1989 Newspapers

A 1989 newspaper is a great way to find out about what captured the attention of the nation. As the crazy ‘80s drew to a close, it’s time to reflect on the lasting influence the decade had for society, politics and the economy. The 1980s was a decade characterized by dynamic change, in all aspects of life. Read stories from this pivotal year in history, and gain a deeper understanding of the events that shaped the future. Historic Newspapers has the most extensive archive of original newspapers in the world, featuring over 4 million originals from the country’s longest running news outlets.

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1989 Newspapers

1989 Newspaper Headlines Summary

Explore our 1989 newspaper articles and discover first hand accounts of the most important events of the year. 1989 is mostly remembered as being the year the Berlin Wall fell. This historical moment is chronicled in 1989 newspapers, which offer unique perspectives on what it was like to experience this climactic moment in history.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was televised live on TV, and would set into motion the fall of communist governments throughout Eastern Europe. The horrific events in Tiananmen square shocked the world, as hundreds of Chinese students were brutally killed by police forces during a peaceful protest. Another exceptional moment in history occurred in 1989 with the invention of the World Wide Web. It was unimaginable then the impact that this would have on humanity. Read about all of these and other 1989 headlines with an authentic newspaper from such titles as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Dallas Morning News.

January 7, 1989
Hirohito, Emperor of Japan (b. 1901) dies.

January 11, 1989 
President Ronald Reagan delivers his farewell address to the nation.

January 20, 1989
George H. W. Bush succeeds Ronald Reagan as the 41st President.

January 24, 1989 
Serial killer Ted Bundy is executed in the electric chair in Florida.

February 10, 1989 
Ron Brown is elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, becoming the first African American to lead a major United States political party.

February 24, 1989
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini places a $3-million bounty on the head of “The Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie.

March 4, 1989 
Time, Inc. and Warner Communications announce plans for a merger, forming Time Warner.

March 14, 1989 
President George H. W. Bush bans the importation of certain guns deemed assault weapons into the United States.

March 20, 1989
Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke breaks down on national television as he admits marital infidelity.

April 1, 1989 
Bill White becomes the president of baseball’s National League, making him the first African American to head a major sports league.

April 9, 1989
Over 300,000 demonstrators march in Washington D.C. in support of legal abortion in the United States.

April 12, 1989
Sugar Ray Robinson, American boxer (b. 1921) dies following a long fight with Alzheimer‘s Disease.

April 15, 1989
The Hillsborough disaster claims the life of 96 Liverpool supporters in one of the biggest tragedies in English football.

May 1, 1989 
Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World opens to the public for the first time.

June 4, 1989
The Tiananmen Square massacre takes place in Beijing on the army’s approach to the square. The final stand-off is covered live on television.

June 23, 1989 
The film Batman breaks a box office record after opening on this day, earning more than $40 million in its first weekend.

August 16-17, 1989 
Woodstock ’89 festival takes place.

August 22, 1989 
Nolan Ryan becomes the first pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball to get 5,000 strikeouts.

August 25, 1989
‘Voyager II’ passes the planet Neptune and its moon Triton.

September 5, 1989 
President George H. W. Bush holds up a bag of cocaine purchased across the street at Lafayette Park, and proposes to spend $7.9 billion in the War on Drugs, in his first televised speech to the nation.

September 21, 1989 
Hurricane Hugo hits South Carolina, causing $7 billion in damage.

November 2, 1989 
North Dakota and South Dakota celebrate their 100th birthdays.

November 9, 1989
East Germany opens checkpoints in the Berlin Wall, allowing its citizens to travel freely to West Germany for the first time in many decades. The next day, celebrating Germans begin tearing the rest of the wall down.

December 17, 1989 
The Simpsons premiers on FOX.

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ReviewsReviews

Rated 4.5 out of 5

based on 115 reviews

Alexandra Dean November 27 2023

Very great customer service

Gayle DiGangi Jacobs November 19 2023

One of the most original gift ideas given to a birthday boy celebrating his 80th birthday.

Jeff G November 17 2023

Crumbling and expensive. Paid $70 plus for a paper taped back together. Horrible customer serve. At no point do they advertise these papers maybe taped together. Probably because if they did you would not buy it. Deceitful.

  • Historic Newspapers Team November 18 2023

    Thank you for your review.

    We do apologize that you are not happy with the newspaper received.

    We can see that you did contact our Customer Service Team in regards to the item received. It was explained that as you have ordered a 1945 newspaper and therefore 78 years old, unfortunately it will not be received as if you had brought a newspaper today.

    Most of our archived papers are stored in large binders or are already folded, especially the larger broadsheets. As they are genuine originals from that time, they can be fragile therefore we use a special archive tape to reinforce the spine or areas which may deteriorate from excessive use. Some stock we have acquired is stitched into the binders from previous use in places like libraries, universities, private sales etc. Where this is the case, we would have to carefully cut the papers out so we use the tape which is clear and designed so that you can read the paper freely.

    Please accept our apologies for any inconvenienced caused.

    Kindest Regards
    The Historic Newspapers Team

Volha Chuvakin November 11 2023

Bought it for my husband birthday and can't wait to give it. It is beautifully packaged and paper is in amazing condition.

Kirsten Becker October 20 2023

The perfect thoughtful gift!

Evelyn Hart October 18 2023

Product was amazing!! Absolutely treasured experience. Each page was an adventure back in time.

Paula G September 19 2023

Very unique, interesting to see what happens 70 years ago.

Deeanna Franklin Campbell September 19 2023

It was an 80th birthday gift for my dad. He loved it. Wonderful trip down memory lane. The paper is very fragile and turning the dry pages takes great care, but that just helped with the authenticity and magic of the look into the past. Thanks!

Benjamin W August 17 2023

This is a great product and is the perfect gift for a loved one

Kenneth Robinson August 11 2023

For a newspaper that’s 80+ years old and almost perfect, can’t go wrong.