We The People: This Day in History, November 9
Berlin Wall Falls and Symbol of Cold War Division Ends
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall that separated East and West Berlin fell.
The wall was first built in August 1961 to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Germany during the Cold War.
In June of 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan challenged soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
Later in December, the two signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.
Two years later, it was announced that the wall would be coming down.
Thousands of East and West Germans celebrated at the Berlin Wall when it fell, as the symbol of the two countries’ divisions was no more, marking a significant event that led to the end of the Cold War.
George H.W. Bush was the President of the United States when the Berlin Wall fell.
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