Did the Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown happen in 1989?

Yes, the Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown took place in 1989. The protests began in mid-April 1989, centered around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, and were primarily led by students calling for political reform, greater freedoms, and an end to corruption. The demonstrations grew to include hundreds of thousands of participants over the following weeks.

The crackdown occurred on the night of June 3 into the early morning hours of June 4, 1989, when Chinese government forces, including military troops and tanks, moved in to clear the square and surrounding areas, resulting in significant loss of life. The exact death toll remains disputed and unconfirmed to this day due to the Chinese government's restrictions on information about the event.