What happened on December 17, 1989?

Headlines from December 17, 1989

• 🏛️ Havel Expected as President – Vaclav Havel, playwright and opposition leader, is close to an agreement to become temporary President of Czechoslovakia until elections.
• 🇧🇷 Brazil Votes Today – Brazilian voters choose between two presidential candidates offering radically different paths: socialist or free market.
• 🇵🇱 Walesa Leads Memorial – Lech Walesa led a memorial for workers killed by security forces during food riots in Gdansk, Poland, in December 1970.
• 🇨🇿 Czech Political Shift – Czechoslovakia's political landscape shifts as Havel and Dubcek negotiate leadership roles following the fall of communism.
• 🇿🇦 De Klerk Cuts Aid – South African President F.W. de Klerk announces the government has cut off aid to insurgents in Mozambique.
• 🌍 U.N. Appeals for Aid – The United Nations urges Hong Kong to delay deportations of Vietnamese boat people until a new approach is discussed.
• 📚 Disabled Rights Bill Nears – Legislation to ensure equal treatment for disabled individuals in the U.S. is expected to pass early next year.
• 🏥 Nursing Enrollment Rises – Nursing programs see a slight increase in enrollment for the first time in five years, but shortages persist.
• 🌱 New Food Bank Home – Connecticut Food Bank finds a new home after years of relocation, aiming to better serve the needy.
• 🎶 New World Symphony – The New World Symphony, America's National Training Orchestra, continues to thrive as Miami's principal orchestra.