when did the berlin wall fall

The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989. On that day, East German authorities unexpectedly announced that East Germans could freely travel to West Germany and West Berlin starting immediately. This led to thousands of East Germans gathering at border crossings and the overwhelmed border guards eventually opened the gates, allowing people to cross freely. The event sparked celebrations as East and West Berliners came together, and people began physically dismantling the Wall. This historic moment marked the beginning of the end of the division between East and West Germany and paved the way for German reunification less than a year later, on October 3, 1990.