 1989
The confederation dissolves
Lacking popular support and strained by disputes over economic and customs integration, the Senegambia Confederation was formally dissolved after Senegal withdrew its troops, and the two states resumed separate paths.
Independence, republic and the Jawara years
Sources: Senegambia Confederation (Wikipedia) · The Gambia (country overview and history) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- LBR
Liberia · War & Rupture · 24 December 1989
First Liberian Civil War begins
Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia invaded from Côte d'Ivoire, beginning a brutal civil war marked by ethnic massacres and the widespread use of child soldiers.
The civil wars and Charles Taylor
Sources: National Patriotic Front of Liberia (Wikipedia) · Liberia — accountability for civil war atrocities (Center for Justice and Accountability) · Liberian Civil War (World Without Genocide (Mitchell Hamline School of Law))
- NAM
Namibia · Independence · November 1989
UN-supervised elections
With Resolution 435 in force from 1 April 1989 under the UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG), Namibians elected a Constituent Assembly that SWAPO won with about 57 percent of the vote; the assembly drafted a democratic constitution adopted in February 1990.
The liberation struggle, the Border War and the road to independence
Sources: South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO) (Wikipedia) · United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) (Wikipedia) · The UN's role in Namibian Independence (United Nations in Namibia)
- SDN
Asia
- AFG
Afghanistan · War & Rupture · 15 Feb 1989
Soviet withdrawal
Under the 1988 Geneva Accords the Soviet Union pulls out; the last troops leave on 15 February 1989 after a war that killed huge numbers of Afghans and displaced millions.
Revolution, the Soviet War and Civil War
Sources: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan — Summary & Facts (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. Response, 1978–1980 (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
- AZE
Azerbaijan · Independence
Azerbaijan declares sovereignty
Azerbaijan declared its sovereignty in 1989 as Soviet authority weakened, a first step toward the restoration of independence two years later.
The Azerbaijan SSR
Sources: Azerbaijan: Russian suzerainty and the road to independence (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- CHN
China · Politics & Power · 1989 CE
Tiananmen Square crackdown
The army violently suppresses pro-democracy demonstrations centered on Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989, killing many protesters and reasserting tight Communist Party political control.
The People's Republic: Revolution, Upheaval, and Reform
Sources: China (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- GEO
Georgia · Politics & Power · 9 April 1989
The April 9 tragedy in Tbilisi
Soviet troops violently broke up a peaceful pro-independence demonstration in Tbilisi, killing about twenty people and galvanising the Georgian national movement.
Republic, Soviet Conquest and the Georgian SSR
Sources: Georgia: Independent Georgia (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- LBN
Lebanon · Politics & Power
The Taif Agreement
Brokered with Arab support, the Taif Agreement winds down the war and rebalances the confessional system, shifting authority from the Maronite president to the Sunni prime minister and cabinet.
Civil War, Foreign Intervention and Collapse
Sources: Lebanese Civil War (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Lebanon: The National Pact (Lebanon: A Country Study) (U.S. Library of Congress, Federal Research Division)
Europe
- BGR
Bulgaria · Politics & Power · 10 Nov 1989
Fall of Todor Zhivkov
The veteran communist leader Todor Zhivkov was ousted by his own party amid the collapse of the Soviet bloc, opening the way to a multi-party system and Bulgaria's first free elections in 1990.
Communism, 1989 and the Return to Europe
Sources: Bulgaria: The early communist era (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · About Bulgaria: History (Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria (gov.bg))
- CZE
Czechia · Independence · 17 Nov 1989
The Velvet Revolution
A suppressed student march in Prague on 17 November 1989 set off mass protests that toppled the communist regime within weeks; Vaclav Havel was elected president on 29 December.
Expulsion, Communism, the Velvet Revolution and the Modern Republic
Sources: Velvet Revolution (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Vaclav Havel (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- EST
Estonia · Politics & Power · 23 Aug 1989
The Baltic Way
On the pact's fiftieth anniversary, about two million people formed a 600-kilometre human chain from Tallinn to Vilnius, demanding independence and condemning the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
The Singing Revolution, Restoration and the Return to Europe
Sources: Estonia: how the singing revolution sparked independence (Estonian World) · Estonia in the grip of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (Estonian World)
- DEU
Germany · Politics & Power · 9 Nov 1989
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Amid mass protests and the collapse of communist rule across Eastern Europe, the Berlin Wall was opened, ending the division of Berlin and clearing the path to reunification.
