Soviet Union

2001

Russia's Mir Space Station was deorbited over the South Pacific Ocean.

1991

Mikhail Gorbachev resigned from his position as Prime Minister of the Soviet Union.

1991

Ukraine elected its first President since the nation gained its independence from the Soviet Union.

1991

Tajikistan declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

1991

Kyrgyzstan declares its independence from the Soviet Union.

1991

Moldova declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

1991

Belarus declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

1991

Ukraine separated from the Soviet Union, marking this day as Ukraine's Independence Day.

1991

The Republic of Georgia declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

1990

Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

1990

Latvia declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

1990

Mikhail Gorbachev was elected as the Soviet Union's first President.

1989

The Soviet Union announced that all of its troops had officially withdrawn from Afghanistan.

1988

Antonov An-255 Mriya, the largest airplane in the world, flew for the first time.

1988

The Soviet Union's uncrewed Buran space shuttle completed its first and only space flight.

1988

The Soviet Union agreed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.

1986

The Soviet Union's Vega 1 Space Probe began sending back images of Halley's Comet.

1986

The Soviet Union launched the first module of its Mir space station.

1986

The USSR launched the Mir core module, the first module of the new space station.

1980

The first official rock festival took place in the Soviet Union.