The world in
What happened in 1987?
25 events across 10 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Singing RevolutionThe Singing Revolution refers to the events from 1987 to 1991 that led to the restoration of independence for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania at the end of the Cold War. The term originated from spontaneous mass patriotic singing demonstrations on the nights of 10–11 June 1988 at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, and was coined a week later in an article by Estonian artist Heinz Valk. The Soviet Union had annexed the Baltics around 1940 and subsequently suppressed local languages, religions, and culture, carried out large-scale deportations and political repression.
Cold WarAfter World War II, the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union engaged in a nearly half-century-long political, economic, and military confrontation. Although the two superpowers never fought directly, they competed globally through proxy wars, an arms race, and the Space Race. The Cold War began in the late 1940s and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: U.S. Army photo Photo Credit: USAMHI / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSROn December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR was signed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, officially establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Plenipotentiary delegates from the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Soviet republics signed the treaty, along with a declaration serving as its preamble. The treaty legally formalized the political union of the Soviet republics that had existed since 1919, creating a new federal government with centralized functions in Moscow. Legislative power was vested in the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, while executive power lay with the Council of People's Commissars.
Inscription of the Archaeological Site of Delphi as a World Heritage SiteIn 1987, the Archaeological Site of Delphi in Greece was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The site, once the religious centre and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world, was renowned for the oracle of Apollo and the 'navel of the world'. Its origins date to the 6th century B.C., blending harmoniously with the landscape.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Image: F. Harbin / CC BY 3.0 ↗
Establishment of Etna ParkEtna Park became a regional natural park in Sicily, Italy, in the late 20th century, encompassing the area of Mount Etna.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia (FR) ↗Image: Giglio Domenico Mirko / CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗
West Asia
Iran–Iraq War beginsIn September 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, igniting the Iran–Iraq War. The eight-year conflict stemmed from long-standing border disputes and Iraqi fears that Iran’s Islamic Revolution might spread to its Shiite population. The war caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, becoming the deadliest conventional war between regular armies of developing countries.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Uploader was gIre_3piCH2005 at fa.wikipedia / Public domain ↗
Anfal CampaignFrom February to September 1988, the Iraqi Ba'athist regime launched the Anfal campaign, systematically targeting rural Kurds in northern Iraq. Ordered by Saddam Hussein and led by Ali Hassan al-Majid, its goals were to eliminate Kurdish rebel groups and Arabize strategic areas of Kirkuk Governorate. An estimated 50,000 to 180,000 civilians were killed, and the campaign is widely considered genocide, most notoriously marked by the chemical attack on Halabja in March 1988.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: James Gordon from Los Angeles, California, USA / CC BY 2.0 ↗
South Lebanon conflict eruptsThe South Lebanon conflict erupted in 1985, with Israel and its allied South Lebanon Army fighting Hezbollah-led forces in Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon. Seen as an extension of the Lebanese Civil War, the conflict persisted until Israel's withdrawal in 2000.
Opening of the Kocatepe MosqueThe Kocatepe Mosque opened in 1987 in Ankara, Turkey, becoming the largest mosque in the city and one of the largest in the world, with architectural inspiration drawn from 16th-century master architect Sinan’s works.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Battle of Cuito Cuanavale beginsOn 14 August 1987, FAPLA and Cuban forces launched an offensive near Cuito Cuanavale against South African and UNITA troops, marking the start of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. The largest engagement of the Angolan Civil War and the biggest conventional battle in Africa since World War II, it began with a failed FAPLA push towards Mavinga. Fighting continued until March 1988, with counteroffensives around the Tumpo River.
