Labels:text | paper | font | publication | document OCR: MARCH 18, 1949 NATO alliance agreed, uniting Western allies MAY 14, 1955 Warsaw Pact signed, uniting U.S.S.R. and Eastern bloc countries in a military alliance NOVEMBER 23, 1956 Soviet tanks crush Hungarian rebellion in streets of Budapest AUGUST 31, 1961 Berlin Wall erected, dividing the city between East and West Germany JANUARY 5, 1968 Dubcek becomes leader of Czech Communist party, starts liberal reforms OCTOBER 8, 1982 Solidarity movement is banned in Poland MARCH 11, 1985 Gorbachev becomes secretary of the Soviet Communist party NOVEMBER 21, 1985 Gorbachev declares world "a safer place" after U.S .- U.S.S.R. summit at Geneva JUNE 1, 1988 Gorbachev and Reagan Moscow summit ends JUNE 30, 1988 Gorbachev proposes modernizing reforms at party conference NOVEMBER 21, 1988 U.S.S.R. sanctions Estonia's secession DECEMBER 7, 1988 Gorbachev cuts arms and calls for end to the Cold War AUGUST 24, 1989 Solidarity member Mazowiecki elected as Polish prime minister SEPTEMBER 11, 1989 Hungary opens border with Austria, exodus of East Germans begins OCTOBER 9, 1989 70,000 demonstrate in Leipzig, East Germany OCTOBER 18, 1989 Erich Honecker ousted as leader of the East German Communist party OCTOBER 23, 1989 Hungary's new constitution allows multi-party system NOVEMBER 9, 1989 Berlin Wall opens and demolition begins NOVEMBER 10, 1989 Todor Zhivkov loses power in Bulgaria after 35 years NOVEMBER 17, 1989 Czech police attack student-led demonstration NOVEMBER 28, 1989 Czech Communists agree to power-sharing DECEMBER 16, 1989 Demonstrators killed at Timisoara, Rumania DECEMBER 22, 1989 Ceausescus flee as crowds storm palace in Bucharest DECEMBER 25, 1989 Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu executed JANUARY 1, 1990 Inauguration of Vaclav Havel as president of Czechoslovakia MAY 18, 1990 Two Germanys sign state treaty on social and economic union JUNE 1-3, 1990 Leaders declare end of Cold War at Washington summit JULY 19, 1990 Ukraine declares split from U.S.S.R. and proclaims sovereignty OCTOBER 3, 1990 Germany reunified after 45 years of East-West division DECEMBER 2, 1990 Kohl wins all-Germany parliamentary elections FEBRUARY 10, 1991 Nine out of ten Lithuanians vote for independence MARCH 3, 1991 Latvia and Estonia vote for independence AUGUST 19, 1991 Communist hardliners seize power in U.S.S.R. AUGUST 21, 1991 Coup collapses in U.S.S.R. after mass opposition SEPTEMBER 5, 1991 J.S.S.R. dissolved in favor of federation of sovereign states DECEMBER 21, 1991 Eleven U.S.S.R. republics leave and form new union DECEMBER 25, 1991 Dissolution of U.S.S.R. ratified in Parliament. Gorbachev resigns
