On this day in 1989, the Berlin Wall officially fell. That is to say, the East German Communist Party finally cracked under the pressure and announced that at midnight, East Berlin’s citizens were free to cross over into West Berlin. Two million East Germans took them up on that offer, and that weekend quickly turned into what one reporter called, “The greatest street party in the history of the world.” I mean, everyone got loaded. They had to convoy in extra beer, champagne and liquor because all the West Berliners were buying the much poorer East Berliners rounds of drinks. Then, properly fortified, they began attacking the wall with hammers, picks, bulldozers, whatever they could get their hands on. It was a wild scene. Head over to Youtube and watch some of the video. Just riotous, drunken joy. Everyone was smashed and swinging a hammer. Just good clean fun. Not to mention an epic geopolitical milestone.
