February 3, 1989

1989Jia, Chinese singer and actress^[†]

Meng Jia, simply known as Jia, is a Chinese singer and actress. She was a member of South Korean girl group Miss A until her contract expired in May 2016. After leaving Miss A, Meng Jia signed with Banana Culture Music in 2016 to pursue her solo career in China.

1989Slobodan Rajković, Serbian footballer^[†]

Slobodan Rajković is a Serbian retired footballer who played as a centre back.

1989John Cassavetes, American actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1929)^[†]

John Nicholas Cassavetes was an American filmmaker and actor. He began as an actor in film and television before helping to pioneer modern American independent cinema as a writer and director, often self-financing, producing, and distributing his own films. He received nominations for three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and an Emmy Award.

1989Lionel Newman, American pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1916)^[†]

Lionel Newman was an American conductor, pianist, and film and television composer. He won the Academy Award for Best Score of a Musical Picture for Hello Dolly! with Lennie Hayton in 1969. He is the brother of Alfred Newman and Emil Newman, uncle of composers Randy Newman, David Newman, Thomas Newman, Maria Newman, and grandfather of Joey Newman. His 11 nominations contribute to the Newmans being the most nominated Academy Award extended family, with a collective 92 nominations in various music categories.

1989After a stroke two weeks previously, South African President P. W. Botha resigns as leader of the National Party, but stays on as president for six more months.^[†]

Stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functioning properly.

1989A military coup overthrows Alfredo Stroessner, dictator of Paraguay since 1954.^[†]

The 1989 Paraguayan coup d'état, also known as La Noche de la Candelaria, was a coup d'état that took place on 2–3 February 1989 in Asunción, Paraguay, led by General Andrés Rodríguez against the regime of long-time leader Alfredo Stroessner. The bloody overthrow which saw numerous soldiers killed in street fighting was sparked by a power struggle in the highest echelons of the government. Rodríguez's takeover spelled the end of El Stronato, Stroessner's thirty-four year long rule, at the time the longest in Latin America, and led to an array of reforms which abolished numerous draconian laws and led to the liberalization of Paraguay.