Havel Elected President: Czechoslovakia Goes Free
A playwright who'd spent years in prison for his words walks into Prague Castle as president. Václav Havel never led an army or ran a campaign — he wrote essays the secret police confiscated and staged plays the government banned. Four months earlier, he was still considered a criminal. But the Velvet Revolution moved so fast that by December 29, parliament chose him: 323 votes, zero shots fired. His first act? Amnesty for 22,000 prisoners. His second? Apologizing to the nation for the crimes committed in its name. The man who signed letters from jail with "yours in hope" now signed laws.
December 29, 1989
37 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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