1989: The Execution Of Nicolae Ceaușescu
Communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu became the president of Romania in 1974 — and he soon rose to prominence as one of the most brutal totalitarian rulers in history. He deployed secret police on his own people, controlled the media, and violently suppressed anyone who spoke out against him.
ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock PhotoNicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were killed by a firing squad on Dec. 25, 1989.
By 1989, Romanians had had enough. A revolution broke out that December, and Ceaușescu ordered the military to open fire on demonstrators. However, his own soldiers ultimately turned on him, capturing him as he tried to flee by helicopter on Dec. 22.
On Christmas morning, Ceaușescu and his wife, Elena, were put on trial. Charges against them included undermining state power, destroying the economy, illegal gathering of wealth, and the genocide of 60,000 people. They were swiftly found guilty by a military tribunal and sentenced to death.
Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were killed by a firing squad that same day, and images of their execution were shown around the world. Ceaușescu’s death brought an end to Communist rule in Romania. Just a few months after the execution, Ion Iliescu became the country’s first freely elected president.
