1989 in Romania

This is a list of 1989 events that occurred in Romania.

← 1988 1987 1986 1989 in Romania → 1990 1991 1992
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	Other events of 1989 Timeline of Romanian history

Incumbents

• President: Nicolae Ceaușescu (until 22 December), Ion Iliescu (starting 22 December)
• Prime Minister: Constantin Dăscălescu (until 28 December), Petre Roman (starting 29 December)

Events

March

• The letter of the Six is promulgated by several prominent Romanian Communist Party members led by Silviu Brucan, criticizing the policies of the Ceaușescu regime from a reform Communist perspective. The dictator promptly orders the arrest and interrogation of all the signatories.

April

• 18 April – The localities of Aninoasa (Hunedoara County), Fundulea (Călărași County), Lehliu Gară (Călărași County), Mioveni (Argeș County) and Valea lui Mihai (Bihor County) are declared cities.

November

• 23 November – During the XIV Congress of the RCP, first shift workers from Timișoara Mechanical Works try to organize a revolt against the communist regime. Their movement is quelled by the Securitate organs.
• 24 November – Despite the events in neighboring countries, Nicolae Ceaușescu is unanimously re-elected as the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party.

December

Bodies of protesters killed by Securitate officers in Cluj-Napoca

• 16 December – The Romanian Revolution begins in Timișoara when rioters break into the Committee Building and cause extensive vandalism. Their attempts to set the buildings on fire are foiled by military units.
• 20 December – A general strike breaks out in all the factories in Timișoara. Timișoara is declared the first city free of communism in Romania.
• 21 December
  • A huge rally in Bucharest turns into chaos as firecrackers explode at the periphery of the gathering. Soldiers, tanks, APCs, USLA officers and Securitate officers dressed in civilian clothes crack on demonstrators, leaving casualties and significant material damage.
  • Peaceful demonstrators in Arad, Brăila, Cluj-Napoca, Constanța, Hunedoara, Sibiu and Timișoara are shot dead by Securitate officers.
• 22 December – After a week of bloody demonstrations, Ion Iliescu takes over as president of Romania, ending the communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu, who flees his palace in a helicopter to escape inevitable execution after the palace is invaded by rioters. The Romanian troops, who the day before had followed Ceaușescu's orders to attack the demonstrators, change sides and join the uprising.
• 25 December – Ceaușescu spouses are summarily judged and executed outside the military garrison in Târgoviște.[1][2]
• 27 December – Petre Roman is appointed Prime Minister of the Government of Romania.
• 28 December – For the first time, after a long break, is held a meeting of the Board of Writers' Union of Romania. Is elected a provisional steering committee, the president being Mircea Dinescu.
• 31 December – The Decree-Law no. 8 of 31 December 1989 issued by NSFC reintroduces the political pluralism in Romania.

Births

• 28 January – Ruby, singer
• 29 January – Adriana Țăcălie, handball player
• 25 March – Andrei Leonte, singer and songwriter
• 12 April – Antonia Iacobescu, singer and model
• 18 May – Alexandru Chipciu, footballer (FC Steaua București)
• 27 May – Doru Bratu, footballer (FC Steaua București)
• 5 June – Roxana Cocoș, Olympic weightlifter
• 10 June – Alexandra Stan, singer
• 28 June – Bogdan Stancu, footballer (Gençlerbirliği S.K.)
• 7 November – Jimmy Dub, singer
• 14 November
  • Raluka, singer
  • Vlad Chiricheș, footballer (Tottenham Hotspur F.C.)
• 22 November – Gabriel Torje, footballer (RCD Espanyol)

Deaths

January

• 5 January – Philip Herschkowitz, composer and musicologist (b. 1906)
• 6 January – Marcel Budală, accordionist (b. 1926)
• 10 January – Chris Avram, actor (b. 1931)
• 15 January – Surian Borali, footballer (b. 1960)
• 23 January – Nicolae Al. Rădulescu, geographer, member of the Romanian Academy (b. 1905)

March

• 2 March – Liviu Cornel Babeș, electrician and painter (b. 1942)
• 6 March – Vasile Netea, writer and historian (b. 1912)
• 22 March – Ștefan Niculescu, lieutenant colonel in World War II (b. 1908)
• 25 March
  • Nina Behar, documentary filmmaker (b. 1930)
  • Radu-Eugeniu Gheorghiu, composer and instrumentist (b. 1915)
• 29 March – Nicolae Steinhardt Orthodox hermit and writer (b. 1912)

