1980's-Falling of the Berlin Wall

The tearing down of the Berlin wall is the third and final picture in this series on the 1980's. This photo of East German Youth on top of the wall is part of the November 1989 Photograph collection Stephen Jaffe/Getty Images.

The 1989 falling of the Berlin wall is the last and greatest event of the 1980's. The decades long battle between the Soviet Union and the United States would end shortly after this event. Most people believe that it was the relationship between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev that led to this symbol of oppression being torn down. The event was also another step in the chain of events that have led to the recreation of Europe and its development into the European Union.