Division, the Federal Republic and Reunification
Sources: Germany (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Day of German Unity: Facts and History (Federal Foreign Office (deutschland.de))
- HUN
Hungary · Independence · 23 Oct 1989
Proclamation of the republic
On the anniversary of the 1956 rising Hungary proclaimed itself a free republic, ending four decades of communist rule and beginning its transition to democracy.
Communism, 1956 and the Return to Europe
Sources: János Kádár (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Hungarian Revolution (1956) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- HUN
Hungary · Independence · 19 Aug 1989
The Pan-European Picnic and the opening of the border
A border gate opened near Sopron let some 700 East Germans flee west; Hungary's subsequent full opening of its frontier breached the Iron Curtain and helped bring down the Berlin Wall.
Communism, 1956 and the Return to Europe
Sources: Pan-European Picnic (19 August 1989) (Federal Government of Germany (Bundesregierung))
- KOS
Kosovo · Politics & Power · Mar 1989
Milosevic revokes Kosovo's autonomy
Under Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian assembly stripped Kosovo of most of the autonomy granted in 1974, returning police, courts, education and language policy to Belgrade and igniting Albanian resistance.
Yugoslav Kosovo: Autonomy, Revocation and Parallel State
Sources: Kosovo: Government and society (autonomy and the 1974 constitution) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Kosovo: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Kosovo (US recognition, 18 February 2008; diplomatic history) (US Department of State, Office of the Historian)
- LVA
Latvia · Politics & Power · 23 Aug 1989
The Baltic Way
On the fiftieth anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, about two million people formed a human chain from Tallinn through Riga to Vilnius, demanding the restoration of Baltic independence.
Soviet Rule, Restoration and the Return to Europe
Sources: Restoration of Independence in the Baltics (Baltic Defence College) · About the Museum (Museum of the Occupation of Latvia)
- POL
Poland · Independence · 4 Jun 1989
Semi-free elections and the fall of communism
Round Table talks produced partly free elections that Solidarity won overwhelmingly, ending communist rule in Poland and helping trigger the collapse of the Soviet bloc.
Communist Poland, Solidarity and the Modern Republic
Sources: Solidarity (Polish trade union) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Lech Walesa (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- ROU
Romania · Politics & Power · Dec 1989
The Romanian Revolution
Protests beginning in Timisoara spread to Bucharest; the army turned against the regime, the Ceausescus fled on 22 December and were executed on 25 December 1989, ending communist rule.
Revolution, democracy and the European turn
Sources: Ceausescu Is Overthrown in Romania (EBSCO Research Starters)
- SRB
Serbia · Politics & Power
Milošević curtails Kosovo's autonomy
Riding a wave of Serbian nationalism, Slobodan Milošević revoked the autonomy of Kosovo and Vojvodina, deepening the crisis that would break Yugoslavia apart.
The Breakup of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo War
Sources: Slobodan Milošević (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Serbia: The Ten Years' War (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SVK
Slovakia · Independence · Nov 1989
The Velvet Revolution
Beginning with a student march in Bratislava on 16 November and protests in Prague the next day, six weeks of demonstrations led the Communist Party to give up its monopoly, ending one-party rule peacefully.
Communism, the Velvet Revolution and the Velvet Divorce
Sources: Velvet Revolution (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Slovakia (Slovakia.travel (official tourism portal))
North America
- PAN
Panama · War & Rupture · 20 Dec 1989
U.S. invasion ousts Noriega
Operation Just Cause removes General Manuel Noriega; casualty estimates vary, and Panamanian deaths are reported from several hundred to around a thousand.
Torrijos, the Treaties, and Noriega
Sources: United States invasion of Panama (Operation Just Cause) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
South America
- PRY
Paraguay · Politics & Power · 3 Feb 1989
Overthrow of Stroessner
General Andres Rodriguez ousts Stroessner in a coup and wins elections later that year, opening Paraguay's transition to democracy.
The Stroessner Era, Democracy and Itaipu
Sources: Alfredo Stroessner (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Paraguay (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- VEN
Venezuela · Politics & Power · 27 Feb 1989
The Caracazo
Austerity measures amid economic crisis trigger days of rioting in Caracas that are violently suppressed, with heavy loss of life, shaking the political order.
The Petro-State and the Democratic Era
Sources: Venezuela (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate (Council on Foreign Relations)