1989 in history
Here are some light-hearted facts about 1989, designed to serve as a prep sheet for a radio feature on 1989.
I created this page because when I needed some notes to create a few talking points about 1989 in Ireland I couldn't find any suitable sources, so I thought I'd share what I did find. It applies to 1989 in Britain too.
You can also look at years other than 1989:
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1989
George H. W. Bush was sworn in as President of the USA.
The Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Daniel Day Lewis appeared on stage in Hamlet and claims he saw the ghost of his father, causing him to never appear on stage again.
Polly Pocket was the popular children's toy.
This was the year the Berlin Wall famously started to be brought down. David Hasselhoff was the headliner at the Freedom Tour Live concert.
12 European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century.
The hugely popular Tetris won game of the year. [NB: this wasn't the release; it was released last year.]
1989 Launches
The 'World Wide Web' was invented by Tim Berners-Lee.
Nintendo released the Game Boy.
Sky Television began broadcasting as the first satellite TV service in Europe. Eurosport was launched too.
The first GPS satellite was launched into space.
1989 in Film
Batman was the biggest film of the year.
Other big films include Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Leathal Weapon 2, Rain Man, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Look Who's Talking, Ghostbusters II, Back to the Future Part II, Dead Poets Society and When Harry Met Sally.
The Little Mermaid, My Left Foot and Quantum Leap were also released.
1989 in TV
Big TV shows of the year (not premiers): Blind Date, Bread, Inspector Morse, Roseanne and Cheers.
The Simpsons aired on TV for the first time - good for audio [NB: the original first episode was delayed until 1990, but a later episode, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire aired in December 1989] First Lady Barbara Bush said it was "the dumbest thing I had ever seen".
Pop band Five Star took phone calls from young fans on Going Live, holding giant cordless phones. One caller, named Eliot Fletcher, was able to say "I'd like to ask Five Star why they're so ******* crap, they're ******* -" before being cut off.
The 'Del Boy falling through the bar' scene of Only Fools and Horses aired: still regarded as one of the greatest comedy moments of all-time.
Julian Clary's TV show 'Sticky Moments' began. It was a parody game show filled with gay sexual innuendo. Newspaper reporters instantly developed an obsession with Clary's private life - they couldn't believe that a celebrity was being so proudly gay.
BBC sports show Grandstand staged an April fools joke, where a large fight between staff took place in the background of the show.
The House of Commons was televised live for the first time.
27 million people watched Alan Bradley get hit by a Blackpool tram in Coronation Street.
Jeremy Paxman took over Newsnight, where he became infamous for his sarcastic quips at the show's expense.
Home and Away was first shown on ITV.
The reality crime show Cops aired this year and became the longest-running prime-time show in the US.
MacGyver was shown on British TV.
Edgy teenage drama Byker Grove was shown for the first time. It starred local child actor Declan Donnelly as Duncan but no Ant - he joined the next year.
Forever Green, Seinfield and Birds Of A Feather were shown for the first time.
Fair City first aired on Irish television in this year. It was supposed to be an urban alternative to Glenroe.
While these facts about 1989 have been checked against third-party sources (and have been used on air before!), they are provided in good faith to inspire your research and no guarantee is made about their accuracy or their uniqueness. You can use the facts however you wish: most people just take a couple of points they remember and talk around then.
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