Did the Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown happen in 1989?

Yes, the Tiananmen Square protests and the subsequent military crackdown took place in 1989.

The timeline of the key events includes:

•April 15, 1989: The protests began following the death of Hu Yaobang, a former leader of the Chinese Communist Party who was seen as a reformer. University students gathered in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mourn him, which quickly transformed into a broader, nationwide pro-democracy movement calling for political reforms, freedom of speech, and an end to government corruption.

•May 20, 1989: After weeks of escalating protests and hunger strikes, the Chinese government declared martial law in Beijing.

•June 3–4, 1989: The Chinese military (the People's Liberation Army) moved into Beijing with heavily armed troops and tanks. They opened fire on unarmed protesters and civilians who attempted to block their path to clear the square.

Often referred to as the June Fourth Incident or the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the crackdown resulted in the deaths of hundreds—potentially thousands—of people, as well as thousands of subsequent arrests.

Citations (4)

1amnesty.orgNonprofits and think tanks
amnesty.org
Backs: “Yes, the Tiananmen Square protests and the subsequent military crackdown took place in 1989.”
2britannica.comEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
britannica.com
Backs: “Yes, the Tiananmen Square protests and the subsequent military crackdown took place in 1989.”
3wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “The timeline of the key events includes: April 15, 1989: The protests began following the death of Hu Yaobang, a former leader of the Chinese Communist Party who was seen as a reformer.”
4iu.eduAcademic
iu.edu
Backs: “The timeline of the key events includes: April 15, 1989: The protests began following the death of Hu Yaobang, a former leader of the Chinese Communist Party who was seen as a reformer.”