Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 5th October 1989 | 20091005 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. A chilling warning is delivered to East Germany's opposition groups: 'remember Tiananmen'; thousands of jubilant East Germans arrive in West Germany on the so-called Freedom Trains; the Dalai Lama receives the Nobel Peace Prize. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. A chilling warning is delivered to East Germany's opposition groups: 'remember Tiananmen'. |
| 02 | 6th October 1989 | 20091006 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Gorbachev begins a historical visit to East Germany to help celebrate the GDR's 40th anniversary; East German leader Eric Honecker continues to take a hard line; acid house parties have been disturbing the peace A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Gorbachev begins a visit to East Germany to help celebrate the GDR's 40th anniversary. |
| 03 | 7th October 1989 | 20091007 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Protestors marching through East Berlin to the Church of the Gethsemane clash with police; Hungarian communists vote to become a democracy but some hardliners don't get it; in the West, the Beastie Boys tell us what's up. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Protestors marching through East Berlin to the Church of the Gethsemane clash with police. |
| 04 | 8th October 1989 | 20091008 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Eyewitnesses in East Berlin describe a police crackdown on protestors; one of West Germany's elder statesman sees the beginning of 'the most critical week in the GDR'; the Pope calls for reunification. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Eyewitnesses in East Berlin describe a police crackdown on protestors. |
| 05 | 9th October 1989 | 20091009 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. At Leipzig's Monday prayer service for freedom, protests approach a historical and perhaps dangerous moment - the East German people now appear to refuse to be intimidated; Soviet news agency Tass reports that 10-foot-tall aliens have been spotted visiting the industrial city of Voronezh. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Protests approach a historical and perhaps dangerous moment. |
| 06 | 10th October 1989 | 20091010 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. In East Germany the morning after the demonstrations, the police violence that people had feared had not occurred; political prisoners including Walter Sislulu are to be released in South Africa but Mandela remains in prison; at the Tory conference Kenneth Baker summons the spirit of Henry V at Agincourt. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. In East Germany, the police violence that people had feared had not occurred. |
| 07 | 11th October 1989 | 20091011 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Jive Bunny gets on the Juke Box Jury's nerves; the Tory party's environment minister get tough on litter louts but Greenpeace are disappointed; calls continue for Nelson Mandela's release. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Jive Bunny gets on the Juke Box Jury's nerves. |
| 08 | 12th October 1989 | 20091012 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Chancellor Nigel Lawson speaks at the Conservative Party conference to defend the 15 per cent interest rate; East German minister for ideology calls for reform of the political system; plans for a commercial nuclear bunker near Peterborough are scrapped because the world is 'too peaceful'. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Nigel Lawson speaks at the Tory Party conference to defend the 15 per cent interest rate. |
| 09 | 13th October 1989 | 20091013 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Margaret Thatcher address the Tory conference on her 64th birthday to chants of '10 more years', Douglas Hurd declares war on the 'scourge of acid house parties', and shares plunge in the last hour of trading on Wall Street, sparking fears of another Black Monday. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Douglas Hurd declares war on the 'scourge of acid house parties'. |
| 10 | 14th October 1989 | 20091014 | Poland faces 1,000 per cent inflation. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 11 | 15th October 1989 | 20091015 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. ANC leader Walter Sisulu is released from prison sparking nationwide celebrations, the UN agrees a global ban on the ivory trade, and Jive Bunny, the cartoon rabbit, reaches number one in the charts. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. ANC leader Walter Sisulu is released from prison, sparking nationwide celebrations. |
| 12 | 16th October 1989 | 20091016 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. The financial markets recover after Friday's Wall Street crash, averting another Black Monday; rehearsals begin for the first televised coverage of parliament; 120,000 East Germans gather in Leipzig for the largest anti-government demonstration in the nation's history. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. 120,000 East Germans gather in Leipzig for an anti-government demonstration. |
| 13 | 17th October 1989 | 20091017 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. The Guildford Four have their sentence overturned after 14 years in prison, ambulance workers threaten hunger strike to demand higher pay, and an earthquake measuring seven on the Richter scale strikes San Francisco in the evening rush hour, causing a double-decker motorway to collapse. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. The Guildford Four have their sentence overturned after 14 years in prison. |
