Fall 2014

1989 and the Birth of the Modern World

Revolutions — be they political, social, technological, or cultural — swept the world in 1989. From the fall of the Berlin Wall to the protests at Tiananmen Square; from the deaths of Ayatollah Khomeini and Emperor Hirohito to the birth of the world wide web and launch of GPS. Twenty-five years later, we look back at the impact of 1989, and the modern era it created.

in this issue:

Viewfinder: 1989 in Tiananmen Square

– The Wilson Quarterly

Terril Yue Jones shares gripping, never-before-seen photos of China’s democracy protests in May and June of 1989.

Rise of the Post-Khomeini Era

– Haleh Esfandiari

1989 was a watershed year in Iran: constitutional changes, a fatwa against Rushdie, reconstruction from the Iran-Iraq War, and the death of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Hirohito's Long Shadow

– Shihoko Goto

Hirohito's descendants remain committed to Japan's traditional values, which desperately need reform.

China's 1989 Choice: the Paradox of Seeking Wealth and Democracy

– Joseph O'Mahoney and Zheng Wang

In 1989, China's government made a choice to combine political repression, a market economy, and globalization.

Denmark's Civil Unions: One Giant Leap for Mankind

– Daniel Krieger

When Denmark became the first country to legalize civil unions for gay couples, it marked the start of a new era of LGBTI rights, with global ripples that continue to reverberate today.

How “Seinfeld” and “The Simpsons” Changed TV Forever

– Gina Masullo

In 1989, "Seinfeld" and "The Simpsons" debuted. Yada, yada yada … television permanently changed.

How two-thirds of the Berlin Wall ended up in the U.S.

– Anne Elizabeth Moore and Melissa Mendes

The Berlin Wall went from a symbol of oppression to a commercial item with pieces bought and sold in the United States.

From Shame to Pride: the Fall of the Berlin Wall through German Eyes

– Hope M. Harrison

The decades-long story of how German shame that the Berlin Wall ever stood gave way to German pride that the Berlin Wall came down.

Love/Hate: New York, Race, and 1989

– Garrett McGrath

Three events defined 1989 in NYC: the Central Park jogger attack, the murder of Yusef Hawkins, and the election of the city's first (and only) black mayor.