April

• 2 April – Tudor Vornicu, journalist and television producer (b. 1926)
• 8 April – Horia Demian, basketball player (b. 1942)
• 19 April – Iosif Keber, painter (b. 1897)
• 20 April – Doru Davidovici, aviator and writer (b. 1945)
• 23 April – Ioniță G. Andron, photographic artist, Greek Catholic theologian and lawyer (b. 1917)

May

• 2 or 3 May – Roland Kirsch, writer (b. 1960)
• 5 May – Alexandru Țitruș, popular music violinist (b. 1922)
• 11 May – Naum Corcescu, sculptor (b. 1922)
• 29 May – Adrian Petringenaru , film director (b. 1933)

June

• 2 June – Grigore Kiazim, lautar instrumentist (b. 1931)
• 20 June – Traian Dorz – poet and political prisoner (b. 1914)
• 30 June
  • Vasile Petre Jitariu, biologist, member of the Romanian Academy (b. 1905)
  • Petre Lupu, politician (b. 1920)

July

• 6 July – Alexandru Pașcanu, composer (b. 1920)
• 7 July – Horia Stamatu, writer and journalist (b. 1912)
• 11 July – Horia Macellariu – counter admiral (b. 1894)
• 25 July – Emil Gavriș – popular music singer (b. 1915)

August

• 30 August – Costin Murgescu, economist, jurist, journalist and diplomat (b. 1919)
• 31 August – Dinu Kivu, theatre and film critic (b. 1942)

September

• 17 September – Ion D. Sîrbu, philosopher and writer (b. 1919)
• 29 September – Alexandru Cosmescu, journalist, writer and anthologist (b. 1922)

October

• 15 October – Paul Georgescu, literary critic and journalist (b. 1923)

November

• 1 November – Mihaela Runceanu, singer and vocal techniques teacher (b. 1955)
• 19 November – Zoltán Vadász, actor (b. 1926)
• 25 November – György Bözödi, writer, sociologist and historian (b. 1913)
• 28 November
  • Arsenie Boca, Romanian Orthodox monk, theologian and artist (b. 1910)
  • Ion Popescu-Gopo, graphic artist and animator (b. 1923)

December

Nicolae Ceaușescu

Hermann Oberth

• 12 December – Ioan Zugrăvescu, chemist, member of the Romanian Academy (b. 1910)
• 17 December
  • Anton Breitenhofer, journalist, writer and politician (b. 1912)
  • Gheorghe Vlădescu-Răcoasa, sociologist and politician (b. 1895)
• 18 December – Franz Liebhard, writer (b. 1899)
• 19 December – Alexandru Mitru, writer (b. 1914)
• 20 December – Ioan Moraru, medical doctor, member of the Romanian Academy (b. 1927)
• 22 December – Vasile Milea, politician and general officer (b. 1927)
• 23 December
  • Velicu Mihalea, general officer (birth date unknown)
  • Constantin Nuță, general officer (birth date unknown)
• 25 December
  • Nicolae Ceaușescu, leader of the Socialist Republic of Romania (b. 1918)
  • Elena Ceaușescu, Nicolae Ceaușescu's wife (b. 1916)
  • Florică Murariu, rugby union player (b. 1955)
• 27 December – Horia Căciulescu, actor (b. 1922)
• 28 December
  • Marin Ceaușescu, economist and diplomat (b. 1916)
  • Hermann Oberth, inventor and pioneer of astronautics (b. 1894)

Full date unknown

• Nuni Anestin, actor (b. 1941)
• Constantin Celăreanu, aviator in World War II (b. 1890)
• Grigore Osipov-Sinești, stomatologist (b. 1907)
• Irimie Staicu, agronomic engineer and agrotechnician, member of the Romanian Academy (b. 1905)
• Nicu Stoenescu, romance and tango singer (b. 1911)
• Mircea Șeptilici, actor (b. 1912)

References

1. "Television shows last hours of the 'anti-Christ'". The Guardian. 27 December 1989.
2. Sînziana Demian (25 December 2009). "In Romania, Ceaușescu's death haunts Christmas". Global Post.