On This Day: The night the Berlin Wall came down

There were tears, champagne, strangers embracing and people dancing on top of a concrete wall. Thirty-seven years ago today, the world watched as one of history’s most hated barriers finally opened.

On the evening of November 9, 1989, thousands of East Germans began gathering at checkpoints along the Berlin Wall.

They had heard news. After decades of restrictions, they might finally be allowed to cross into West Berlin.

For 28 years, the wall had divided families, separated friends and turned one of Europe’s great cities into a symbol of the Cold War.

Now, almost unbelievably, it appeared their ordeal was ending.

The night nobody wanted to go home

Earlier that evening, East German official Günter Schabowski had announced new travel regulations at a press conference.

Asked when they would take effect, he replied that, as far as he knew, they applied immediately.

The announcement caused confusion among border guards, who had received no clear instructions.

As crowds grew, the pressure became impossible to contain.

At the Bornholmer Strasse crossing, guards finally opened the barriers, allowing East Germans to stream into the West.

What followed was extraordinary.

Families embraced after years apart. Strangers offered flowers and champagne. People climbed onto the wall, cheering and celebrating as television cameras captured the scenes.

For Australians watching the news, the images were unforgettable.

The opening of the border helped accelerate the collapse of East Germany’s communist government, and less than a year later, on October 3, 1990, Germany was formally reunified.

The day The Beatles met their future manager

On November 9, 1961, Brian Epstein walked into Liverpool’s Cavern Club to watch four young musicians perform.

The group was The Beatles, then featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and drummer Pete Best.

Epstein was impressed enough to pursue a management role, beginning a partnership that helped transform the local band into an international phenomenon.

Within a few years, Beatlemania had swept the world.

Born on this day

Lou Ferrigno, remembered for playing the green-skinned superhero in television’s The Incredible Hulk, celebrates his 75th birthday.

Australian singer Delta Goodrem turns 42 today. From her early days on Neighbours to hits including Born to Try and Lost Without You, she has become one of Australia’s most recognisable performers.

Folk singer Mary Travers, of Peter, Paul and Mary, was born on November 9, 1936, and would have turned 90 today. She died in 2009.

Do you remember?

Do you remember watching the Berlin Wall come down on television in 1989? What went through your mind when you saw people crossing freely between East and West Berlin?