What happened in May 1989?
The top front-page story of each day in May 1989, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- May 1🕊️ Pope's Beatification Ceremony – Pope John Paul II presided over a beatification ceremony in Madagascar, where children danced and sang before a crowd of hundreds of thousands.
- May 2🏗️ Disney Opens Theme Park – Disney-MGM Studios theme park opens, blending film making with attractions, marking a significant expansion for the entertainment giant.
- May 3📈 6,000 Shanghai Students March – Thousands of students marched through Shanghai today, marking a significant spread of China's pro-democracy movement to the nation's largest city.
- May 4📸 Students March for Democracy – Thousands of university students in Beijing marched to demand greater democracy, commemorating a similar demonstration from 70 years earlier.
- May 5🚀 Shuttle Launches Venus Probe – Space shuttle Atlantis launched today, sending a radar-mapping spacecraft on a 15-month journey to Venus.
- May 6🔬 Superconductor Patent Granted – MIT researchers received a patent for a method to shape high-temperature superconducting material into useful forms.
- May 7🌊 Geysers Discovered – U.S. researchers found a field of hot geysers on the Mediterranean Sea floor, revealing new geological features 110 miles southwest of Naples.
- May 8⚛️ France Stands by Nuclear Power – Despite global setbacks, France maintains its nuclear power reliance, generating 70% of its electricity from reactors.
- May 9🌋 Volcanic Eruption Risks – Researchers warn that a major volcanic eruption could accelerate the destruction of the ozone layer significantly.
- May 10🖼️ Picasso Painting Sold – 'Yo Picasso' sold for $47.9 million at Sotheby's, marking the second-highest auction price for an artwork, just behind van Gogh's 'Irises.'
- May 11🚀 Endeavour Shuttle Named – NASA's new space shuttle, replacing Challenger, will be named Endeavour after James Cook's flagship.
- May 12🌍 Kenya Seeks Ivory Ban – Kenya announced it will seek a global ban on ivory trade to protect its dwindling elephant populations.
- May 13🕌 Muslim Students March – About 2,500 Muslim students marched in Beijing's central square, protesting a book they claim blasphemes Islam.
- May 14🏢 Hartford Tower Controversy – A proposal to build a 45-story office tower in Hartford has sparked legal disputes among city, state, and federal agencies.
- May 15👤 Peter Scott Dies – Peter Scott, an advocate for gay rights, passed away at 50 after battling AIDS. He was a prominent figure in California's political landscape.
- May 16🤝 China-Soviet Relations Renewed – Deng Xiaoping and Mikhail Gorbachev shook hands today, marking the end of three decades of hostility between China and the Soviet Union.
- May 17🏛️ 300,000 Flowers Bloom – 300,000 protesters occupied Beijing's Tiananmen Square, advocating for democracy and a free press, inspired by Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms.
- May 18🗳️ Chinese Democracy Protests – Over a million Chinese protested in Beijing, demanding more democracy, significantly increasing pressure on the government for political reform.
- May 19✈️ Airliner Repairs Ordered – FAA mandates repairs for 2,200 aging airliners, costing the airline industry hundreds of millions.
- May 20🌍 3 Lands Resolve Namibia Dispute – South Africa, Angola, and Cuba resolved differences over Namibia, agreeing to proceed with a UN independence plan for the territory.
- May 21🌍 Thousands Rally in U.S – Chinese nationals and emigres rallied in major U.S. cities to support China's democracy movement and protest against the Beijing government.
- May 22🗳️ Pro-Democracy Rally – Huge crowds marched in Hong Kong, supporting the pro-democracy movement in Beijing, marking a significant moment in the colony's political history.
- May 23🚀 Miniaturized Spacecraft – Designers are challenging the 'bigger is better' approach, creating smaller, lighter, and cheaper unmanned spacecraft through advances in miniaturization.
- May 24🌍 Upheaval in China – The U.S. State Department urged citizens to defer travel to China due to escalating student demonstrations and advised caution for travelers in Beijing.
- May 25🕊️ 100,000 Rally in Hong Kong – About 100,000 people jammed the streets of Hong Kong for a fifth straight day to support the pro-democracy movement in China.
- May 26🌍 Gorbachev Elected President – Mikhail S. Gorbachev was elected President of the Soviet Union amid intense public scrutiny and interrogation about his policies.
- May 27🗺️ Trade Deficit Narrows – The U.S. trade deficit improved sharply, narrowing to $27.6 billion, the smallest quarterly imbalance in four years.
- May 28🕊️ 200,000 at Hong Kong Rally – About 200,000 young people attended a pop concert in Hong Kong to raise funds for pro-democracy demonstrations in China.
- May 29🏆 Fittipaldi Wins Indy 500 – Emerson Fittipaldi clinched victory at the Indianapolis 500 after a collision with Al Unser Jr., marking a dramatic race conclusion.
- May 30🗳️ Tiananmen Square Protests – Thousands of students in Beijing decided to continue their round-the-clock occupation of Tiananmen Square, maintaining pressure on the government.
- May 31🌍 Saudis Shift Oil Policy – Saudi Arabia urged OPEC to abandon its $18 oil target and rely on production quotas to stabilize prices.
Happy Birthday! 1989 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1989 in real headlines. See the 1989 book →