December 22- Ceausescu deposed

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   I�m a fervent opponent of the death penalty, but sometimes, very occasionally and very hypocritically, I can�t help agreeing that such end is well deserved. One such case is the former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, whose remarkably short fall from power began in earnest on December 22, 1989 when he fled his capital Bucharest in a helicopter.

The day before, Ceausescu had, in view of spreading unrest in the country and the attempts of his secret police, the �Securitate� to surpress it, attempted to pacify his rebellious subjects. The video footage of Ceaucescu, stepping out on the balcony, trying to address the restless crowd that had assembled in the square in front of the Building of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party, and the incredulous look on his face, when the people that he had tormented for decades, suddenly started to shout and swear at him, will remain a priceless snapshot of the story of the downfall of  the Stalinist Empire.

One should presume that Ceausescu would have understood the signs of the time and would have attempted a half decent retreat from power, but next day, on December 22,  he was back, trying once more to negotiate with a crowd that had come to the square, once more he came out trying to talk with them, but this time the Romanian people had comprehended that they had nothing to fear anymore from the septuagenarian, dithering fool, who overnight had lost his nimbus as the unassailable dictator.

The moment for talking was over, the impatient crowd tried to storm the building, and Ceausescu, his wife, the equally abominable Elena, together with a few companions escaped to the roof and escaped in a waiting helicopter.

 Ceausesu escaping, before being captured

While Ceausescu loyalists, mainly �Securitate� police, put up a last stand in Bucharest and other cities, the game for the President was over. The defense minister was killed and the new army command declared solidarity with the protesters, and that was the end of more of thirty years of the Ceausescu regime, the last bastion of old style Stalinism in Europe.

The deposed President and his entourage fled to the country side, but were arrested in the small town of  Targoviste, and three days later, on Christmas Day, executed after a short and rather farcical trial.

What else happened on that day?

1715 In Scotland, James Stuart- 'the old pretender'- lands at Peterhead to lead yet another hopeless rebellion against England.

1961 James Davis is the first US soldier to be killed in Vietnam. 

Complete list of events:

Wikipedia

Edited by Komnenos