Did the Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown happen in 1989?

Yes, the Tiananmen Square protests and the subsequent crackdown (often called the Tiananmen Square Massacre or June Fourth Incident) occurred in 1989.[1]

Student-led pro-democracy demonstrations began in mid-April 1989 in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square (and spread to other cities), initially mourning the death of reformist official Hu Yaobang and calling for political reform, free speech, an end to corruption, and other changes. The protests grew to involve hundreds of thousands to over a million people at their peak.[1]

After failed negotiations and the declaration of martial law in May, the Chinese government ordered the military to clear the square. On the night of June 3–4, 1989, troops and armored vehicles advanced into central Beijing, using live ammunition against protesters and bystanders, resulting in a violent crackdown. Estimates of deaths vary widely (official Chinese figures are low, around 200+ civilians; independent estimates and scholarly assessments often range from several hundred to over 2,000, with some higher), and many more were injured or arrested.[2]

This is extensively documented by contemporary news reports, eyewitness accounts, diplomatic cables, photographs/videos (including the famous “Tank Man” image from June 5), and historical records from sources such as historians, journalists, human rights organizations, and governments. The Chinese government has restricted discussion of the events domestically and refers to them in limited or alternative terms, but the historical occurrence in 1989 is not in serious dispute among international historians and records.[3]