May 1989-Hungrians began dismantling the barbed-wire fence between Hungary and Austria
June 1989- Poland held first free elections for first time since world war 2 and Lech Walesa(solidarity) gets elected as first non-communist president in eastern europe
September 1989- thousands of east Germans on holiday in Hungary and Czechoslovakia refuse to go home and escape through Austria to west germany
October 1989- Honecker order east German troops to fire upon demonstrators but they refuse. Gorbachev makes it clear soviet tanks will not help
November 1989- East Germans march in thousands to checkpoints at berlin wall. Guards throw down weapons and join the crowds, berlin wall is dismantled
November 1989- After huge demonstrations in Czechoslovakia the Czech government opens border to the west and allows formation of other parties
December 1989- Romania has a short, bloody revolution that ended with execution of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife
December 1989- Communist party in Hungary renames itself to Socialist party and declares free election to be held in 1990
December 1989- Bulgaria has huge demonstrations against communist government
March 1990- Latvia declares independence from USSR
October 3 1990 - Germany is united as a whole country again
March 1990- Gorbachev sent troops to Lithuania and Azerbaijan to end rioting after they demand independence
May 1990- Russian Republic, largest state of USSR, elected Boris Yeltsin as president. Yeltsin said he saw no future in USSR and that republics of USSR should become independent
July 1990- Ukraine declares independence. Other republics follow suit.
Gorbachev receives Nobel peace prize for contribution to ending of cold war
April 1991- Republic of Georgia declare independence from Soviet Union
August 1991- Hardline communist attempt coup against Gorbachev to attempt and save USSR but fail
December 1991- 25th of December, Gorbachev announces resignment from position and along with it the official downfall of the USSR