After 23 gruelling years under Nicolae Ceaușescu's authoritarian regime, Romania witnessed a dramatic shift in 1989 as its people revolted against the oppressive communist dictatorship.
Fuelled by decades of economic hardship, state surveillance, and human rights abuses, protests erupted nationwide, culminating in the overthrow of Ceaușescu and his wife, Elena, on 22 December.
The couple fled Bucharest but were swiftly captured, tried, and executed, marking the end of one of Eastern Europe's most repressive regimes.
This historic event signalled Romania's transition towards democracy and freedom, forever etching 22 December 1989, as a pivotal day in its history.
