The events of December 1989 (known as the 'Romanian Revolution of 1989') consisted of a series of protests that led to the collapse of communism and the execution of the Ceaușescu couple.

Protests broke out in Timișoara on the 16th of December. They were caused by the eviction of reformed pastor László Tőkéș from his parochial house. Shortly after, they spread, fed by anger at living conditions and the political regime. The authorities opened fire, leaving 59 dead and 185 wounded.

On the night of the 21st of December, the protests in Bucharest were met with deadly violence. The following day, the protests spread across the country, and the Ceaușescu couple fled by helicopter from the roof of the Central Committee building. The number of victims among protesters grew the following few days in cities across the country. The official story line of the authorities after 1990 speaks of 'terrorists' loyal to Nicolae Ceauşescu shooting at the protesters. In reality, the fighting was between different army units or the army and armed civilians.

Before the Ceaușescu couple fled:
126 dead and 1107 wounded

After the Ceaușescu couple fled:
978 dead and 2214 wounded

On the 25th of December, Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were sentenced to death by an Extraordinary Military Tribunal. After a brief improvised trial, they were executed in Târgoviște. Power was taken over by the National Salvation Front Council, led by Ion Iliescu, a notable former communist party official.

The events of December 1989 are still highly controversial in Romanian society, being seen as either a revolution, a coup d'état, or a hybrid of the two. While the rest of Eastern European countries saw a peaceful collapse of communism, Romania was the only case where the 1989 regime change was bathed in blood.