On This Day

Beginning of the Tiananmen Square Massacre as Chinese troops open fire on pro-democracy supporters in Beijing

During the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in Beijing, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) played a decisive role in enforcing martial law, using force to suppress the demonstrations in…

During the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in Beijing, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) played a decisive role in enforcing martial law, using force to suppress the demonstrations in the city. The killings of protestors in Beijing continue to taint the legacies of the party elders, led by the military leader Deng Xiaoping, and weigh on the generation of leaders whose careers advanced as their more moderate colleagues were purged or sidelined at the time. Within China, the role of the military in 1989 remains a subject of private discussion within the ranks of the party leadership and PLA.

Historical Significance

During the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in Beijing, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) played a decisive role in enforcing martial law, using force to suppress the demonstrations in the city.

Events Before

  1. Czech-born tennis star Hana Mandlíková becomes an Australian Citizen

    Czech-born tennis star Hana Mandlíková becomes an Australian Citizen

  2. English Earl of St Andrews George Windsor marries Canadian academic Sylvana Tomaselli

    English Earl of St Andrews George Windsor marries Canadian academic Sylvana Tomaselli

  3. Panamanian General Manuel Noriega is indicted by a US federal grand jury for drug trafficking and racketeering

    Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno was a Panamanian military officer and politician who was the de facto ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989.

  4. The Soviet Union begins withdrawing its 115,000 troops from Afghanistan

    The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, later known as the Republic of Afghanistan, was the Afghan state from 1978 to 1992.

  5. Britain's Parliament passes Section 28 as law prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality. Repealed in 2001/2004.

    Section 28 refers to a part of the Local Government Act 1988, which stated that local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material...

Events After

  1. Alan Hale Jr. dies

    Alan Hale Jr., American actor, known for american actor, died on 1990-01-02. Alan Hale Jr. was an American actor and restaurateur.

  2. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (41) divorces singer/dancer Sarah Brightman (29) after almost 7 years of marriage

    Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (41) divorces singer/dancer Sarah Brightman (29) after almost 7 years of marriage

  3. NFL coach Jimmy Johnson (46) divorces Linda Kay Cooper after 26 years of marriage

    NFL coach Jimmy Johnson (46) divorces Linda Kay Cooper after 26 years of marriage

  4. John McEnroe becomes the first player to be expelled from the Australian Open

    John McEnroe becomes the first player to be expelled from the Australian Open

  5. Actor Michael Keaton (38) divorces actress Caroline McWilliams (44) after 7 years of marriage

    Actor Michael Keaton (38) divorces actress Caroline McWilliams (44) after 7 years of marriage

More from the 1980s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 3, 1989?
During the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in Beijing, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) played a decisive role in enforcing martial law, using force to suppress the demonstrations in the city. The killings of protestors in Beijing continue to taint the legacies of the party elders, led by the military leader Deng Xiaoping, and weigh on the generation of leaders whose careers advanced as their more moderate colleagues were purged or sidelined at the time. Within China, the role of the military in 1989 remains a subject of private discussion within the ranks of the party leadership and PLA.
Why is Beginning of the Tiananmen Square Massacre as Chinese troops open fire on pro... significant?
During the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in Beijing, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) played a decisive role in enforcing martial law, using force to suppress the demonstrations in the city.

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