Beginning of the South African Border WarIn 1966, the South African Border War broke out across Namibia, Zambia, and Angola. It was fought between the South African Defence Force and the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, the armed wing of SWAPO. The conflict, closely tied to the Angolan Civil War, became one of Africa's largest wars since World War II.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: No machine-readable author provided. Ceresnet assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 2.5 ↗
- Chadian–Libyan War
Between 1978 and 1987, Libya conducted a series of military campaigns in Chad, fighting alongside Libyan allies against the French-backed Chadian government. Libya repeatedly intervened in the Chadian civil war, and France also intervened militarily to support the Chadian government. The conflict ended with the victory of pro-French forces.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Inscription of Dja Faunal Reserve as UNESCO World Heritage SiteIn 1987, the Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in southeastern Cameroon, it is one of the largest and best-protected rainforests in Africa, with 90% of its area undisturbed. The reserve is noted for its biodiversity, containing 107 mammal species, including five threatened species. It is almost completely surrounded by the Dja River, which forms a natural boundary.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Earwig at German Wikipedia / Attribution ↗
North America
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Montreal ProtocolOn 16 September 1987, the Montreal Protocol was agreed in Montreal, Canada. Building on the 1985 Vienna Convention, it aims to protect the ozone layer by phasing out ozone-depleting substances. Apart from the Geneva Conventions, it is the only treaty signed by all UN member states.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: U.S. Department of State from United States / Public domain ↗
- Presidency of Ronald Reagan (1981‑1989)
Ronald Reagan served as the 40th president of the United States from January 20, 1981 to January 20, 1989. A Republican, he won the 1980 election against incumbent Jimmy Carter and was re-elected in 1984 against Walter Mondale. Constitutionally limited to two terms, Reagan was succeeded by his vice president George H. W. Bush.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Founding of the University of GreenlandThe University of Greenland is the only university in Greenland, located in the capital Nuuk. Most courses are taught in Danish, with a few in Greenlandic, and exchange lecturers sometimes use English. The institution is small, with around 650 students and 14 academic staff in 2015.
South Asia
Soviet Invasion of AfghanistanIn December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan mujahideen, who received aid from multiple countries. The war lasted nearly a decade, ending with the Soviet withdrawal in February 1989. American and British support for the mujahideen escalated the Cold War, ending a brief period of relaxed Soviet–US relations.
Outbreak of the Cambodian–Vietnamese WarIn December 1978, Vietnam launched a large-scale invasion of Cambodia, toppling the Khmer Rouge regime, which marked the outbreak of the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. Border clashes had occurred in preceding years. The war was part of the Third Indochina War and intertwined with the Sino-Soviet split in the Cold War.
North Africa
Toyota WarThe Toyota War, the final phase of the Chadian–Libyan conflict in 1987, derived its name from the extensive use of Toyota pickups by Chadian forces. The war resulted in a heavy defeat for Libya, which lost about 7,500 men and $1.5 billion in military equipment, while Chad suffered around 1,000 deaths.
Outbreak of the Western Sahara WarIn 1975, after Spain withdrew from Western Sahara, Morocco and Mauritania took over administration under the Madrid Accords, leading to armed conflict with the Polisario Front. Morocco organized the Green March, with tens of thousands of citizens and around 20,000 troops entering Western Sahara, meeting resistance from the Polisario Front. Fighting was minor at first but evolved into a prolonged guerrilla war. The Polisario Front fought both Morocco and Mauritania, seeking independence. Mauritania withdrew in 1979, but the war persisted until a 1991 ceasefire.
Central & South America
Nicaraguan RevolutionThe Nicaraguan Revolution was a revolutionary movement in Nicaragua from 1961 to 1990, led by the Sandinista National Liberation Front, aiming to overthrow the Somoza family dictatorship and, after its success in 1979, to carry out social and economic reforms.
Brimstone Hill Fortress designated as World Heritage SiteBrimstone Hill Fortress National Park was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fortress, located on the island of St. Kitts, was designed by British military engineers and built and maintained by enslaved Africans. It is one of the best preserved historical fortifications in the Americas, blending British and Caribbean architectural styles.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Ukexpat / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
East Asia
- Launch of Reform and Opening-up
After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in December 1978, China began implementing a policy centered on economic reform, known as 'reform and opening-up'. Proposed under Deng Xiaoping's leadership, it aimed to introduce market mechanisms and expand foreign economic exchanges.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Oceania
Establishment of Purnululu National ParkPurnululu National Park was established in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The park is renowned for the Bungle Bungle Range, with its beehive-shaped karst sandstone towers rising about 250 metres above the semi-arid savannah, featuring distinctive black and orange banding formed by cyanobacteria. Covering approximately 239,723 hectares, it is a World Heritage Site.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: W. Bulach / CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗
Central Asian steppe
Establishment of the Daursky Nature ReserveIn 1987, Russia established the Daursky Nature Reserve in southern Zabaykalsky Krai near the Mongolian border to protect the Daurian steppe ecosystem. The reserve later became part of the World Heritage Site 'Landscapes of Dauria'.
Around 1987
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Beginning of the Digital Revolution
- Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque
- Guatemalan Maya genocide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'