| 14 | 18th October 1989 | 20091018 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Erich Honecker, the East German leader of 18 years and architect of the Berlin Wall, resigns; all Commonwealth countries agree on sanctions against South Africa - except for the UK; the Atlantis Space Shuttle launches successfully from Cape Canaveral, initiating a six-year research mission to Jupiter. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Erich Honecker, East German leader and the architect of the Berlin Wall, resigns. |
| 15 | 19th October 1989 | 20091019 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. The Guildford four are released; volunteers help to deal with the effects of the recent San Francisco earthquake; ANC leader Walter Sisulu considers the end of the armed struggle in South Africa. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. The Guildford four are released. |
| 16 | 20th October 1989 | 20091020 | Actors pay a final tribute to Sir Laurence Olivier at Westminster Abbey. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 17 | 21st October 1989 | 20091021 | Thousands of protestors march through East Germany. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 18 | 22nd October 1989 | 20091022 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Margaret Thatcher causes consternation at the Commonwealth over sanctions against South Africa, and, following the release of the Guildford Four, the Irish prime minister calls for a review of the Birmingham Six case. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Margaret Thatcher causes consternation at the Commonwealth. |
| 19 | 23rd October 1989 | 20091023 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. A quarter of a million East Germans march in Leipzig in the country's biggest-ever demonstration; in Hungary, tens of thousands of people remember the victims of their 1956 anti-communist uprising; Garry Kasparov beats the computer Deep Thought at chess. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. 250,000 East Germans march in Leipzig in the country's biggest ever demonstration. |
| 20 | 24th October 1989 | 20091024 | Egon Krenz is officially installed as East Germany's new leader but protests continue. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 21 | 25th October 1989 | 20091025 | The BBC's Panorama programme asks whether Britain is about to face a crack epidemic. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 22 | 26th October 1989 | 20091026 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Nigel Lawson resigns after six years as Chancellor of the Exchequer, prompting a further drop in the pound; President Gorbachev promises unilateral disarmament in the Baltic; Nirvana record their first session for Radio 1. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Nigel Lawson resigns after six years as Chancellor, prompting a further drop in the pound. |
| 23 | 27th October 1989 | 20091027 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Margaret Thatcher's leadership style comes under fire after a quick Cabinet reshuffle; the IRA admits killing a British soldier and his six-month-old baby in West Germany; new East German premier Egon Krenz agrees to release reformist protestors. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Margaret Thatcher's leadership style comes under fire after a quick Cabinet reshuffle. |
| 24 | 28th October 1989 | 20091028 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. A pro-democracy rally in Prague turns violent after police move in; a Northern Irish peace train is held overnight due to a bomb scare; Prince Charles calls on politicians and business leaders to tackle global warming. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. A pro-democracy rally in Prague turns violent after police move in. |
| 25 | 29th October 1989 | 20091029 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Walter Sisulu addresses 70,000 people at the biggest ever ANC rally; East Berlin's Communist party chief tells socialists, 'we need to practise democracy'; the great British cup of tea comes under threat as prices rise by 10 per cent. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Walter Sisulu addresses 70,000 people at the biggest ever ANC rally. |
| 26 | 30th October 1989 | 20091030 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Riots in Moscow follow a demonstration outside the KGB headquarters; the Bishop of London warns the Church against an invasion of female priests; Margaret Thatcher's leadership style causes grumblings among the Tory grass roots. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Riots in Moscow follow a demonstration outside the KGB headquarters. |
| 27 | 31st October 1989 | 20091031 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Former Chancellor Nigel Lawson tells the House of Commons why he resigned; shadow energy secretary Tony Blair demands electricity privatisation plans be scrapped; a court investigates a fraud case involving the use of sonic binoculars to fix horse races. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Former Chancellor Nigel Lawson tells the House of Commons why he resigned. |
