In China in 1989, the biggest and most famous event was the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, which began with student-led calls for political reform and ended in a violent government crackdown in early June. The aftermath included martial law, arrests, and a long-running censorship of public discussion about the event.

What happened

The protests started in April 1989 and grew into a wider movement involving students and workers in Beijing and other cities. By late May, the government declared martial law, and on the night of June 3–4, troops moved in to clear the area around Tiananmen Square.

Why it matters

The crackdown became one of the most sensitive and controversial events in modern Chinese history. Different sources describe the death toll differently, but they agree that many people were killed and many more were detained afterward.

Quick context

Other notable 1989 events in China included Mikhail Gorbachev’s visit in May, which was historically important because it was the first visit by a Soviet leader since the 1960s.

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