| 28 | 1st November 1989 | 20091101 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. President Bush agrees to meet Chairman Gorbachev on his boat in the Mediterranean for unofficial talks; President Ortega of Nicaragua breaks a 19-month ceasefire with US-backed Contra rebels; a coroner overseeing the inquest into the death of Beverly Lewis demands better community care for the mentally ill. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. President Bush agrees to meet Chairman Gorbachev on his boat in the Mediterranean. |
| 29 | 2nd November 1989 | 20091102 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. In an unprecedented move, KGB officers take questions from the public on live TV; price rises on British Rail fill commuters with woe; the Met's first black police officer talks about the 'fun and games' in the early days. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. In an unprecedented move, KGB officers take questions from the public on live TV. |
| 30 | 3rd November 1989 | 20091103 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Protests in East Germany force the resignation of the Mayor of Leipzig and five government hardliners; trouble for Gorbachev as Russian miners down tools; and a high speed link between London and the Channel Tunnel? 'Not in my back yard', say people in Swanley. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Protests in East Germany force the resignation of the Mayor of Leipzig. |
| 31 | 4th November 1989 | 20091104 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Margaret Thatcher is the least popular prime minister since polling began - she will stand down after the next election; SDLP leader John Hume throws down the gauntlet to the IRA; and, he may have a 'Vision of Britain', but Prince Charles is compared to Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Margaret Thatcher is judged the least popular prime minister since polling began. |
| 32 | 5th November 1989 | 20091105 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Former Chancellor Nigel Lawson makes things even more difficult for Margaret Thatcher by spilling the beans on TV; the Sony Walkman celebrates its 10th birthday but the Noise Abatement Society doesn't; the greatest romantic pianist of his generation, Vladimir Horowitz, dies. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Former Chancellor Nigel Lawson makes things even more difficult for Margaret Thatcher. |
| 33 | 6th November 1989 | 20091106 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. A backlash against East German refugees begins in West Germany; supporters of women's ordination hold an overnight vigil outside Lambeth Palace; and it's nuns versus vicars on the rugby field! A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. A backlash against East German refugees begins in West Germany. |
| 34 | 7th November 1989 | 20091107 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. The communist authorities in the GDR are buckling under the pounding they are taking in the streets; 8,000 troops celebrate 72 years of the Bolshevik Revolution in Red Square but protestors carry banners saying '72 years on the road to nowhere'; the Church of England Synod votes to ordain women priests. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. The authorities in the GDR are buckling under the pounding they are taking in the streets. |
| 35 | 8th November 1989 | 20091108 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. The Politburo resigns in East Germany - could the Berlin Wall fall next? The ambulance workers' dispute escalates as the government calls in the army to answer emergency calls; Santa Claus battles high street gloom with a mere 39 shopping days until Christmas. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. |
| 36 | 9th November 1989 | 20091109 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. East Berlin's party chief declares that all citizens can leave immediately - the first border crossings take place at 9.00pm. Reporter Graham Leach joins the first East Germans crossing through Checkpoint Charlie. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. East Berlin's party chief declares that all citizens can leave immediately. |
| 37 | 10th November 1989 | 20091110 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Hundreds of thousands of East Germans arrive in West Berlin amid scenes of shock and joy. East Germany will hold free, democratic and universal elections, but will it be enough to keep its citizens? Moscow and Washington join in welcoming the reforms. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. |
| 38 | 11th November 1989 | 20091111 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Bulldozers tear down sections of the Berlin Wall to make more crossing points; 129 are injured in a riot between police and protestors in Moldavia and Moscow sends in the troops to enforce calm; reformist foreign secretary Petur Mladenov is sworn in as the new leader of Bulgaria. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Bulldozers tear down sections of the Berlin Wall to make more crossing points. |
| 39 | 12th November 1989 | 20091112 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. The mayors of East and West Berlin shake hands at a new border crossing at Potsdamerplatz; El Salvador declares a curfew as fighting between troops and leftist rebels leaves 78 dead in the capital, San Salvador; pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy returns to Moscow for the first time in 26 years to conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. The mayors of East and West Berlin shake hands at a new border crossing at Potsdamerplatz. |
| 40 | 13th November 1989 | 20091113 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. The East German Politburo elects Hans Modrow as prime minister; he will oversee universal, democratic elections. President Mitterand calls an urgent EU summit to forge consent on the future of Europe. The leading Bulgarian opposition party, Ecoglasnost, is formally recognised. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. The East German Politburo elects Hans Modrow as prime minister. |
| 41 | 14th November 1989 | 20091114 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Czechoslovakia eases restrictions on foreign travel; an inquiry begins into the Guilford Four case to establish whether police did in fact falsify evidence; black nationalist party SWAPO wins Namibia's first democratic elections, after 20 years of rule by neighbouring South Africa. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Czechoslovakia eases restrictions on foreign travel. |
| 42 | 15th November 1989 | 20091115 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news in 1989. Chancellor John Major gives his first Autumn Statement - City analysts predict gloom for the 90s; Lech Walesa, leader of Poland's reformist Solidarity party, lobbies the US Senate for financial aid; Mikhail Gorbachev warns the West not to try exporting capitalism to the East. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. John Major gives his first Autumn Statement - City analysts predict gloom for the 90s. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 43 | 16th November 1989 | 20091116 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Foreign secretary Douglas Hurd crosses the Berlin Wall, the government publishes its proposals for the future of community care and South Africa's president announces that its beaches are to be opened to all races. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. |
| 44 | 17th November 1989 | 20091117 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. A Labour peer declares the chances of catching AIDS through heterosexual relations are statistically invisible and in Prague the police beat protesters as they call for reforms and the ousting of the Czech leadership. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. In Prague the police beat protesters as they call for the ousting of the Czech leadership. |
| 45 | 18th November 1989 | 20091118 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Bulgaria witnesses its biggest demonstrations in 40 years, European leaders meet to discuss the reshaping of Europe and, in Prague, rumours spread that the police have killed a Czech student. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. |
| 46 | 19th November 1989 | 20091119 | London ambulance workers continue their strike; New Kids on the Block reach number one. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 47 | 20th November 1989 | 20091120 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. In Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu receives 67 standing ovations during a six-hour speech as he refuses to take note of the changes sweeping Eastern Europe; US secretary of defense Richard Cheney announces the scaling back of troop numbers in Eastern Europe. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. In Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu receives 67 standing ovations during a six-hour speech. |
| 48 | 21st November 1989 | 20091121 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. In El Salvador, as rebels continue to occupy the Sheraton Hotel, the manager tells the BBC that everything is under control; MPs relish their day in the limelight as TV cameras are permitted in the House of Commons. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. |
| 49 | 22nd November 1989 | 20091122 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. Lebanon's President Muawad is killed, 17 days after being elected; in Prague the snow falls and rumours sweep through the tens of thousands who continue their protest for the sixth successive day in Wenceslas Square. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. In Prague, tens of thousands continue their protest for the sixth day in Wenceslas Square. |
| 50 | 23rd November 1989 | 20091123 | The Conservative Party is facing a leadership challenge. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 51 | 24th November 1989 | 20091124 | The Czech leadership are forced to resign. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 52 | 25th November 1989 | 20091125 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. In Czechoslovakia, demonstrators keep up the pressure for free elections, while schoolchildren in Buckinghamshire organise a protest against Nestle for its promotion of dried milk in the Third World. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. In Czechoslovakia, demonstrators keep up the pressure for free elections. |
| 53 | 26th November 1989 | 20091126 | Czechoslovakia's prime minister has his first meeting with leading dissident Vaclav Havel. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 54 | 27th November 1989 | 20091127 | Margaret Thatcher defends her record on the BBC's Panorama. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 55 | 28th November 1989 | 20091128 | Czech PM Ladislav Adamec formally announces the end of the communists' monopoly on power. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 56 | 29th November 1989 | 20091129 | Margaret Thatcher and Anthony Meyer submit their nominations for the Tory leadership. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 57 | 30th November 1989 | 20091130 | Record libel damages are awarded to the Conservative peer Lord Aldington. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 58 | 1st December 1989 | 20091201 | Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the first Soviet leader to visit the Vatican. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 59 | 2nd December 1989 | 20091202 | Bush and Gorbachev begin their summit in Malta. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 60 | 3rd December 1989 | 20091203 | George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev declare that the Cold War is over. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 61 | 4th December 1989 | 20091204 | Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago. For the first time, the Soviet government joins other Warsaw Pact countries in condemning its own invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, and thousands take to the streets in Prague demanding a new government. A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. The Soviet government joins in condemnation of its own invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. |
| 62 | 5th December 1989 | 20091205 | Mrs Thatcher faces her first leadership challenge. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 63 | 6th December 1989 | 20091206 | East Germany's leader Egon Krenz resigns. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 64 | 7th December 1989 | 20091207 | The Czech prime minister Ladislav Adamec resigns. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 65 | 8th December 1989 | 20091208 | East Germany elects a new leader amid fears the country is sliding into lawlessness. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 66 | 9th December 1989 | 20091209 | Mikhail Gorbachev warns that the Communist Party faces the threat of extinction. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 67 | 10th December 1989 | 20091210 | Czechoslovakia's first non-communist majority government in 41 years is sworn in. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 68 | 11th December 1989 | 20091211 | The forced repatriation of the Vietnamese Boat People begins. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 69 | 12th December 1989 | 20091212 | US secretary of state James Baker meets East Germany's de facto leader Hans Modrow. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 70 | 13th December 1989 | 20091213 | President FW de Klerk meets with Nelson Mandela. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 71 | 14th December 1989 | 20091214 | Chile elects a civilian president to replace Augusto Pinochet. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 72 | 15th December 1989 | 20091215 | Soviet human rights campaigner Andrei Sakharov dies. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 73 | 16th December 1989 | 20091216 | East Germany discusses what do to after dismantling the Stasi. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 74 | 17th December 1989 | 20091217 | Labour select Peter Mandelson to stand as an MP. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 75 | 18th December 1989 | 20091218 | Troops have fired on protestors in Romania. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 76 | 19th December 1989 | 20091219 | Serious unrest is reported in Romania, with hundreds massacred. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 77 | 20th December 1989 | 20091220 | US forces looking for General Noriega invade Panama. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 78 | 21st December 1989 | 20091221 | Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu is booed in public. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 79 | 22nd December 1989 | 20091222 | Romanian President Ceausescu is caught as he tries to escape. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 80 | 23rd December 1989 | 20091223 | Intense fighting continues in Romania. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 81 | 24th December 1989 | 20091224 | General Noriega is surrounded as he seeks refuge in Panama. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 82 | 25th December 1989 | 20091225 | Ceausescu and his wife are executed in Romania. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 83 | 26th December 1989 | 20091226 | Romania buries its dead. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 84 | 27th December 1989 | 20091227 | The world comes to Romania's aid. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 85 | 28th December 1989 | 20091228 | Jimi Hendrix is deployed against General Noriega. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 86 | 29th December 1989 | 20091229 | Playwright Vaclav Havel is elected president of Czechoslovakia. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 87 | 30th December 1989 | 20091230 | The lavish home of Romanian dictator Ceausescu is revealed to the world. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 88 | 31st December 1989 | 20091231 | A new Europe sees in a new year. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 89 | 1st January 1990 | 20100101 | Gorbachev and Bush welcome a new decade. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 90 | 2nd January 1990 | 20100102 | Reorganisation begins in Romania as fledgling political parties take shape. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |
| 91 | 3rd January 1990 | 20100103 | In Panama, General Noriega gives himself up to US forces. Sir John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 20 years ago |